Sicily, Italy 18 Sep (ANA) - A bride and groom's special day took a tragic turn when the horse pulling their ornate wedding carriage collapsed with heat exhaustion. The happy couple had arrived in style on their big day in the back of the decorated cart pulled by the white stallion. But the glamorous wedding took a tragic turn when the horse collapsed outside the church in the small Italian mountain town of Borgetto, near the city of Palermo in Sicily. The smartly dressed driver of the carriage can be seen attempting to move the horse. Other members of the wedding party, dressed in traditional attire, can be seen also attempting to help. Traffic through the town was blocked off by the stricken horse and the ornate carriage, which had been decorated with feathers. It is believed that the horse fell to the ground in exhaustion after being exposed to the blazing sun. He is thought to have just climbed a steep stretch of road pulling the bride and groom behind him. The horse was allegedly pulling a weight of 400 kilograms when it collapsed in the middle of the street. Shocking video footage shot from a neighbouring flat was later posted onto the internet. And Italian animal rights charities are now threatening to file a lawsuit in relation to the case. A spokesman for the Italian Nucleus Operational Protection of Animals said: 'We have already written to local authorities to ask them to confirm the current conditions of the horse.'(ANA)

FA/ANA/18 September 2017------