Ponies stolen by schoolgirls found abandoned in shed

The children were caught on dashcam footage taking the ponies

A riding school has recovered a pair of its ponies that were stolen by two schoolgirls and abandoned in a shed five miles away.

Hayfield Riding School in Bonnybridge, Falkirk said Zak and Toby were taken on Friday night and found in a tin shed in Hallglen on Saturday afternoon, without food or water.

The school said numerous people spotted the ponies, which were being ridden bareback on a main road in the dark by the children, without helmets or hi-vis.

The culprits were identified after their "mortified" parents saw dashcam footage on social media and came forward.

Toby and Zak are now both recovering at home

Police Scotland said it would be "speaking to those concerned" in the incident.

The school's owner, who did not want to be named, said she noticed the ponies were missing on Saturday morning.

She said: "I knew they had been taken because there were other horses in the field and the gate was closed.

"I put it on Facebook and I started to get phone calls from people I know and members of the public."

The owner said she was "horrified" to see dashcam footage that showed the ponies being ridden along a pitch-black road.

She said: "I won't take my ponies out of my yard at this time of year because of the icy roads.

"That back road near me is a death trap.

"They could have caused a major accident with innocent drivers and the ponies themselves, there could have been fatalities."

The ponies were discovered on Saturday afternoon in a derelict shed five miles away

The ponies were later traced to a derelict tin shed in Hallglen.

The owner said: "I found out they were last seen near Hallglen Primary School.

"I used to keep my horse around there so I knew about that place.

"It was abandoned and luckily they were in there."

The owner said the girls' parents got in touch and were "mortified" at the children's actions.

She said Zak and Toby were "dying of thirst" when they were found but are now recovering at home.

She said: "They're still a wee bit stiff, but they're ok."

A Police Scotland spokesperson said the force had received a report of two ponies missing from the riding school.

They added: "Inquiries are ongoing to establish circumstances of the incident."