Tourists in Bruges got more than they bargained for when they boarded the horse tram for a journey to explore the sights of one of our most popular tourist destinations. During the journey draft horse Bella, who was pulling a carriage packed with sightseers, collapsed and died unexpectedly. It’s believed a cardiac vein probably ruptured and this proved fatal for the poor animal.
It all happened quite unexpectedly on the Bruges Genthof on Saturday, when coach horse Bella collapsed half a kilometre from the tram’s final destination near the Jan van Eyckplein. According to owner Dirk Stael, the death was not due to any excessive workload or extraordinary working conditions. Bella was pulling a carriage with 10 people on board at the time and was quite used to such a payload.
‘It was a natural death,’ said Dirk. The rupture of a cardiac vein proved fatal for the horse. It is the first time in 62 years that the firm has experienced this. ‘Yvan, our 84-year-old coachman, has worked with Bella for 15 years. He is in a state of shock as a result of the unexpected death. After a while, the horse becomes your friend. It feels like losing a relative.’
Messages about the coach horse's death are now circulating on social media. ‘Unfortunate’ says Dirk. ‘These people should speak with us and learn all the things we do for the horses. The horses are under constant supervision, and they visit the vet every year. The City of Bruges supervises our activities and wants us to thrive. We too have our pride!’