Amid the extreme heat, the Samahan ng mga Kutsero sa Intramuros (SAKSI) on Friday said kalesa tours and trips would be decreased to prevent horses and kutseros from experiencing heat exhaustion.
In Ian Cruz’s report on “24 Oras”, the kutsero group said the trips around the walled city would be cut to three per day.
“Hindi maya’t maya ang takbo na ginagawa namin sa kabayo. Maya’t maya rin ang painom sa mga kabayo namin at syempre, kami rin kailangan namin hydrated lahat ng mga kutsero,” SAKSI Secretary Eugene Puno said.
(We’re not taking the horses out on tours every moment. We also let them drink to stay hydrated. Of course, we also need to hydrate.)
The group had also asked the Intramuros City management to allow them to take shade and switch places from time to time.
“Tuwing hapon o kapag mainit talaga, sinisilong namin ang mga kabayo na ‘yun. Di namin sila binibilad na parang daing,” SAKSI President Cyril Sunga.
(In the afternoons or when it’s really hot, we keep the horses under the shade. We don’t leave them out in the sun.)
For his part, Dr. Noriel Andaya of the Manila Veterinary Office said animal welfare should also be prioritized during the summer.
“Wag natin isipin na ‘yung kikitain lang natin sa pagka-calesa. Bigyan din natin ng pansin ang kanilang kalusugan at welfare,” he said.
(Let’s not just focus on making a living via kalesa tours. We should also take care of the horses’ health and welfare.)
He also warned against walking pets during the summer heat.
“Sa ganitong panahon, hindi ko muna nire-recommend na i-walk sila. Siguro kung iw-walk natin sila…kung kaya madaling-araw. Mag-adjust tayo kasi ‘yung panahon ngayon kakaiba po,” Andaya added.
(I don’t recommend walking them in this weather. Maybe if we need to walk them, let’s do it in the early morning. Let’s adjust because the weather is unusual.) — Sundy Locus/DVM, GMA Integrated News
