Horse 'nappy' ruled illegal

Regulations on the control of horse dung forcing owners of horse-driven cabs to tie bags onto the animals are no longer valid after a judge ruled that this constituted cruelty to animals and was therefore in breach of the Animals Welfare Act which was a superseding law.

Sixty owners, represented by the General Workers' Union, had filed a civil case against the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice and Home Affairs.

They called on the court to declare that regulations under Legal Notice 67 of 2002, which authorised the tying of bags onto horses, constituted cruelty to animals and was therefore in conflict with the Animals Welfare Act.

Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo heard vets explain that a horse's tail was to be kept free as he used it to swat flies and to gain strength when walking, especially uphill.

The judge ruled that tying the bag to the horse caused the animal to suffer and was therefore in conflict with the superseding law.

The owners were represented by lawyers Aron Mifsud Bonnici and Marvic DeBarro.