”However, it fills a much needed gap in our legislation that has led to deaths and injuries, and imposes an overarching moral ethic on such events”. The ordinance, which will initially last two years, sets out a series of conditions that organizers must meet in order to stage horses races off official courses. All events using horses must first receive approval from a municipal or provincial committee that includes an authorized veterinarian.

Safety tests will be carried out on the track or fields where the event is to take place, with barriers to protect spectators, horses and jockeys. Horses can be no younger than four, while jockeys that have been convicted for mistreating animals will not be allowed to participate. Italy’s palios - which usually involve horses but sometimes extend to other animals such as donkeys - are an entrenched element of traditional summer festivals in various parts of the country. The most famous event is the twice-yearly Palio in Siena, a colourful, chaotic bareback race in the main square dating back to the Middle Ages.

Animal rights activists seeking to get the races banned have focused their attention on the Siena Palio, which is famous around the world and attracts thousands of visitors each year. They say the Palio is cruel, has little to do with sporting skill and is dangerous for the horses, jockeys and spectators.

According to Italy’s largest animal rights groups, LAV, 48 animals have died since 1970 as a result of the race.

Two horses have died since 2001, when new safety measures were introduced, which included laying tufa sand over the cobblestones, padding dangerous corners of the course and testing horses to ensure they have not been drugged to improve their performance and mask their pain. Siena Mayor Maurizio Cenni said he welcomed Martini’s new regulations, which will eventually be incorporated into a national bill. ”Siena boosted its safety and animal protection measures some time ago, and we believe this ordinance can only improve the situation further,” Cenni said. But the mayor of the Sardinian town of Sedilo, where a jockey died in a festival race earlier this month, said the regulations were unfair. ”We are a very small town with just over 2,000 inhabitants and unlike other places such as Siena, we do not have the funds needed to make these changes,” said Mayor Francescangelo Putzolu. ”It’s true that another tragedy should be avoided but our event is a special one that reflects Sardinian identity”.

But Martini said the regulations would apply equally throughout the country and that all towns had a year in which to adapt.