A man was fined €233 for failing to provide shelter for a horse and a pony in the first judgment of its kind.

Michael Gauci, of San Ġwann, ended up in court after he ignored animal welfare officers' warnings to install a shelter for the animals, which he kept in a rented field in the same town.

Magistrate Silvio Meli yesterday warned him to sort out the situation, adding that he faced a maximum fine of €46,000 if he failed to do so.

"This is the first time that someone has actually been charged in court and fined for such an offence," Animal Welfare Department director Mario Spiteri said, adding that this was encouraging for his team, which worked to stamp out any form of animal cruelty.

Animal welfare inspector Emmanuel Buhagiar said the judgment was encouraging because it showed that the law courts were taking animal welfare cases seriously.

"The law clearly states that anyone who keeps an animal is responsible for its health and welfare. In summer, horse owners need to make sure that their horses are protected from the sweltering heat," Mr Buhagiar said.

He stressed that, once the temperature soared above 20 degrees, the department would be enforcing regulations that obliged horse owners to provide the animals with shelter and drinking water in the heat.

This, he stressed, applied to karozzini owners who had to cover their horses with a protective cloth that sheltered them from the sun while out and about.

The regulations came into force last summer and spurred controversy among animal organisations that were concerned that the protective cloth was not ideal to ensure and safeguard the well-being of cab horses.

Myriam Kirmond, from the Animal Rights' Group, welcomed the judgment as "a good beginning" that would hopefully lead to other such cases of animal cruelty being taken to court.

She however insisted that the cloth was not enough to protect horses from Malta's strong sun, insisting that the animals needed full shade.

Cab owner Neil Fenech said that most karozzini owners implemented the cloth measure last summer.

"However, most of us would prefer it if the authorities provided us with proper shelters because the cloth can cause the horse to feel hot," he said.

This was the stand taken by Charlie Agius, from the General Workers' Union's section that represents the Karozzini Association.

"We are viewing the cloth as a temporary measure and will insist on permanent structures where horses seek complete shelter from the sun," Mr Agius said.

He explained that the union was working together with the Animal Rights Group to keep a balance between the interests of cab owners and the horses' welfare.

Last summer, he said, they had met with British animal welfare experts on the matter. The aim was to draw up a report and hand it to the authorities.

During their visit in Malta, the two British experts had found that Maltese horses were well treated by their owners but the authorities needed to improve the management of the karozzini on the road and the conditions in which the horses worked.

The experts concluded that the horses needed shelter that covered their entire body while they waited for custom during the hot summer months, as well as drinking water and better hygiene. Lack of proper conditions could result in de-hydration that may even lead to the horse collapsing, they had found.

Police Inspector Nikolai Sant prosecuted.