Abuse of horses on the island of Pianosa, Italy

The island of Pianosa has been a maximum security penal colony for years. Recently it has been opened to tourism and it is now possible to stay in the only hotel with12 rooms or visit on an excursion from the nearby island of Elba. During the excursion tourists can participate (against further payment)  in a visit by carriage drawn by a horse! The horses used for this purpose are not kept in a suitable way. It would take a few euros to equip them with a net to protect the muzzle and ears from the many flies. Flies provoke wounds to these horses in which they lay their eggs! Many people who have noticed this have been shocked. This is certainly not the way to care for animals and to show love for Nature

This is a way of "making money" by exploiting animals! A single horse must tow a carriage with 15/18 tourists in the summer heat under the "Tuscan Sun": many days from June to September there are temperatures that exceed 35 degrees !! The "National Park" seems to have much more interest in selling its excursions than to take care of their horses. 

Sad outlook for a nature oriented organisation!

NO VET takes care of horses properly!

IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE that in a civilized country of the European Community that there are horses obliged to work in such conditions!

In many European countries horses can not tow carriages with passengers if temperatures exceed 30 degrees !!!

In 2017 in Pianosa, temperatures of 42 degrees were recorded and in July / August 43 degrees for several weeks!

The mistreatment of animals is a crime!

We ask the attention of the President of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago, of the Mayor of the Municipality of Campo nell'Elba and the National Council of the National Animal Protection Agency to end the ill-treatment of the horses in Pianosa.