Vet considers

Heat: fan for carriage horses could help

A fan at Residenzplatz could cool the carriage horses.

(Bild: ANDREAS TROESTER/Stock adobe)

The stall next to the cathedral façade is shady, the carriage horses need a lot of water on hot summer days: horse-drawn carriage drivers like Martina pay attention to animal welfare. But there has also been a lot of criticism for years. Should heat-free riding be made compulsory by law? A "Krone" visit to the stand near the cathedral.

In August, the cathedral casts a long shadow over the Fiakerplatz: "Their coats are dry," says coachwoman Martina from Fiakerei Süß, testing Dori and Speedy for heat. She makes sure that her horses are doing well: on hot days, they are watered even more often from buckets. Up to 40 liters per day per horse. Those that tire quickly are not sent on tour. "One of our horses generally stays at home in summer," she says, explaining that the animals react individually to temperatures. Another horse is "a real frosty nose" and has a break in winter.

The topic of "heat-free" divides opinion
"I'm not an animal abuser," says Martina, adding that abuse can also be offensive. But she often hears the opposite from fans, like the Swiss who are just getting on: "It's nostalgia." Coachwoman and animal are well attuned: "The horses communicate too," Martina notices immediately when something is wrong. The municipal veterinary office is also a regular guest at the stand and takes temperature measurements. "We check this regularly," says head Constanze Antosch. There have been no complaints so far. 

There's plenty of water: coachwoman Martina with Speedy and Dori

(Bild: ANDREAS TROESTER)

According to vet Christof Katzlberger, horse-drawn carriage tours at walking pace are not very strenuous for the horses. He does not consider higher temperatures to be dangerous either. The small circuit in the city does not include any strenuous climbs. The best proof of this is that even older animals are still fit and healthy. The stress cannot be compared to competitions. Fans at the Residenzplatz could provide possible cooling. "That wouldn't even be difficult to implement," Katzlberger thinks aloud.

The demand for a law is louder, because after intensive discussions and several attempts by animal rights activists, there has been no temperature limit in Salzburg since the contract with the city was extended a year ago. The horse-drawn carriages currently decide voluntarily whether to stay at home when it is hot. This was only the case once this summer.

Bernhard Carl (Green Party) wants temperature measurements directly on the square. He and animal rights activist Georg Prinz (Verein gegen Tierfabriken) are also calling for heat-free rides from 30 degrees. Salzburg is the city in Austria with the worst hackney carriage regulations from an animal welfare perspective, criticizes Prinz.