Stolen Ponies Recovered After Being Abandoned by Schoolgirls

A riding school has successfully retrieved two of its ponies that were stolen by a pair of schoolgirls and subsequently left in a shed five miles away. Hayfield Riding School, located in Bonnybridge, Falkirk, reported that Zak and Toby were taken on Friday night and discovered in a tin shed in Hallglen on Saturday afternoon, without access to food or water. The school indicated that numerous individuals observed the ponies being ridden bareback on a main road in the dark by the children, who were not wearing helmets or high-visibility clothing. The perpetrators were identified after their “mortified” parents viewed dashcam footage shared on social media and came forward. Police Scotland announced it would be “speaking to those concerned” regarding the incident. The owner of the school, who chose to remain anonymous, stated that she noticed the ponies were missing on Saturday morning. She said: “I knew they had been taken because there were other horses in the field and the gate was closed.” She added: “I put it on Facebook and I started to get phone calls from people I know and members of the public.” The owner expressed being “horrified” upon seeing dashcam footage that depicted the ponies being ridden along a pitch-black road. She said: “I won’t take my ponies out of my yard at this time of year because of the icy roads. “That back road near me is a death trap.”They could have caused a major accident with innocent drivers and the ponies themselves, there could have been fatalities.” The ponies were later located in a derelict tin shed in Hallglen. The owner said: “I found out they were last seen near Hallglen Primary School.” She continued: “I used to keep my horse around there so I knew about that place.” She concluded: “It was abandoned and luckily they were in there.” The owner mentioned that the girls’ parents contacted her and were “mortified” by their children’s actions. She stated that Zak and Toby were “dying of thirst” when they were found but are now recovering at home. She said: “They’re still a wee bit stiff, but they’re ok.” A Police Scotland spokesperson confirmed that the force had received a report of two ponies missing from the riding school. They added: “Inquiries are ongoing to establish circumstances of the incident.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.