Horse causes commotion at Rotorua Intermediate School

The horse was tied up outside the school briefly causing a concerned child to call police. Photo / Stephen Parker

A horse lingering outside Rotorua Intermediate School has caused a 12-year-old to call police and created an interesting start to the day for a bunch of pupils.

A police spokeswoman said police were called to the school before 8.15am after a 12-year-old dialled 111.

"He was concerned. He's worried the horse has got scars on its tummy and its legs are shaking."

Several children arriving at the school for the day gathered around the horse.

The spokeswoman said the brown horse was tied to a fence outside the school with a rope.

There was no one near the horse so police called animal control.

A Rotorua Daily Post reporter at the scene said he later saw a man get on the horse and ride off within 15 minutes of the police being called.

Rotorua Intermediate principal Garry de Thierry said he first saw the horse outside the school at 7am.

"It surprised me to see a horse all saddled up in the middle of suburbia.

"The horse seemed pretty passive."

He said students stopped and pet the horse.

"It's something quite new to them as well and out of the ordinary."

The New Zealand Transport Agency website said horse riders had to follow road rules including riding on the left-hand side of the road, and wearing a safety hat.