A man who rode a horse into crowds in Auckland CBD on New Years Eve is now facing charges after he resisted arrest.
Videos showing a man riding a horse along Mt Wellington Highway near Sylvia Park and moving through crowds under a lit up Sky Tower have circulated on social media.
@cleta_62 things that only happen in new zealand on new years sky tower 2025 #NewZealandAdventures #SkyTowerFireworks #VisitAuckland #ExploreNZ #NewYears2025 #KiaOraNZ #FirstInTheWorld #NZMustDo #AucklandCityVibes #TravelNewZealand #FireworksDisplay #NZNatureAndCities #Hello2025 #DiscoverNZ #AucklandEvents #EpicNewYears #BeautifulAotearoa #AucklandSkyline #WorldsFirstSunrise #LandOfTheLongWhiteCloud #NZCelebrations #MagicalMomentsNZ #NewZealandLove #SkyTower2025 #TravelDreamsNZ ♬ original sound - Gustavo Adolfo Carre
A police spokesperson said police received reports from around 9pm on New Years Eve that a man was riding a horse in and around Queen Street and the Auckland CBD.
The 41-year-old rider of the horse was spoken to and arrested, the spokesperson said.
NGO Rodney Animal Rescue received reports of the horse in the city around 11.40pm on Tuesday, founder and chairperson Alice Hayward told Stuff.
Hayward said it was not a call she expected to receive so late on New Years Eve.
“People were saying there’s a horse in the city and I was like, ‘you’re joking’,” she said.
“I just thought, that horse has to get out of there before the fireworks go off at the Sky Tower.”
As she was away at the time, Hayward said she rallied volunteers to go and rescue the horse.
The police spokesperson said police staff cared for the horse after the man was arrested until other agencies took over and SPCA/Animal Control were notified.
Hayward said her friend took a horse float to collect the horse, then brought it back to the Rodney Animal Rescue base.
She said a vet assessed the horse the following morning and said it was dehydrated, hungry and sore.
Rodney Animal Rescue then transported the horse to Silverdale Animal Shelter around 1pm on Wednesday where the horse was held until the owner collected it on Thursday.
“The animal had received medication, electrolytes, pain relief, and food, prior to arriving and this was continued while in care of the shelter,” said Auckland Council’s Animal Management Shelter Manager Carly Triska.
Triska said shelter staff had noted the horse was “a bit shaky on its legs although overall, its body condition looked to be ok”.
She confirmed the horse’s owner collected it on Thursday morning.
A person who said the horse-rider was their uncle posted on Tiktok on Wednesday, saying the horse was “lovely” and “wasn’t causing any harm”.
The same person posted a video of a horse in a paddock on Thursday saying “he’s fine & home”.
Hayward said the horse should never have been taken into the city on New Year’s Eve.
“For many horse owners, even animal owners that know fireworks worry our horses and animals, this is seen as absolute madness, and it is,” Hayward said.
“The horse was an absolute legend for keeping calm through the madness of Auckland City ... but it could have gone horribly wrong in a split second.”
Hayward was concerned about the distance the horse had travelled, as videos shared to social media showed it cantering on the road on Mt Wellington Highway near Sylvia Park.
She said she understood the horse appeared calm in the video, however she suspected it may have just been very tired.
“It doesn’t mean if it can be done, it should be done.”
The man is due in Auckland District Court on 7 January on a charge of resisting police.
He has been approached for comment.
- Stuff
