The Taichung City Government on Monday warned against taking horses to public parks after an owner was spotted exercising one in Situn District (西屯).
The Taichung Construction Bureau said that on Sunday it responded to a report of a man with a horse in Charlotte Park (夏綠地公園) near the National Taichung Theater.
An official approached the man, surnamed Lee (李), and asked him to leave, citing local regulations.
Photo courtesy of the horse’s owner
The regulations state that animals are prohibited at public parks, with the exception of household pets, as defined in the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), the bureau said.
As horses are not considered a household pet and might become anxious around strangers or in an unfamiliar environment, “according to the law, they cannot enter public parks,” it said.
Those who refuse to comply after a warning face a fine of NT$2,000 to NT$10,000, it said.
The best place for an animal is the place most suited to it, the bureau said.
Public parks are safe areas where children can play, but are not appropriate for horses, Taichung City Councilor Yang Cheng-chung (楊正中) said.
Lee told reporters that he often takes his horse to public places.
Hsiao La-chiao (Little Chili Pepper, 小辣椒) is docile and many people like to pat her, Lee said, adding that they find it therapeutic.
He has even taken her for walks on roads and to outdoor opera theaters, said Lee, who operates a kendo school.
It is also not the first time he has taken her to Charlotte Park, he said, adding that it is not hard to find photographs of them there on Facebook.
Sunday was unusual because someone reported him to the authorities, Lee said.
In addition to two-year-old Hsiao La-chiao, Lee also has an eight-year-old male horse named Hsiao Ma-ko (Little Marco, 小馬哥), who is also very mild-tempered, he said.
“Horses are as loyal and as docile as dogs,” he said. “They are man’s best friend.”
As many Taiwanese do not have many chances to be near horses, many do not understand them, Lee said.
He often takes Hsiao Ma-ko, who is smaller in stature, to preschools to give children a chance to “understand and not be frightened of horses,” he said.
Lee said that he would avoid public parks from now on.
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