A horse-drawn carriage driver in Spain is under investigation after he was caught on video exploding at a tourist who simply asked him to give his apparently thirsty horse some water.
The bizarre confrontation happened in Palma de Mallorca, where temperatures were hovering around 90 degrees.
German tourist Xenia Denise posted footage of the incident to Instagram on Aug. 28, showing her approaching the driver while a thin, tired-looking horse stood nearby.
“In Palma, there are still emaciated, thirsty horses!” Xenia wrote alongside the video. “I asked one of the owners if he could give his horse something to drink.”
But the request appeared to instantly set the coachman off.
Video shows the driver screaming at Xenia in a mix of German, English and Spanish before allegedly calling her a “neo-Nazi.”
He then began mocking her body, walking behind her while yelling, “Look at that ass — she needs some McDonald’s,” followed by, “Go eat a hamburger.”
Despite the insults, Xenia remained calm and repeatedly asked him to give the horse water.
The driver eventually appeared to grab some water — but instead of giving it to the horse, he splashed it directly into Xenia’s face.
“By the way, he also actually put his hands on my face,” Xenia later alleged.
She then urged tourists not to support the horse-carriage business.
“DO NOT give these animal abusers any money,” she wrote. “This kind of s–t needs to be stopped.”
The video quickly sparked outrage online.
“Why is nobody stopping him??” one commenter wrote. “He crossed the line when he touched her face and when he poured that water on her.”
Another added, “There is no justification for animal abuse or animal torture in the name of tradition or entertainment. It has to stop!!!”
The Palma de Mallorca City Council has since opened an investigation into the confrontation and is considering possible action against the driver, according to La Stampa.
Animal rights group Progreso en Verde is also demanding that the coachman lose his carriage-driver license and says it plans to take the case to prosecutors over allegations including assault, harassment and incitement to hatred.
“This is not the first time that situations like this have occurred,” group president Guillermo Amengual said.
Amengual claimed several women have previously reported being verbally abused after raising concerns about the treatment of carriage horses.
However, the carriage-drivers’ association has pushed back on Xenia’s version of events.
The group claims members of her party insulted the driver before the camera started rolling, including allegedly calling him a “gitano,” or Gypsy.
Xenia ended her Instagram post by directing followers to a PETA Germany petition calling for Mallorca’s horse-drawn carriages to be banned and replaced with animal-free alternatives.
The petition points to previous incidents in Palma in which carriage horses reportedly collapsed within days of one another.
The controversy comes as horse-drawn carriage operations face growing criticism in other major tourist destinations, including New York City, where activists have pushed for restrictions following several high-profile incidents involving carriage horses.
For now, the Mallorca driver’s future could depend on the outcome of the city’s investigation into the disturbing confrontation.
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