Carriage Horses in Berlin Get Heat Relief
At temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius in the shade or above, horse-drawn carriages will no longer be permitted to operate in Berlin. This is set out in a new guideline for Berlin's horse-drawn carriage operators.
At such high temperatures, animals can experience “considerable pain” and suffer conditions such as circulatory failure or even heatstroke, the Berlin Senate Department for Justice announced. In addition, horses must be granted two hours of free movement per day on unpaved ground in a sufficiently large exercise area when not in service.
«Carriage rides in a city of millions mean enormous stress for the horses», explained Green Justice Senator Dirk Behrendt. In the interest of animal welfare, it is therefore necessary to establish clear requirements for animal wellbeing.
Subject of the Coalition Agreement
Serious violations of, or repeated non-compliance with, the carriage guidelines can result in the revocation of the animal welfare permit for carriage operators.
Horse-drawn carriages, popular with tourists, have long been a subject of debate in Berlin. In their coalition agreement, the SPD, the Left Party, and the Greens had agreed that horse-drawn carriages should no longer operate in the city centre. Tens of thousands of people also signed an online petition against carriages.
However, a ban on horse-drawn vehicles in front of the Brandenburg Gate imposed by the Mitte district office at the end of 2017 was overturned by the administrative court just over a year ago. The district office chose not to appeal that decision.
