Horse-drawn carriages in Malta will no longer be allowed to operate whenever a Red Alert – Extreme Heat Warning is issued by the Malta Meteorological Office under a new temporary measure aimed at protecting horses during periods of extreme heat.The announcement was made by Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja Said, who said the decision is based on the precautionary principle and is intended to safeguard the health and wellbeing of horses before dangerous conditions arise.The move comes after Malta experienced several spells of exceptionally high temperatures in recent weeks, with concerns growing over the impact of extreme heat on animals pulling carriages.Before introducing the measure, the Parliamentary Secretariat and the Directorate for Animal Welfare met with representatives of the carriage drivers. During the discussions, drivers agreed to voluntarily stop operating whenever a Red Alert is issued.“We have a duty to take responsible and preventive decisions to protect animals from conditions that may pose a danger to them,” Bugeja Said said, describing the measure as another step towards placing animal welfare at the centre of government policy.Animal Welfare Director Dennis Sciberras said the new guidelines are designed to strengthen protections for horses during periods of extreme heat.Meanwhile, representatives of the horse-drawn carriage sector welcomed the decision, saying it strikes a balance between protecting the welfare of the animals and preserving the long-standing tradition.The temporary measure will come into force through official guidelines issued under the Horse-Drawn Carriages Regulations and will be published in the Government Gazette.What do you make of this?•