Marbella investigates alleged mistreatment of horse in tourist video that has gone viral

"This is Marbella, this is Europe and this is a poor horse forced to carry tourists". This was the opening line of a video recorded by a foreign holidaymaker at the end of August which has recently gone viral on social media, showing a carriage being pulled by a horse with leg injuries and a limp.

The alleged animal welfare case has been reported to the Guardia Civil, but Marbella town hall has not waited to act. The spokesperson for the local government team, Félix Romero, has announced that the council has initiated an investigation which may result in the loss of the licence of the horse-drawn carriage from its owner.

Romero said that the town hall has launched an investigation based on the images shown in the video and that the action will not stop there: "It will surely have consequences," he said. The spokesperson said that the situation reflected in the video "is not compatible with that of a regulated service" such as this one, nor "with the image of Marbella".

Romero encouraged members of the public to report any cases of alleged mistreatment of horses or situations in which the animal is not in good condition to the town hall so that the council can act directly. "When I heard about the case, I went out in my car to see all the horses I could and they all appeared to be in a good condition; but we know that those who do not comply taint those who do," he added.

Romero pointed out that the horse-drawn carriage licence holders are "strictly controlled" by the council, which includes the presentation of the horse's 'passport', veterinary reports, as well as the inspections to which they are subjected by the Junta de Andalucía.