Tourist tries to quench the thirst of a hot horse, coachman insults and attacks her: shocking episode in Palma de Mallorca

A heated confrontation that took place at the end of August 2026 in the heart of Palma de Mallorca reignited the debate on the conditions of the horses that pull the carriages and the behavior of the local drivers. The story, filmed in a video that immediately went viral on social platforms, took place at the carriage stall in Calle Conquistador. German tourist and activist Xenia Denise, noticing a visibly exhausted, thin and dehydrated horse, approached the driver to ask him to water the animal. The man’s reaction was an escalation of aggression: according to the woman’s story, the coachman hit her with personal insults, shouting at her to go to McDonald’s and throwing water from a bottle at her, even touching her face with his hands.

The two versions compared and the animal rights party’s accusations

The reconstructions of what happened present widely divergent traits. If Xenia Denise reported on social media that she had been the victim of harassment and verbal aggression with a discriminatory background, the La Calesa de Palma association, which represents local drivers, provided a completely opposite perspective to Mallorca Diary.

According to the carriage union, it was the woman who provoked the man by insulting him with the epithet “gypsy” and convincing a group of tourists not to get on board, causing immediate economic damage of 50 euros. Faced with the episode, the animal rights party Progreso en Verde intervened firmly. The president of the organization, Guillermo Amengual, announced that he will bring the case before the Prosecutor’s Office for crimes of aggression, harassment and incitement to hatred, demanding the immediate revocation of the license of the driver involved and a sanction for the colleague who remained inactive during the events in addition to the immediate stop of the horse and carriages.

The Municipality’s investigation and the upcoming measures

The media coverage generated by the video forced the city institutions to intervene promptly to clarify the contours of the story. The Mobility Department of the Municipality of Palma has opened an official investigation to precisely reconstruct the dynamics of what happened in Calle Conquistador. The municipal administration reiterated its zero tolerance line against any behavior incompatible with professional duties and the rules of conduct imposed on horse-drawn carriage drivers. In the coming weeks, once the investigations have been completed and the testimonies of those present have been analyzed, the council will adopt the appropriate sanctions.