'Hold your horses': Video of pony being led into 'paddy wagon' by Limerick gardai goes viral
Two Shetland ponies were seized in the Garryowen area
‘WHEN did the guards start going round collecting horses,” asks a man in a video purportedly showing gardai leading a pony into the back of a patrol van.
The video, taken on Sunday in the Garryowen area of Limerick city, has been widely shared on social media.
The man on the video says: "Gardai are taking away the pony, lads - all jokes aside - into the paddy wagon. He is literally putting the pony into the back of the paddy wagon, I kid you not. When did the guards start going around collecting horses?"
It is unusual to see it captured on camera but gardai taking a horse / pony into custody isn't as strange as some might think.
Limerick Live contacted An Garda Siochana and Limerick City and County Council to shed some light on the unusual scene.
A garda spokesperson said: “Gardaí assisted Limerick City and County Council with the removal of two ponies from a property in Limerick city on Sunday, 20 July 20, 2025.”
They said An Garda Síochána is not the lead agency so no further information is available.
The ponies seized are a two-year-old dark bay male Shetland and a one-and-half-year-old bay male Shetland.
A Council spokesperson said it is a breach of Limerick’s Horse Control Byelaws to keep horses in a public place.
“Limerick City and County Council’s pound service seized two straying ponies in the Garryowen area last weekend.
“An Garda Síochana regularly assist the Council in horse control functions in order to avoid any breach of the peace,” said the council spokesperson.
Limerick Live has learned that once a complaint is received over a horse or pony, gardai are often the first to arrive on the scene as the horse pound is located near Cork city and staff have to travel up to Limerick.
It is understood that gardai can sometimes remove an animal to a secure location and wait for the employees of the pound to collect the horse / pony.
This is done by gardai to avoid a possibly heated situation as emotions can run high when horses are seized and loaded up in a horsebox.
“The guards have enough to be doing not to mind leading ponies over to patrol vans,” said a source.
Similarly, when cars are seized by gardai they are sometimes driven to another location where they wait for the tow truck there, away from disgruntled owners.
The identity of the owner or keeper of the ponies is not known to the Council. If they do not identify themselves and satisfy requirements within five days from the date of seizure and detention, the Council will dispose of the ponies in accordance with the Control of Horses Act, 1996.