Horse collapses while pulling tourists in Palma, Mallorca in 40C heat

A horse was seen collapsing after pulling tourists through 40C heat in Mallorca. Photo / Ka23 13

A horse collapsed in 40C heat after pulling tourists through a popular Spanish city.

Three tourists were seen waiting in the cart while the driver tried to yank the exhausted animal up from the ground in the city of Palma, Mallorca on Saturday afternoon.

Locals urged the driver to give the horse water and rest and get tourists off the cart, which was being pulled around Juan Carlos I Square while the temperature sat at 40C.

Guillermo, president of a local animal-rights party, Progreso en Verde, told Spanish media he was lodging a formal complaint about the incident.

Amengual said horse-drawn carriage rides should be banned as they exploit animals.

"It could have been heatstroke or the result of the animal not being suitable to be used in this way because of its age or other factors," he said.

"We're going to denounce this because it's the third time something similar has happened in the last two months and we have to get to the bottom of what's happened."

A man who appeared to be the horses owner was seen trying to pull it up while three people sat in the carriage, waiting.

Spanish locals approached them and yelled to get down off the cart.

The horse eventually got back onto its feet but it is not known whether it was forced to keep taking passengers around the city.

Animal rights organisation Peta UK has created a petition that specifically calls out horse-drawn carriages in Mallorca.

"Dozens of exhausted horses are forced to pull carriages laden with tourists through the busy streets," the petition reads.

A horse has collapsed while being forced to pull a carriage full of tourists in Mallorca in 40-degree heat. This is a disgrace. A ban on horse-drawn carriages in Mallorca is needed now! #HorseCarriagesAreCallous https://t.co/yWWm00NeNp

— Laura Mak (@LauraMak11) July 26, 2022

"Many of the debilitated animals collapse – especially in the summer when temperatures regularly reach 35 degrees.

Others get caught up in noisy traffic, which often leads to accidents – the honk of a car's horn or even just an insect bite can be enough to trigger the horses' instinct to bolt."

The petition automatically sends an email to the mayors of Palma, Alcúdia and Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, urging them to ban the practice.