The video of a Fiaker horse lying on the ground after a fall caused a lot of resonance. A dramatic sight for observers, as the animal briefly kicks its paws before lying almost motionless on the road. In the presence of two coachmen, the horse finally manages to get up. However, for the industry representative of the Viennese quality fiaker, the scenes show how to react in such a case.
“Yes, to an outsider these scenes look very dramatic of course,” explains Marco Pollandt in an interview with krone.at on Friday. The affected horse is one of his animals. This slipped and fell on the asphalt of the Rotenturmstraße in Vienna in July and ended up next to his colleague and stretched out in the carriage.
“Even Horses Fall”
“I understand that these images are shocking to a layperson, but this incident needs to be properly classified! People fall at work or in their spare time, possibly injuring themselves just like any other animal. That’s just a more familiar image.” , admits the trained Fiaker and spokesperson for the Fiaker.info initiative. But horses would also occasionally fall, “either in the meadow or in front of the carriage. That is not uncommon,” says Pollandt.
“If the second driver loosens the belt[die aan de koets is bevestigd, NB]the horse gets up shortly afterwards,” he explains. But why does the other driver stay seated and does he even need the help of a second colleague? “The coachman is not allowed to leave the coach box,” says Pollandt. And what would have happened if? had there been no other coachman? “For such cases, we have a preparedness, a journaling service,” explains the Fiaker. Help can be on site within 25 to 30 minutes.
“Excellent example of how to behave”
In any case, the horse “didn’t get a scratch from the fall”, the spokesman assures. “The people involved did everything right in this surprising situation and the horse was unharmed. The situation is a good example of how to behave in such a case. You have to leave the church in the village.”
VGT: ‘Video shows incident in all its tragedy’
Time and again, videos and photos of fallen carriage horses cause consternation and also spur animal rights activists into action. For example, the association against animal factories is calling for a ban on horse-drawn carriages from the city – also as part of the publication of the current video on Thursday. Referring to the clip, he explains: “The video available now shows the incident in all its tragedy. A horse lying helpless on the ground, an overwhelmed Fiaker driver,” explains VGT Fiaker campaigner Georg Prinz.
With the help of such scenes, the audience can become aware of the whole dimension “of the danger to which the horses are exposed during carriage operations in a large city”. “The city is not a suitable place for horses,” Prinz said with conviction. The club is demanding improvements to the Fiaker law. Because even the great heat in the summer regularly leads to discussions about animal welfare.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
