Perhaps in Palermo, horses are no longer suffering: the process of gradually eliminating the use of horses in tourist carriages , replacing them with electric-powered vehicles, has begun. The City Council approved the change on July 24, 2026, although the road to a civilized choice is still long.
The definitive ban has not yet been implemented for all carriages. A transition period is in place , and the Municipality must develop a conversion plan. There is also one issue still unresolved: what will happen to the horses once the service ceases . Some experts have raised concerns about this very aspect, because the resolution regulates the conversion of carriages and the work of the operators, but does not yet define the animals' accommodations in detail.
The impunity enjoyed so far by the 24 licensees to operate horse-drawn carriage tours, even in tropical temperatures, has reached the point that not even the municipality is able to say how many animals are employed in this unfortunate service. Not to mention the illegal carriages : in just one month, in June 2025, the municipality seized 10 and confiscated 2.
And while taxis have minimum fares and standard fares for certain routes (such as to and from the airport), horse-drawn carriage rides are like the Wild West, with prices typically starting at around 100 euros. The most sensational case dates back to July 2025, when a Spanish tourist couple paid nearly 500 euros for an hour's ride with the poor Palermitan horses.
In other Italian cities where a horse-drawn carriage service still exists, the situation is this:
| Rome | As of June 2026, there were 16 active licenses for tourist tours using the famous "botticelle" (small barrels); in July, two licenses were revoked, resulting in a decrease in the actual number of operating licenses. An attempt is underway to eliminate them by converting them into taxi/NCC licenses. |
| Florence | The traditional ones you will drive away They are still active. In 2025, the Municipality carried out an inspection of the fiaccherai stables and explicitly spoke about the service and the horses used. In 2024, there were approximately 12 operators. |
| Pisa | Horse-drawn carriage rides are concentrated in the San Rossore estate, so it's not exactly the same urban tourist service as in Rome, Florence, or Palermo. Although Pisa's tourist offices still list horse-drawn carriages among the options for exploring the city. |
Read also:
- EquiAzione: The farm where disabled people are treated with horses
- Horseback riding is a natural path to well-being
- Hippotherapy: How it works and what it treats
- The shelters where abandoned horses are saved
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