Palma carriage horses: September vet checks

Palma, Mallorca: carriage horses work through much of the tourist season before their annual vet checks take place in September. On Wednesday, 30 September, animal welfare party Progreso en Verde demands the full results from Palma City Council and asks why the checks came so late.

Europa Press

What the checks found

The party wants a record for each horse: its name, age and licence, when it was examined, the veterinary result and any problems found or action taken. It also wants to know whether any horse needed a second check or was temporarily taken off carriage duty.

Party spokesman Guillermo Amengual says a check should establish that a horse is in suitable condition for work, not merely that it can carry on. He wants to know whether any horse found unfit was allowed to keep working. The party has also asked for the 2025 records to compare the horses’ condition over time. It says owners’ personal details could be removed.

Questions about checks before summer

In June, Progreso en Verde called for the carriage service to stop because it doubted whether the compulsory veterinary tests had taken place. The annual checks were eventually scheduled for mid-September. The party now asks what checks took place before summer and what they found. It says spot checks cannot replace the annual examination.

Progreso en Verde plans to examine the veterinary reports and inspection records horse by horse. If the documents show breaches, veterinary problems or horses cleared to work despite being unfit, it says it will consider complaints or legal action.

Palma carriage horses work before September vet checks

What the checks found

Questions about checks before summer