A carriage horse fell down on the corner of Calle 60 and Avenida Colón, in the heart of Mérida’s so-called “Hotel Zone”, on Tuesday June 25th around noon. The equine was lightly hit by one of those big cement mixer trucks.
The carriage stopped at the traffic lights on the corner of Colon and Calle 60, and a concrete revolving truck tried to pass it and turn right, but as it made the turn, its rear part slightly hit the horse, which obviously got scared, and reacted violently at the impact, slipping and falling down to the pavement.
The horse was immediately assisted by the carriage driver and his assistant, who finally managed to lift the poor animal,got it back on its feet, and took it to the pen in a trailer.
Check out how the horse stood up with a little help from the carriage driver, his assistant and other two men.
ABOUT THE MERIDA CALESEROS
The general secretary of the Union of Drivers and Small Carriage Owners of the State of Yucatan, Heiner Jesús Medina Borges, declared the following in an interview on September 2018:
“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, in fact the carriage that I used was that of my grandfather; and like me, all the partners have passed it on to their offspring. The first thing I would ask the mayor about that is if it is worth destroying a tradition that symbolizes the state for more than 100 years” argued Medina Borges.
“The carriages are a tradition of 105 years and the current generation of caleseros are only trying to preserve it, because it is characteristic of the state. Currently there are caleseros in three municipalities: Mérida, Izamal and Motul, 110 carriages providing tourism services in the state ”, he continued.
On March 13, 1913 the Association of caleseros started operations in Yucatan, the Central Carriage Drivers League was founded and don Juan Vera Aguilar was one of the founders.
Heiner Jesús Medina Borges (Photo: Respaldo de Libertad de Expresión Yucatán (LEY)
“Merida carriages are a tradition, which requires investment for the care of the horses, and to give the carriages specialized maintenance. For example, tires are handmade and we they’re only manufactured in Campeche and Motul, the brake system also needs maintenance“ Medina Borges added.
“Despite being an emblematic symbol for Merida, the caleseros have been mistakenly related to animal abuse. “Many alleged activists have attacked us through time, but I invite them to bring their own veterinarians and check on our horses’ health, they are all healthy, besides we do not use whip to hit the horses,” he continued.
