A scared horse hit a minister’s car with its carriage while it was running away in fear and dragging the carriage along.

The frightened animal began galloping away from a spot in the historic square Piazza della Signoria in the city of Florence, in central Italy.

The runaway horse was reported to be a part of the “fiaccherai” which is a transport service that uses carriages to carry tourists on sightseeing tours.

Visitors to the area said it all happened very suddenly. The horse unexpectedly got upset and started running away, dragging the carriage attached with him, causing panic amongst the visitors.

In just a few moments the carriage got stuck between two cars, of which one being the escort car of Minister of the Interior, Luciana Lamorgese who was paying a visit to local police chiefs.

The horse freed itself from the carriage and continued running away towards Loggia dei ‘Lanzi, a building adjoining the Uffizi art gallery, located in the corner of the square.

There, the horse stopped and was recovered by the driver of the carriage and some of his colleagues who offered help.

The people involved in the incident did not report any injuries, besides the material damage on the two cars caused by the carriage when it happened last Monday (14th of June).

The animal was also reported to be in good health, but it is not known what caused the animal to start running away in the first place.

After this incident “Italian Horse Protection” which is an association for the protection of horses in the country, launched a petition in favor of the proposed removal of horse-drawn tourist carriages.

President of the association Sonny Richichi said: “The carriages are a form of exploitation that is now unacceptable in 2021. The tradition of transporting tourists by carriage through the streets of the center of Florence forces horses into a forced activity, in a completely inadequate, unhealthy and dangerous context like the urban one. We ask the Municipality to protect, in addition to the entertainment of tourists, also the health and welfare of animals.”