The My Lovely Horse charity has called for the introduction of a dedicated Garda Animal Crime Unit to deal with such incidents
17:58, 18 Apr 2026Updated 11:10, 19 Apr 2026
Footage showing horse racing on the N7 Naas Road has been slammed as “dangerous and unacceptable”
Video showing what appears to be a sulky race on one of the country’s busiest routes has been slammed as “dangerous and unacceptable”.
Animal welfare charity My Lovely Horse were sent the clip, which shows two horses racing up the N7 Naas Road near Citywest yesterday. The race has been slammed by the charity, who say the race and similar incidents which have taken place recently show the urgent need for the establishment of a dedicated Garda Animal Crime Unit.
A MLH volunteer said: “This is not just an animal welfare issue – it’s now also a public safety issue. A convoy of cars using a public motorway to run horses in sulkies through live traffic, no regard for anyone’s safety and absolutely no regard for those poor horses.
“Sadly it’s not an isolated incident, we know too well the consequences of horses running for their lives and left to die on our roads, with rescue volunteers continuously picking up the pieces of a broken justice system. We are continuing to campaign for a dedicated Garda Animal Crime Unit. Please sign and share our appeal. Enough is enough.”
The clip shows a single car driving up the duel carriageway heading towards Clondalkin. A number of people can be seen hanging out the windows of the car looking back at two horse-drawn sulkies racing down the road behind them.
The sulkies are followed by a number of cars spread across the busy route. Several people can also be seen hanging dangerously out the windows of this convoy of vehicles, cheering the racers on.
My Lovely Horse said this was not an isolated incident, with a number of similar races taking place in recent weeks. A spokesperson for the charity said: “What we are witnessing here is not harmless activity, it is a dangerous and unacceptable practice that puts both human lives and horses at serious risk.”
They added: “We have seen multiple incidents like this in recent weeks. It is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed and more horses lose their lives. Waiting for tragedy is not an option.
“We are calling on the State to act now. A dedicated multi-agency task force must be established immediately to clamp down on this activity, enforce existing laws and prevent further harm.
“There must be zero tolerance for this behaviour. We are calling for an immediate ban on sulkies being used on public roads and motorways the establishment of a State-led task force involving An Garda Síochána the Department of Agriculture and relevant authorities visible and consistent enforcement including prosecutions where appropriate a coordinated response to investigate breaches of animal welfare legislation and stronger penalties to deter repeat offences and protect the public.”
A Garda spokesman told Dublin Live: “Gardaí responded to report of an alleged road traffic incident on the N7 in Citywest, Co. Dublin on Friday, 17th April 2026 at approximately 8.30pm. Enquiries are ongoing.”
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