Needless animal suffering on Majorca

Dear Sir, AT the beginning of September, a fortnight ago, I was in Palma for a week - my first ever visit there and to Majorca. I was very upset from the first day when we initially went sightseeing, and from then on, at the plight of the horses taking tourists around the city in open carriages. It was particularly hot, so we were told, that week, and the horses, when not taking tourists on excursions, were sometimes standing in full sunlight. Others were able to remain in the shade. My husband was on a conference all week so I was often in the city. Never, throughout the whole of our stay, did I ever see any horse being given water; nor was there any cover from the hot sunlight when the carriages were being driven. Drivers would sometimes speed the horses on, when it was very hot indeed. Nor for the most part, as I have said, were the horses able to wait in shade. They were clearly very uncomfortable and probably distressed; having to stand for hours and drive about each day in quite intense heat, without any break or apparently even any water, is appallingly hard to bear. People responsible for these horses and tourists who use them, need to realise that the European Union has in recent years recognised that animals are sentient beings. This means, as is obvious if we actually look at the horses showing signs of discomfort and distress, that they suffer just as much as you or I would if we were in that position. If applied to humans, standing for hours on end, deprived of water, forced into unbroken exposure to quite intense heat, these measures would be classed as torture. Is this what we want to do to the animals who provide so much service to the human race, and who are so lovable? I also discovered during our stay, that bullfighting has commenced on the Island. This blatantly causes extreme suffering and humiliation over long periods to yet another sentient and noble being. Again, these animals suffer just as much as we would in their position. Do people, those responsible for the bullfights, and tourists and local residents who patronise them, really want to inflict this much suffering just to gain a few thrills? Please think.