In a vote that will please animal rights activists, the Guadalajara City Council agreed October 13 to outlaw the 39 remaining horse-drawn carriages (calandrias) still taking tourists on trips around the city center.
This move comes six years after the first electric-powered carriages were introduced. At that time, city councilors expected all the horse-drawn carriages to be replaced within 12 months.
However, the calandria owner-operators were reluctant to change, arguing that tourists and visitors didn’t like the electric models, and preferred the traditional carriage rides pulled by the equines. In the end, only 16 operators switched to the electric varieties, and city councilors couldn’t agree on enforcing the changeover.
Animal rights groups have consistently lobbied the municipal government to ban the horse-drawn carriage rides. They have highlighted the abuse they claim the horses that pull the heavy units are subjected to, often in searing temperatures.
Some calandria operators this week said they were not consulted about the new ruling. They said improvements made over the past six years now mean the horses are better cared for and given regular checks by competent veterinarians. They also expressed concern for the future of the horses that are retired, given that some owners may be unable to maintain them due to loss of income. Guadalajara city hall said it will take responsibility for horses whose owners can no longer look after them, and use them for “equine therapy.”
Guadalajara Mayor Pablo Lemus said the changeover to the electric calandrias will be enforced gradually to limit the economic harm. The initiative earmarks an investment of 14 million pesos - split between the state and municipal governments - to acquire 39 new electric carriages to replace the horse-drawn ones. They will be loaned to the operators, who will also be able to purchase them at a favorable credit rate. Lemus stressed that the municipal government is not in a position to donate the new carriages to the calandria operators.
The calandria tradition is a long-standing one in the Jalisco capital, and has provided a living for several generations of owner-operators. As the past six years have shown, one should expect that some will not give up this legacy quietly.