Horsing around Fenton St McDonald's in Rotorua's central business district

Three horses, including this one, were spotted at the Fenton St McDonald's on Saturday. Photo / Supplied

It might have been the cost of petrol or the lure of a juicy Big Mac but something attracted three horses and their riders into Rotorua's central city at the weekend, shocking at least one driver.

The horses and their riders were spotted hanging around the entrance to the "drive-thru" in the carpark at McDonald's on the corner of Fenton and Amohau Sts at 4pm on Saturday.

Passerby Jacqui Rae Davis said she saw them out the corner of her eye while at the lights and couldn't believe what she saw, especially considering the busy traffic.

She went around the block and came back to the Vetro carpark and in that time two of them crossed the busy four-lane road and were in that carpark.

Three horses, including this one, were spotted at the Fenton St McDonald's on Saturday. Photo / Supplied

"I looked up and they were right there ... I can't imagine them pressing the button to cross safely but they got across somehow."

It's against the council's bylaw for all dogs to be in the central city even if on a lead but it doesn't apply to horses.

The Rotorua Daily Post asked the Rotorua Lakes Council to clarify the rules and community and regulatory services manager Kurt Williams said, in a statement, there was no specific ban on riding horses in Rotorua's central business district.

"It's not something that's been an issue but if it did become a problem changes could be made to current bylaws to address that."

He said there were some rules set out in the council's general bylaw and council's livestock movement bylaw that applied to horses, including they must be kept under proper control and prevented from wandering. Horse riders also have to abide by traffic laws if on a public road, such as on the left-hand side.

Rae Davis said she was surprised to learn it was lawful.

"I guess with the price of petrol going up, others might want to do it. But who would pick up the droppings?"