Proper treatment of Maltese cab horses

In answer to Paul Borg’s letter Proper And Dignified Treatment Of Horses (January 21), featuring a picture of a horse and cab in Rome, I wish to point out that The Telegraph newspaper published an article on October 19 that also included a photo of Rome’s horses, titled Horse-drawn Carriages In Rome Facing Ban:

“The horse drawn carriages that give tourists a guided tour of Rome’s most famous sights are facing a ban after being condemned as cruel by Italy’s Tourism Minister.

“Michela Brambilla has described as ‘unacceptable’ the exploitation of the horses which pull tourists through traffic-clogged roads and along uneven cobbled lanes.

“They are busiest during the summer high season, when temperatures in the capital can reach 104˚F (40˚C). Two animals have died in the last couple of years, one after being hit by a car and another when it broke a leg on a cobbled street near the Colosseum and had to be put down by veterinary surgeons.”

Luckily for our local horse-drawn karozzin, these horses are not forced to work on uneven cobbled roads but because their designated routes include inclines, the Maltese carriages are built with a short shaft to cause less stress for the horse to pull and not long shafts as those in Rome. It is therefore not feasible for our horses to wear a bag to collect droppings. There is, however, another method being discussed to do that.

As for the neat cover over the horse which was shown in the photo, this may be applicable in the winter’s rainy months but during the hot summer months equine specialists agree that a horse waiting for custom must have his whole body in the shade, from head to tail, and water-points must be available. This is what Animal Rights Group is working to achieve: basic relief for our local horses, while taking tourists around.