The Nationalist Party has called for fresh measures to protect karozzini horses during the hot summer months.

In a statement, the spokesman on animal welfare, Mario Galea, said that while the livelihood of several families depended on the operations of the karozzini, this should not be at the detriment of the horses' health.

He suggested that the officials from the Animal Welfare Department should meet the karozzini owners to discuss what measures could be taken to protect the horses from the hot summer sun. 

Mr Galea's call came after a horse collapsed and died while pulling a karozzin up Crucifix Hill in Floriana on Wednesday. It happened just four days after another horse collapsed in the sweltering heat.

Mr Galea called for the enforcement of the maximum load which the horses could pull, and there should be more shelters and easier access to water. The authorities could also consider changing some of the karozzini routes and enforce rest periods for the horses, especially when temperatures were at their highest.