The horse pulling the classic "botticella romana" — a horse-drawn carriage that typically transports tourists through the central streets of the capital — collapsed on the ground in Via del Corso in Rome, at the junction with Piazza Colonna, where Palazzo Chigi is located.

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A scene that Il Messaggero describes as "dramatic", reporting that "the coachman, after trying with all his might to get the animal back on its feet without success, burst into floods of tears".

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Yet another incident, adding to the two deaths recorded in 2008. Lav (Lega antivivisezione) stated in a press release that:

When an incident keeps repeating itself, it is no longer an incident. It's the norm. And for the botticelle, that norm is the suffering of horses, the lack of safety for customers who pay cash in hand, and for all citizens.

The association immediately took a stand in defence of the animals, explaining that "botticella horses are forced to work in an urban environment that is dangerous due to heavy traffic, loud noise and slippery paving". And that "there have been numerous accidents caused by the conditions described above, accidents which in some cases have resulted in the injury or even death of the horse".

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For this reason, it is calling on Mayor Marino to revoke the coachmen's licences, replacing the tourist transport service with alternatives compatible with respect for the law and the health of equines.

Oipa (Organizzazione internazionale protezione animali) has also come out against what it describes as a service that entails "the unjustified exploitation of animals".

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On its official website, it reads that "botticella horses are animals clearly subjected to a condition of continuous suffering, being forced, against their will, to pull extremely heavy loads every day (more than a tonne: the carriage alone, when empty, weighs 800 kg…). The working conditions are inhumane: the animal is taken along fast-moving roads (such as the Lungotevere) where the proximity of cars, the speed and the noise of traffic terrify it, with serious consequences including accidents, often fatal; the horses frequently have to travel along uphill streets, on cobblestone paving that is slippery and uneven, causing them further distress; this situation is made worse in summer, when the blazing sun makes the exertion even more unbearable".

These conditions are further confirmed by the seizure carried out just a few days ago by the Corpo Forestale dello Stato.

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