An animal welfare NGO has launched an international call on Transport Malta to “turn the tap on” for dehydrated cab horses in Valletta.

The petition was launched by World Animal Protection after the charity flew two experts to Malta this summer to assess the welfare of karozzin horses.

The charity World Animal Protection has launched an online petition on the lack of water for horses. Photo: World Animal Protection Facebook page

They found that the horses in Valletta were thirsty with no ready access to drinking water as there was just one working tap (at the Valletta waterfront) for all of the horses in the capital.

This visit followed another one in 2009, when in collaboration with Myriam Kirmond from the Animal Rights Coalition and karrozin owners, two equine vets had already discovered that the horses were dehydrated. The charity said shade for horses on stand-by in the scorching heat had since been provided, however, six years on, there were even fewer water points.

So WAP sent TM and the Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretariat a six-page report with recommendations, including the reconnection of an existing water point.

It also referred to upcoming regulations on animal-drawn vehicles, noting that since owners would now be made legally responsible for offering water to their horses, the authorities should provide the infrastructure and ensure that the water becamereadily available.

When contacted, TM said that in collaboration with the animal welfare authorities, and in consultation with sector representatives, it has over the past years taken the initiative to set up shelters around Malta, including in Valletta.

The charity said shade for horses on stand-by in the scorching heat had since been provided, however, six years on, there were even fewer water points

“While some are already equipped with water and drainage facilities, others are in the process of being equipped with water dispensers operated by RFID cards. Installation is planned for the coming months. New shelters are also being built to the same standards, including horse shelters at Castille Place and outside Mdina Gate,” a spokesman said.

Questions were also sent to the Parliamentary Secretariat, and a spokesman noted that while the Water Services Corporation would be installing the necessary meters, owners were not being precluded from supplying horses with adequate amounts of water.

According to the animal welfare law and other regulations, the onus of good practice falls on the cab owners and not government entities, although the latter were committed to be of assistance, a spokesman said, noting that shelters under this legislature had increased by 22.

Referring to the Valletta waterfront shelter, Christian Caruana, a karozzin representative, said he had drawn the attention of the authorities to the state of the structure, which was in urgent need of repair.

While metal rods supporting the roof had fallen off, some wooden planks were hanging dangerously above the horses, he explained.

However, a TM spokesman said that this “main karozzin terminal” was fully equipped with water and drainage facilities and had been “slightly” damaged in a car accident.

“Although there are no immediate safety concerns, the necessary repairs and other routine maintenance work are planned to be carried out shortly,” the TM spokesman said. WAP’s petition can be signed on www.worldanimalprotection.org.uk.