From pulling tourist carriages to peaceful pastures: Málaga’s horses start a new life

Guitarra is 26 years old. Born in 1999, he has been taking thousands of tourists on carriage rides through the Spanish city of Málaga since 2007. He pulled one of the 25 horse-drawn carriages licensed to operate in the Andalusian capital. Since the city announced the revocation of those permits just a few weeks ago, the future of Guitarra and the other horses had been uncertain: some were to continue working in other cities, while others were destined for the slaughterhouse.

But thanks to the efforts of three associations and the support of numerous individuals, 16 of them — including Guitarra and his companions Beyoncé, Piropo, Eduardo, Apache, Tana and Jaleo — have been saved, at least for now. They are now resting at the facilities of A Better Life 4 Horses, which is located on the outskirts of the town of Cartaojal, in Antequera, and run by Danish-born Signe Fröslee. “Some horses have come here just to enjoy retirement, but others need a lot of work because they’re traumatized,” she says.

On October 6, Málaga city officials announced they were canceling the city’s last 25 horse-drawn carriage licenses. Although these were due to expire in 2035, municipal authorities wanted to end the activity early to remove the carriages from the streets. “We are taking this step in the interest of animal welfare and the image the city projects to the world,” said Francisco de la Torre, the mayor of Málaga, from the conservative Popular Party (PP).

In compensation for the termination of the service, each owner received about €125,000 ($145,000) per license. The decision was broadly applauded, even by the Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (Pacma), which said in a statement: “Animal protection must be a cross-cutting issue and not tied to any ideology seeking electoral opportunism at the expense of animals.”

However, one question remained: what would happen to the horses? That was exactly what Signe Fröslee wondered when she read the news. She tried to contact the Málaga City Council and anyone who might help answer it. Eventually, she connected with Antonio Domínguez, head of the carriage drivers. Fröslee says that at first he was reluctant, but once she explained that her group wanted to buy the horses and would not reveal the owners’ names, he welcomed the idea.

Fröslee used her own funds and help from association supporters to buy four horses. Their photos were shared on social media and quickly went viral. Meanwhile, another group, Burrito y Caballo Libre (Free Horses and Donkeys) from Mijas, was mobilizing after learning that two horses had already been sold and were set to continue pulling carriages in Seville.

The group’s president, Anne Blitz, a French national, says she began posting on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram to find sponsors and donors to buy the animals and prevent them from being forced to work again — “because the situation in Seville is even worse than in Málaga,” she says. Thanks to public support, they managed to purchase 12 more horses for around €18,000 ($20,000).

“It was hard work, because we had to go to the stables in Málaga every day to negotiate, then arrange the transport, and keep an eye on everything,” says Blitz, who worked for the European Commission for two decades and has lived in Mijas (where donkeys are used for rides) for six years since retiring. She also credits Concordia Márquez, from the association Todos los Caballos del Mundo (All the Horses in the World), who negotiated with owners to ensure that no horse was sent to the slaughterhouse.

Veterinary examinations

All the rescued horses were transferred to A Better Life 4 Horses in Antequera, which has been based since April in an old farmhouse surrounded by olive trees. The 14-hectare property, with various buildings, now houses these newcomers along with about 30 others that were rescued earlier, either privately or through actions by the Civil Guard’s nature protection service Seprona. “They’re going to be very well cared for there,” Blitz says.

Each horse was examined by a veterinarian. At first glance, they seemed fine — but the exams revealed otherwise. “None of them had ever seen a dentist,” Fröslee laments. One horse had a serious urinary infection; another was blind in one eye due to an untreated injury; some had no horseshoes; many suffered from arthritis. Guitarra, in particular, had joint problems because since 2007 he had never been able to lie down — his life alternated between carriage stops and stalls so narrow he always had to remain standing.

Some, however, arrived in good condition. “There was one owner who came to see the facilities first, gave us food, showed great interest, and is very fond of the horses. In other cases, they’ve caused problems; they didn’t even want to hand over their horses’ halters for transport, even though it’s only worth a few euros,” Fröslee laments.

She notes that all the horses have now received treatment, and that some of the younger ones “are traumatized and aggressive toward people,” although the team will work with them to change that behavior. The only situation they haven’t been able to alter is that of the three horses that went from working in Málaga to continuing the same work in Huelva and Seville.

Now, the rescued horses — cared for by members of the association with the help of volunteers — face a new and varied future, always within the organization’s facilities. The older ones will spend the rest of their lives resting, retired, and free from any kind of work. Meanwhile, the calmer, younger horses will become part of a program for children in vulnerable situations or with special needs, who will be able to ride them free of charge.

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