I was in Valletta near the Mediterranean Conference Centre on July 13, which was a very hot day, and to my horror I noticed five horses out in the sun sweating without any water or shade. One was chained to a pole on the verge of collapsing, all in front of visiting tourists who were disgusted by the site of this poor horse.
The most disgusting thing was that the horse shelter that caters for six horses was only occupied by two horses, whose owners must have a conscience, but the others were left in the sun just a corner away. This is definitely a case of animal cruelty and those responsible should be fined.
These horse cabs should have a large identification number clearly visible, so if they leave the horses in the sun one can easily take a picture and send it to the authorities for prosecution.
Also, adequate shelter must be provided and it would be humane if there could be a fountain or running water they can drink from.
If a dog was left in those conditions I am sure those responsible would be prosecuted, so I don’t see anything different here.
When I approached the owner and asked him to put the horse in the shade he laughed and replied: “Would you like me to provide the horse with an air conditioner?”
Some people are heartless and this torture needs to stop. Could the competent authorities take some action please?