The good, the bad, and the ugly accounts of the horse carriage in Cuba
Horses, carriages and coachmen
1
In Cuba, the horse and carriage tradition has been alive and well for many years. Before the early 90's, provinces such as Santa Clara and Ciego de Avila enjoyed the folklore of horse carriages lined up for pleasure rides. However, the era of the "special period" brought a new set of consequences for the Cuban people. Thereafter, the horse and carriage would still be used for tourism, but also increasingly as a method of transportation and work.
2
The fall of the Soviet Union had an almost immediate and devastating effect on Cuba. Deprived of petroleum resources, the government imported over 1.2 million bicycles from China to help ease the transportation crisis. As a concomitant result, the horse and carriage came to the forefront of society once again.
3
Today, the wages earned by the coachmen is barely enough for them to subsist. The government is imposing what the coachmen believe are unreasonable taxes and fines. Earnings vary among coachmen, but they agree that most of their wages are consumed by caring and feeding for the horse, leaving very litte money to be able to live.
4
The government does not provide food or care for the horses. It is up to the coachmen to obtain food and proper working materials for the horses.