Tradition is no justification for animal cruelty
Tradition is no justification for animal cruelty. Outdated customs at the expense of animals must finally be abolished.
On 17 September, animals are once again being abused in Munich in the name of "Tradition". For the official opening of the Wiesn, horses must pull heavy carriages through enormous noise and crowds of intoxicated, rowdy people. For these sensitive flight animals, this represents an extreme stress situation — one that can become a danger to both humans and animals. PETA is therefore calling on the organisers and the festival landlords to give the highest priority to the protection of the horses and visitors, and to refrain from using horses in the procession. The animal rights organisation also appeals to Mayor Dieter Reiter not to participate in the Wiesn landlords’ parade should horses continue to be used.
Tradition or so-called customs are no justification for animal cruelty. Horses belong in green meadows, not at the Wiesn. Forcing them to pull heavy carriages through a loud and confined city centre is animal cruelty. When these flight animals are compelled to take part in a procession, their stress levels rise continuously. For the horses, this chronic stress means immense suffering, which frequently leads to ‘bolting’ with fatal consequences.
Peter Höffken, specialist adviser at PETA
Numerous accidents involving horse-drawn carriages occur every year. In 2021, a total of 35 carriage accidents in Germany resulted in one person killed and at least 48 injured, many of them seriously. In addition, four horses died in 2021 and a further ten animals were injured. By far the most common cause of accidents was one or more horses taking fright.
Background information:
According to PETA, using horses at public events constitutes abuse and has nothing to do with customs or tradition. These sensitive animals, built for running, have the right to live free from pressure and coercion within a herd. In addition to sufficient exercise — preferably in an active or open-stable environment — they require good food, constant access to fresh water, grooming, and medical care. Even with trained horses, a minor disturbance can trigger their flight instinct. At similar events, this has repeatedly led to accidents in recent years in which people and animals were sometimes seriously injured. On multiple occasions, random checks carried out by authorities at carnival processions in the Rhineland also detected sedatives in the blood of horses, even though the administration of such medications for such purposes is prohibited.
