Activists claim that the conditions in which the coachmen of the Historical Center keep their horses are bad and that is why they organize with the theme, “Yes, but electric carriages!”…//
The coachmen recognized that the accusations and manifestations of the animalists affect their income, because they assure that these groups, besides offending them, affirm that they mistreat the horses when it is not like that.
“For a long time, a working day has been established for the animals, and we try to keep them in good health conditions,” said Melchor Ruz, a member of the guild that provides services in the Plaza Grande.
He said that the coachmen ensure that the horses eat, drink water, that their horseshoes are in good condition and that they receive constant veterinary attention.
“Every Wednesday there is a group of coachmen (who go) with their horses to the Veterinary School of the Autonomous University of Yucatan (Uady), where the animals are checked and their teeth cleaned; then, from the exam that day they receive special food and analgesic is applied so that they do not feel pain,” he explained.
He said that currently, the group is made up of 70 owners and 7 alternate coachmen, in addition to a fleet of 140 horses, that is, 2 animals per member, which allows the animals to rest for several days.
He assured that each working day of a horse is 6 hours, so they do not suffer any type of exploitation, and “they are also taken care of and protected from the sun and provided with quality food.
“If during the day they did not make any trip, it extends one hour more, that is to say, to 7 hours; Each coachman has two horses that allows them to rest and not subject them to fatigue or exhaustion, in addition to eating twice a day, and not only feeds on grass, but also gives them food,” he said.
“Calesas yes, but electric!”
However, animal rights activists claim that the conditions in which the caleseros of the Historic Center have their horses are bad, therefore, they are organizing the peaceful demonstration “¡Calesas sí, pero eléctricas!”.
The invitation to this event is published on Facebook by the Vegan Mérida group and will be held next Saturday at 5 p.m. in the Plaza Grande.
The group states that the purpose of the demonstration is to end the practice of the coachmen system with horses and ask the authorities to do something about it.
They will also set up information tables and collect signatures to present a bill before the State Congress.
Text and photos: Jorge Euán
