Animals Right Group Seeking To End 150 Year Old Equestrian Tradition In Spain Due To The Effects of Extreme Heat on Horses

(Photo : Pexels/Helena Lopes)

A hundred-year-old tradition of equestrian in Spain is at risk of being cancelled due to the threats of extreme heat in the country.

An animal rights group is urging the Valencian government to put an end to the traditional horse racing event.

The National Association for the Protection and Well-Being of Animals (ANPBA) stressed that the heat wave experienced in Europe causes harm to the overall health of horses.

Physical suffering and stress

The ANPBA wrote to Valencia city councilors José Luis Moreno and Santiago Ballester, as well as the local mayor, Cristina Peris.

They said that in the month of August, the Valencian community will experience aggravated heat waves caused by climate change, as the temperatures are expected to break previous records.

Recently, the World Meteorological Organization declared July 2023 to be the hottest month ever recorded.

ANPBA stated, "The risks and possible damage to horses are high in a race and extreme temperature equation, especially if horses are subjected to a sporting activity of a certain intensity."

This would force horses to participate in dangerous situations that could harm their health.

The group also cites Article 333 of Law 17/2021, which amends the civil code and attributes to animals, in general, "the legal category of living beings endowed with sensitivity," and observes that this principle "must govern the interpretation of all our legal system," which is why "the rights and faculties that man attributes to himself over animals must be exercised taking into account the animal's well-being and protection."

For this reason, the group argued that the authorities should cancel the event as a matter of urgency.

In April, a horse died of suspected heat stroke in Seville while pulling a carriage filled with visitors.

The horse died during the city's April Fair celebrations, which draw 500,000 people to Spain's warmest region in 2022.

Horseback riding competition

Correguda de Joies is a four-day equestrian competition in which participants ride 700 meters of beach without a saddle.

The riders compete in knockout duels situated in a unique natural scene, with the goal of winning the competition and receiving the joia, a silk scarf on a laurel wreath, as a trophy.

Historically, most of the towns in the Horta Sud region held this unique type of horse race on their farms more than 150 years ago.

However, the small beach town of Pinedo is the only place that still celebrates the Correguda de Joies during its patron saint festivals.

The equestrian racing industry is now in disarray.

Due to a string of equine deaths, equestrian racetracks and centers around the world are under intense scrutiny and criticism. While the Saratoga race course is being scrutinized in the East, the Del Mar racetrack has been the focal point of Western opposition.

Despite the fact that the frequency of equine deaths has dropped in recent years, the occurrence of several horse deaths in a short period of time has focused unfavorable attention on horse racing all at once.

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