Animal rights groups say enough to horse and carriage in Rome.

LAV (Italian League against Vivisection) has called on people to join them in their protests today against the disgraceful “tradition” of horse and carriage in the Italian capital. Various animal rights groups are united in forcing through the changes at the city council in the Pantheon square.
In addition to LAV, OIPA (International Organisation for the Protection of Animals) ENPA (National Association for the Protection of Animals), Vegetarian Association/Vegan Animal Onlus and many more will all be taking part. The aim is to present their popular movement supported by the signatures of the local citizens and to ban all forms of transport by animals and in particular horse and carriage. They also want a greater focus on horse welfare.
The use of horse and carriage in Rome and its way of being managed has been a talking point for years in the Italian capital which has seen horses forced to move about on asphalted roads, hardly the ideal surface for their legs and muscles. They’re also often forced to carry weights beyond the allowed limit. What is more, during the summer months they’re having to work in some of the hottest hours of the day. All that fails to take into account the risk of road accidents where naturally the poor horses would come off worse.
source LAV communication.