Mexican researchers found horses pulling tourists carts in the Yucatán did not have excessive workloads. | Photo: iStock

Lightbreed horses pulling tourist carts with axles and tire-coated wheels in the Yucatán area did not have excessive workloads or demands on their physical or mental health, said Pedro Geraldo González-Pech, PhD, of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Autonomous University of Yucatán, in Mexico.

Even when working conditions included several hours in a row pulling up to 700 kg (1,520 pounds) in a hot, humid environment, the horses didn’t exceeded scientifically established limits for work or health parameters, González-Pech said.

“As veterinarians, we were not surprised by this result,” he explained. “The carts are easy to pull because the wheels and the Yucatán topography, which is flat with smooth asphalt, results in a low tensile strength (force needed to pull something). We even have videos where you can see that a kid can move a cart