A CRASH involving a tourist carriage in Fuengirola has reignited the fierce debate over horse-drawn rides on the Costa del Sol.
The incident occurred during an orange heat alert with afternoon temperatures soaring past 30C at around 3.30pm on Tuesday, August 4.
A horse pulling a tourist carriage working its way through a busy thoroughfare suddenly began galloping around a bend leading to a busy main square.
The animal collided with the central reservation, and then crashed head-on into a lorry and a motorbike stopped at a traffic light in the opposite lane.
The carriage driver was rushed to the Costa del Sol hospital with serious head and ankle injuries.
The motorcyclist sustained minor ankle injuries, while the horse reportedly emerged unharmed from the heavy impact.
The crash has immediately intensified scrutiny on towns across the region that still permit the practice in extreme heat.
Animal rights group PACMA branded the incident ‘shameful’.
The group stressed that the exploitation of animals for tourism ‘makes no sense in this day and age’.
But carriage operators fiercely defend the industry, arguing the rides provide a vital livelihood for local families and deny widespread mistreatment.
The Malaga Association of Horse-drawn Carriages insists the practice remains deeply ingrained in Andalucia’s cultural identity and equestrian tradition.
It doesn’t help that local regulations across the coast remain highly inconsistent.
Malaga city imposed a strict ban on tourist carriages last October.
Mayor Francisco de la Torre described the move as ‘the right decision’.
Meanwhile, Marbella has opted for a regulatory approach to manage the popular tourist activity.
It follows a scandal last August when footage of a painfully thin, limping horse pulling a carriage through Marbella’s old town circulated on social media.
Officials declared the mistreatment was not in ‘the image of Marbella’ and urged the public to report further abuse.
Following this latest collision, Fuengirola authorities are now facing mounting pressure to review their own regulations on the controversial trade.
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