Horse died from excessive heat, tests reveal as criminal action against owner looms

Scientific tests on a horse that died in Floriana while pulling a karozzin have shown the animal died from overheating, the Environment Ministry said.

The horse collapsed and died on 8 August while it was travelling up Crucifix Hill in Floriana with tourists inside the cabin.

The ministry said on Monday afternoon that it asked the police to take criminal action against the horse owner for animal cruelty.

The tests revealed that the horse was exposed to the hot sun while carrying a heavy load up a hill. This caused the horse’s body temperature to increase excessively, leading to its death, the ministry said.

Environment Minister José Herrera and Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretary Clint Camilleri were quoted saying that animal cruelty will not be tolerated.

They condemned the horse owner’s actions and insisted that new rules for the use of karozzini will be introduced to safeguard the welfare of the animals.

The horse death sparked outrage with some animal lovers calling for a complete ban on karozzini and others calling for rules that prevented the use of horses at the height of hot temperatures during the summer days.