Tethered horse: where is the horse left tied up by the side of the road now on the hottest day of the year?
A tethered horse which has been at the side of a busy road for the past three weeks appears to have been moved – but its current whereabouts is unknown.
For the past three weeks worried passers-by have expressed concern over the welfare of the black and white horse chained at the side of the busy A59 road with no shelter from the blistering heat.
With no owner in sight on the Longsight Road, people have said it a cruel practice because it has no shade from the heatwave.
With an amber weather warning issued for the next two days by the Met Office, there were fears that the horse would suffer a stroke if it was left in the sun.
Where is the horse tethered to the side of the road?
The Post visited section of the A59 on Monday as temperatures hitting a sweltering 35 degrees to check on whether the horse remains chained to its station.
However, our reporter discovered the horse had in fact been moved, and all the equipment, including a water bowling and roping, had been taken.
There is no shelter from the baking sun in the area and it is unclear whether the owner has moved to the horse to a more suitable location.
What Post readers had to say about the tethered horse?
A number of Post readers were concerned that the animal had been left tethered for such an extended period and were angry that the RSPCA appears unable to act.
Chrissy Halsall: “Just passed and stopped to see this poor horse it’s got water but it’s eaten most of the grass in it’s reach and his nose is so badly sun burned.”
Lynn Lythgoe: “How can you tether a pony in 32 plus degrees? Ridiculous!”
What do the RSPCA say about the tethered horse?
The RSPCA said their hands were tied as tethering is not illegal.
"We do have serious concerns about tethering horses - it can lead to horses becoming tangled, not having enough grazing or being able to reach water - but it is not illegal to do so provided their needs are being met and so often our hands are tied in situations like this.
The British Horse Association added that whoever is responsible for leaving the animal chained up is not committing an offence.