The abuse and mistreatment of horses is common throughout the country and government authorities do not take action on the matter, according to observations posted on social media from Cuban activists and journalists.
Horse drawn carriages are one mode of transit on an island riddled with problems of public transportation.
Many coachmen force the steeds to bear too much weight. They are authorized to carry eight people but sometimes, the carts carry up to seventeen people. At night, they are loaded with much more and the horses are forced to race. At times, they travel long distances or tread along steep slopes.
Drivers whip horses with an aluminum handle that sometimes is too long and a belt made of thick rubber or nylon, or they will use a chain inserted into a hose.
"No government institutions take action on the matter," complained the young veterinarian Inalkis Rodriguez Lora, from Camagüey, who has witnessed the abuse in several provinces.
She took to social media to draw attention to what’s happening. Lora calls for the protection of dogs, birds and horses, though she acknowledges that other species also need special attention.
“Coachmen brutally whip the animals, make them pull larger loads than they can bear, and fail to feed them well. The horses are very thin, they’re peeling and owners do not put on the fittings suitable for the work they do," explained Lora.
"The only time the police get involved is when they see the cart carrying too many people and in such cases, they’re only fined for traffic violations," said the veterinarian.
Seasoned traveler Henri Constantin, also from Camaguey and author of the blog Reportes de Viajes, said that in his travels around the island, he has seen the mistreatment of horses in various cities and that there is no law regulating the protection of animals or the sanction of abuses.
José R. Borges, a freelance journalist based in Cabaiguán, explains that in his town, Sancti Spiritus and in Santa Clara, state inspectors verify that the driver complies with self-employment regulations (updated licenses, number of passengers, fines, and the like), but don’t check for abuses committed against the animal and believes that the younger drivers take the least care of their animals.
"It is very common to see horses lying on the floor or the owners pulling them very hard to get them up and pull the wagon. Sometimes they even beat the horses. They don’t give the horses the grass they need or put them in appropriate places to rest," lamented Borges.
According to the Borges, a member of the Humane Society of Cabaiguán has confessed that the institution exists only word and not in deed. Meanwhile , the Cuban Communicators Community Network (Spanish: Red de Cubana Comunicadores Comunitarios) denounced the brutality against animals in the province of Pinar del Rio.
Misladis Canel said the horses have to carry up to 17 people in a cart made of iron plates, iron rods and wooden planks (adding more weight for traction) and have to make tours of 8 km and more, without rest, several times throughout the day.
In February 2012, the Cuban newspaper Trabajadores published a note where a horrified citizen recounted a trip to Palma Soriano in Santiago de Cuba in which he witnessed the systemic abuse of horses that serve to sustain and fill the pockets of the municipality’s so-called coachmen.
In Cuba, there is no Animal Protection Act. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture are responsible for regulating everything related to animals and plants. They take refuge in Act 81 of 1997, the "Environmental Law," but this does not include penalties for animal abusers themselves.
The only organization that advocates for the respect and care for animals is the NGO ANIPLANT (Cuban Association for the Protection of Animals and Plants).
In 2003, ANIPLANT and the Scientific Veterinary Council of Cuba presented a draft of a bill to the Ministry of Agriculture addressing the welfare of animals, but to date the government has not taken action.
Horse drawn carriages are one mode of transit on an island riddled with problems of public transportation.
Many coachmen force the steeds to bear too much weight. They are authorized to carry eight people but sometimes, the carts carry up to seventeen people. At night, they are loaded with much more and the horses are forced to race. At times, they travel long distances or tread along steep slopes.
Drivers whip horses with an aluminum handle that sometimes is too long and a belt made of thick rubber or nylon, or they will use a chain inserted into a hose.
"No government institutions take action on the matter," complained the young veterinarian Inalkis Rodriguez Lora, from Camagüey, who has witnessed the abuse in several provinces.
She took to social media to draw attention to what’s happening. Lora calls for the protection of dogs, birds and horses, though she acknowledges that other species also need special attention.
“Coachmen brutally whip the animals, make them pull larger loads than they can bear, and fail to feed them well. The horses are very thin, they’re peeling and owners do not put on the fittings suitable for the work they do," explained Lora.
"The only time the police get involved is when they see the cart carrying too many people and in such cases, they’re only fined for traffic violations," said the veterinarian.
Seasoned traveler Henri Constantin, also from Camaguey and author of the blog Reportes de Viajes, said that in his travels around the island, he has seen the mistreatment of horses in various cities and that there is no law regulating the protection of animals or the sanction of abuses.
José R. Borges, a freelance journalist based in Cabaiguán, explains that in his town, Sancti Spiritus and in Santa Clara, state inspectors verify that the driver complies with self-employment regulations (updated licenses, number of passengers, fines, and the like), but don’t check for abuses committed against the animal and believes that the younger drivers take the least care of their animals.
"It is very common to see horses lying on the floor or the owners pulling them very hard to get them up and pull the wagon. Sometimes they even beat the horses. They don’t give the horses the grass they need or put them in appropriate places to rest," lamented Borges.
According to the Borges, a member of the Humane Society of Cabaiguán has confessed that the institution exists only word and not in deed. Meanwhile , the Cuban Communicators Community Network (Spanish: Red de Cubana Comunicadores Comunitarios) denounced the brutality against animals in the province of Pinar del Rio.
Misladis Canel said the horses have to carry up to 17 people in a cart made of iron plates, iron rods and wooden planks (adding more weight for traction) and have to make tours of 8 km and more, without rest, several times throughout the day.
In February 2012, the Cuban newspaper Trabajadores published a note where a horrified citizen recounted a trip to Palma Soriano in Santiago de Cuba in which he witnessed the systemic abuse of horses that serve to sustain and fill the pockets of the municipality’s so-called coachmen.
In Cuba, there is no Animal Protection Act. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture are responsible for regulating everything related to animals and plants. They take refuge in Act 81 of 1997, the "Environmental Law," but this does not include penalties for animal abusers themselves.
The only organization that advocates for the respect and care for animals is the NGO ANIPLANT (Cuban Association for the Protection of Animals and Plants).
In 2003, ANIPLANT and the Scientific Veterinary Council of Cuba presented a draft of a bill to the Ministry of Agriculture addressing the welfare of animals, but to date the government has not taken action.
