06/05/2024

Exploiting horses is all the rage, especially at a time when our government is pushing hard to fund and support horse breeding and racing in the criminally inclined sector of horse racing. The Italian judiciary's investigations into mistreatment, doping, and illegal labour? The horses that die on the track? The uncertain fate of those discarded? None of this sparks the slightest interest in those who govern us: what matters is promoting the exploitation of horses on every possible occasion.

And so, yesterday, for the tenth time, the “Palio of the Association of Historic Florentine Establishments” took place at the Cascine Racecourse in Florence.

This is not a palio in the sense of a historical/folkloric event; it is an actual trotting race held at a racecourse and thus under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, where each horse is paired with a historic establishment in Florence. It’s similar to what happened in Pisa a month ago with the “Palio dei Comuni” at San Rossore. It’s hard to imagine a lower level scheme, even in terms of sensitivity towards animal welfare: yet another example of the sub-culture that views horses as objects to be used, not sentient beings.

We also note the sponsorship by the Tuscany Region and the City of Florence, which continues to distinguish itself for its stance against horses: the “fiaccherai”, the carriage parade the other day, and now this palio.

The Association of Historic Florentine Establishments includes more than sixty historic Florentine businesses: artisans, traders, accommodation services, restaurants, and food and wine establishments.

Here is a list of these establishments, to which you might want to send a message or an email of protest.