Photos of a man taking his horse to a chip shop have caused a storm online.
Manchester police reportedly received several calls on 11 February from concerned members of the public after the man was seen leading his horse around late at night.
The man was caught on camera wandering around Wythenshawe and Baguley with the horse, which was wearing a headcollar and florescent wraps on its front legs.
It is not known where they had come from or who the man was.
“Last night we received several reports of a drunk male with a horse outside a chippy, the horse was found safe and well by police,” read a police statement on Facebook on Friday (12 February).
“The male and horse were then spotted outside Wythenshawe Hospital (horse eating the plants). The horse was then spotted on a car park in Northenden ….. where is the horse now?”
Popular articles:
- 8 things that softened the blow of moving on from your favourite pony
- Choosing the right bit: would a hanging cheek snaffle suit my horse?
- Whatever happened to manners? 7 scenarios you’re likely to recognise…
More than 600 people shared the post, which was followed by a stream of comments including puns.
However, some were concerned about the horse’s wellbeing.
“For all of you asking why we left the man with the horse, the officer attended and believed the man was fine. He wasn’t riding the horse at the time and was in full control of the horse,” added the police.
“While the horse was apparently unperturbed by the whole situation, taking a horse on a tour around the city centre while under the influence of alcohol isn’t really an example of responsible ownership,” said a World Horse Welfare spokesman.