Seville distances itself from Malaga and boasts of keeping horse-drawn carriages

The echoes of the ban on horse-drawn carriages in Málaga have resonated throughout much of Andalusia, where the news has become a topic of conversation and even made the front pages of newspapers. Among them is Seville, where there is a strong tradition and business surrounding this tourist activity.

In the neighboring city, local media highlighted today that the Seville City Council has distanced itself from the measure taken in Málaga and is currently studying the modification of ordinances with carriage drivers and the College of Veterinarians.

El Diario de Sevilla, in fact, has brought the issue to the front page of the printed newspaper and, with a photo that covers the entire front page (across five columns), states: "Seville will maintain horse-drawn carriages." The text adds that "the City Council distances itself from the initiative approved in Málaga."

Although the mayor of the neighboring city has not made official statements, his team has hinted to other media that they will not enter into evaluations about what other cities do, but they point out that "Málaga and Seville are different," since the latter "has a deeper-rooted tradition of horse-drawn carriages."

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What will happen to the horses?

The approach followed in Seville is similar to that advocated by the College of Veterinarians, which supports regulation to ensure the welfare of the working animals. In a report prepared at the national level, they point out, among other things, that the stops must be in the shade and that water must be provided.

Despite the apparent majority, Podemos Sevilla has called on the municipal government to open a "public and transparent" debate about the future of these vehicles in the city, and has proposed holding a citizen consultation to find out if the population supports the continuation of this activity.

Similarly, the Animalist Party Pacma has celebrated the progress as a decisive step towards the definitive elimination of a practice they describe as "obsolete and cruel," and has called for Seville, Córdoba, and other Andalusian cities to follow the same path.