Huat was that? Horses seen galloping down road in Pasir Ris
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In video footage of the horses, a bay-coloured horse and a white one can be seen trotting down a road near Pasir Ris Drive 3.
PHOTO: ST READER
SINGAPORE – Two horses were seen galloping down the streets of Pasir Ris on March 3 on the 15th day of the Year of the Horse, in an equine sight that stopped noon-time traffic.
In video footage of the horses – widely circulated on social media – a bay-coloured horse and a white one can be seen trotting down a road near Pasir Ris Drive 3.
In one video clip, the bay horse is grazing on grass by the roadside.
The horses were seen galloping down the middle of the road towards a traffic light as motorcycles and cars followed behind at a safe distance.
About two hours after they bolted, they were back in the stable, the police said, adding: “Officers responded promptly and worked with stable staff to safely secure the horses. The horses were subsequently returned to their stables without incident.”
March 3 is chap goh mei, the 15th day of Chinese New Year, which fell on Feb 17, ushering in the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac.
In a Facebook post on March 3, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah, who is also the MP for Pasir Ris-Changi GRC, shared a video of one of the horses exploring a landed estate.
She wrote: “Where’s the best place to celebrate Chap Goh Mei in the Year of the Horse? Clearly it’s Riverina Estate in Pasir Ris West – the popular choice of discerning horses!”
She added that she was glad to hear that the horses have been safely recaptured by Gallop Stable.
The stable, which has operated in Pasir Ris since 2003, offers horse-related activities such as riding lessons, pony rides, feeding, trail rides and riding camps. It also operates a stable at Horsecity in Bukit Timah.
Gallop Stable, in a post on social media platform Instagram, said: “Two of our horses decided to explore the neighbourhood but we’re happy to share they are safely back home, calm and well.”
Pasir Ris resident Ken Ku, 35, was on his way to a McDonald’s outlet when he heard galloping sounds. When he later spotted the horses, he thought they were undergoing training, he told The Straits Times.
“But they looked a bit lost, they kept going forward and then turning around and going back where they came from,” he added.
Mr Ku, the chief executive of a firm that provides investment advice, said the horses were heading towards Elias Road before turning back, and also ran into a lane near a block of flats.
Ms Jessica Kwok, group director of the Animal and Veterinary Service, said the service is aware of the incident and is investigating.
She added that the two horses were later secured by handlers from Gallop Stable.
Anyone who comes across a horse should remain calm and not approach or chase it, Ms Kwok said. Instead, people can call the 24-hour Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600, she added.
In 2016, citizen journalism website Stomp reported a sighting of three horses galloping down a road in Pasir Ris.
