Two men are arrested as ‘pregnant’ pony collapses outside sports stadium in Cardiff

Heartbreaking footage shows a pregnant horse ‘collapse with heatstroke’ after it had been pulling a cart outside the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in the searing sun.

The animal, aged between three and four, lay on the ground for up to three hours as it struggled to get over the potentially ‘fatal’ injury on Westgate Street at 7pm on Saturday.

After being seen by a vet and having buckets of water thrown over it, the pony recovered enough to stand and was taken to Whispering Willows Sanctuary in South Wales.

The black mare has been described as doing well but is being monitored.

She has been examined by a vet who believes she is carrying a foal.

Two men, aged 21 and 25, were arrested by police at the scene on suspicion of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. Both are in custody.

A spokesman from Swansea-based Whispering Willows said they are hopeful the horse will make a full recovery and is being monitored by both sanctuary staff and independent vets.

‘We took her back last night. When we arrived she was suffering from heatstroke.

‘When we arrived the horse was lying on the floor, she had been there for about three hours.

‘Normally in that situation you would rub glucose on their gums, it gives them a bit of a boost.

‘We did what we could and got her up.

‘We took her back and a vet has looked at here and they suspected she is in foal.

‘We are hopeful for her and now it is a case of just watching her.’

The mare, aged between three and four and believed to be pregnant, lay on the ground for up to three hours as it struggled to get over the potentially ‘fatal’ injury at 7pm on Saturday

Former veterinary nurse Jeanette Cook was one of those who helped out at the scene before the sanctuary staff arrived. 

She said: ‘I was driving into Cardiff for a gig with my partner.

‘The horse was in an awful state. Someone had thrown a bucket of water over it but I told them not to do that because it was so hot it can send the animal into shock.

‘A few of us tried to get it to stand but it just had no strength, it couldn’t move its legs.

‘It is just awful.’ 

But after having water thrown on her and her feet rubbed to boost circulation, she gained enough strength to stand up and was taken to Whispering Willows Sanctuary in South Wales. Two men have been arrested under the Animal Welfare Act

A police spokesman said: ‘South Wales Police responded to numerous calls reporting concern for the welfare of a horse on Westgate Street, Cardiff, shortly before 7pm last night.

‘On arrival, officers found the animal collapsed on the street.

‘Alongside members of the public, the officers tended to the horse while making contact with Whispering Willows Sanctuary, who subsequently arrived and took over care of the horse.’ 

It is the second time the sanctuary were called out to assist a horse over the Easter weekend.

On Friday, the group went to help an animal in a Lidl car park in Queensferry. They were returning from that when they found the Cardiff incident.

Since she was found on Saturday night, hundreds of messages of support have flooded in to support the horse and people who looked after it.