Horses on the highway or council land

Untethered horses

Untethered horses have a greater risk of causing damage to persons or property, or cause a road accident. Report any untethered horses to the police on the non-emergency number 101 or if on council property on 01482 300 300.

Tethered horses

You can report horses located within the Hull boundary and they are on -

  • council land
  • the side of the road

Tethered horses on land outside the Hull boundary should be reported to East Riding of Yorkshire Council on 01482 887 700.

Report horses on the highway or council land

What happens next

Council land

We assess whether the location of the tethered horse is a risk to the public, and if there is we try to identify the owner. We will then ask the owner to remove the horse. If an owner isn't found or they refuse to remove the horse we take enforcement action. Charges will then be made to the owner.

Private land

If we receive complaints about the location of a tethered horse we contact the landowner. If they do not remove the horse we may visit to assess the situation. If it is a justified complaint and the horse is posing a risk, enforcement action may be taken on the owner or the landowner to make them remove it.

Removing horses

In certain circumstances, we issue warning notices to the owners of tethered horses. If the horse is not moved away from council owned land it may be impounded. All horses are kept in safe and secure conditions as their welfare is a priority.

If your horse has been impounded, or you have received a notice to remove your animal from council land, please follow the instructions on the notice.