New Rules in Place for Mérida Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides
A plan to restrict horse-drawn carriage rides on the Paseo de Montejo was announced by the Mérida City Council and the Autonomous University of Yucatán (UADY).
The primary change restricts carriage operations in the Centro Histórico before 4 p.m., targeting spring and summer’s hottest hours. The measure addresses heat exposure concerns while keeping a favorite activity among tourists.
New protocols and oversight
UADY will implement regular veterinary examinations for all horses in the tourism sector and develop emergency care protocols. The university will also establish response mechanisms for primary care situations involving the animals.
The Animal Protection Unit (UPA) will oversee enforcement of the new regulations. The unit already handles animal welfare oversight in the city and investigates cases of animal abuse when reported.
Recent meetings between municipal authorities and animal rights advocates included directors Carmen González Martín and Raúl Escalante Aguilar from the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Animal Welfare. These discussions led to the current proposals being analyzed and developed.
The city currently operates several animal welfare programs. The Municipal Animal Care Center includes a quarantine area for puppies and facilities for animal adoption. The Veterinary Care Module operates in the Chichén Itzá neighborhood, while the Municipal Veterinary Clinic is located on Calle Francisco I. Madero.
The Esterimóvil program provides mobile veterinary services, offering vaccinations, deworming, and sterilizations in neighborhoods and at police stations throughout the city.
City officials stated they will present periodic progress reports on the carriage horse plan. The reports will document implementation of the new measures and maintain ongoing dialogue with stakeholders regarding animal welfare in the tourism sector.
A Decade of Controversy: Horse-Drawn Carriages in Mérida’s Tourism Industry
For over a century, horse-drawn carriages known as calesas have been an iconic feature of Mérida’s tourism landscape, offering visitors leisurely tours through the historic Centro and along the elegant Paseo de Montejo. However, the past decade has witnessed an intensifying debate between animal rights activists, tourism officials, and the carriage operators themselves over the welfare of these working horses and the future of this traditional industry.
The controversy reached a crescendo in 2022 when a local woman shared on Facebook photos of a carriage horse that had toppled over, apparently due to overheating and exhaustion. This incident became a rallying point for animal rights activists who had been organizing protests demanding an end to the practice.
“There is no excuse to use horses in this way. These animals suffer so much, especially when it is as hot as now,” said activist Elsa Arceo.
The concerns center on the harsh working conditions faced by horses in Mérida’s tropical climate, where temperatures regularly soar above 35°C (95°F). Animal welfare advocates argue that forcing horses to pull carriages loaded with tourists through busy streets in extreme heat constitutes cruelty. Despite being an emblematic symbol for Merida, the caleseros have been mistakenly related to animal abuse.
The Industry’s Defense
The carriage operators, organized under the Union of Drivers and Small Carriage Owners of Yucatán, have vigorously defended their practices. “The Mérida carriage horses need to go out to work so that they do not suffer stress due to inactivity,” assures Israel Torres Velázquez, leader of the Caleseros Union of Yucatan. The union argues that critics don’t understand that horses require regular activity for their health and that they have implemented proper care protocols.
Secretary-General Heiner Jesús Medina Borges emphasized the generational nature of the business: “I have been working with horses all my life, since I was a child, the Mérida carriage business is a family inheritance because my father and my grandfather also worked in the same activity.” The operators contend that “there is absolutely no animal abuse because each horse is part of our family and is part of our roots in a tradition of our state.”
The industry maintains strict protocols, with horses working only 6 hours a day in three shifts to prevent abuse, and they implement umbrellas for sun protection. Additionally, “the horses are under the care of veterinarians of the UADY and every 3 months they go into revision and deworming treatment, vaccines and vitamins.”
Municipal Response and Electric Alternatives
Facing mounting pressure from both sides, Mérida’s municipal government has attempted to find middle ground through various initiatives. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities even proposed that carriage horses would use mouth covers as part of health protocols, demonstrating the lengths to which officials would go to maintain the industry while addressing concerns.
The most significant development came with the introduction of electric carriages as an alternative. On May 17, 2022, “a ship from China arrived at Progreso port that brought a container in which were two buggies that work with rechargeable batteries and that were bought by the Mérida City Council to replace the ancient horse-drawn carriages.”
The city invested heavily in this transition, with each electric carriage costing 485,000 pesos, with municipal authorities providing a 41% subsidy, leaving coachmen to pay 289,000 pesos each through zero-interest credit arrangements.
Underwhelming Electric Coaches
However, the electric carriage experiment has faced significant challenges. When the electric carriages began operating along Paseo de Montejo, conductors reported that “potential customers seem to be underwhelmed with the carriages” and that “tourists seem to prefer the old-style horse-drawn carriages.”
By February 2025, the situation had become even more dire. “Only one of the six electric buggies that were acquired in the last municipal administration is in service,” revealed Mauricio Díaz Montalvo, director of Prosperity and Economic Well-being of the municipality. The reason? “Tourists prefer to get on a horse-drawn carriage, so the coachmen chose not to use the electric ones.”
Recent Developments and Future Outlook
The controversy has continued into 2025, with recent political developments adding new dimensions to the debate. Councilwoman Gabriela González Ojeda of the Movimiento Ciudadano party has called for “promoting the transition from traditional horse-drawn carriages to electric models,” citing Guadalajara’s successful complete transition to electric carriages.
In June 2025, renewed efforts emerged to address animal welfare concerns. The Mérida City Council, in collaboration with horse drivers and UADY, announced plans to “reduce the work hours of horses used for tourism services and improve their conditions in the face of inclement weather” by ensuring horses don’t work before 4:00 p.m. during peak temperature periods.
A Tradition at the Crossroads
The decade-long controversy reflects broader tensions between preserving cultural heritage and adapting to modern animal welfare standards. As union representatives note, “the carriages are a tradition going back over 105 years,” and “it is important that this tradition be preserved.” The use of horse-pulled carriages in Yucatán is described as “a tradition that goes all the way back to the time of the viceroyalty, the Spanish conquest and the golden age of henequen.”
Yet animal rights advocates continue to press for change. Recent protests in April 2025 saw various groups gathering at the Flag Monument on Paseo de Montejo to demand that authorities respect the rights and well-being of animals in Yucatán, explicitly rejecting the continued use of horse-drawn carriages.
The future of Mérida’s horse-drawn carriage industry remains uncertain. While the electric alternative has proven commercially unsuccessful, pressure from animal welfare advocates shows no signs of abating. The industry’s survival may depend on finding innovative solutions that satisfy both the desire to preserve this iconic aspect of Yucatecan culture and the growing demand for more humane treatment of working animals.
The controversy in Mérida mirrors similar debates worldwide, from New York City to Charleston, where traditional horse-drawn tourism industries face scrutiny over animal welfare concerns.
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