The city of Malaga has announced its plans to ban horse-drawn carriages from its streets by the end of the year, a move aimed at protecting the animals from the harsh conditions of city life.

The decision follows years of mounting criticism over the treatment of horses in the tourism trade.

City councillor for mobility, Maria Trinidad Hernandez, explained that the council had been negotiating with the holders of the last 25 licences to reach a fair agreement. “We have been negotiating for a long time, we have met 99 percent of the demands of carriage owners,” Hernandez told the foreign news agency.

“What we are looking for is animal welfare, but it is also the case that they used to have more places to circulate,” she added. “With the building works that have gone on for the last 20 years, there is hardly any left. There is the park and a little bit of the promenade left.”

The announcement came as a surprise to many tourists, including Anastasia, a chef who had travelled from Britain. “It’s really nice, I was impressed – seeing Malaga like this is completely different,” said the 47-year-old, as she dismounted from a carriage. Fellow tourist Robert, a 46-year-old business owner from Britain, also shared his appreciation for the experience.

“I am sure it helps the city attract more tourists,” he said, admiring the "beautiful" horse that had taken them along the promenade.

The ban had been planned since 2015, with the city initially aiming for 2035 to phase out the horse-drawn carriages.

However, following increasing concerns over animal welfare, including the strain placed on the horses during the hot summer months, the city now intends to implement the ban earlier.

Temperatures in Malaga can reach as high as 45°C (113°F), a point highlighted by Concordia Marquez, founder of the local animal shelter "Todos los Caballos del Mundo" (All the Horses in the World).

Marquez remarked, "Horses and horse-drawn carriages have to cover a lot of ground, both to get to where they spend the night, where they sleep, and to get back to their place of work. That's inhumane to make a horse work like that."

Despite the ban, horse-drawn carriages will not completely disappear from Malaga. They will still be allowed to operate during festivals and traditional events such as the city's annual fair in August.

“What there won’t be are municipal licences, the tourist horse-drawn carriage, the one you take and pay for as if it were a street taxi,” clarified Hernandez.