Fools and their horses

PALMA’s long suffering carriage-pulling horses will be given a slight break. The official carriages parade will be moved to a different spot following complaints that the present site at Calle Conqueridor doesn’t allow them to relax. 

Where the new parade will take place hasn’t yet been settled. The decision comes amid a series of new proposals and controversies over what to do with the city’s ‘Galeras Rojas’ industry of horse-drawn carriages. 

More than 70,000 people signed a petition in 2015 calling for the end of the practice after the death of a horse from exhaustion outside the cathedral. Since then the authorities have explored different options, including electric carriages, but have met resistance from the drivers who fear for their livelihood.