A pony which collapsed in a supermarket car park has been returned to its owners.
A video showed the pony tied up outside a Lidl in a Deeside retail park in Queensferry, Flintshire rearing up before collapsing.
The footage appeared to show the pony who has been named Gary by well wishers, in seemingly poor condition.
In response to public concern about the animal, a spokeswoman for the RSPCA has said it has investigated.
She said: "We have been looking into concerns about the Queensferry horse for several days. Our officers have visited several times and have also taken independent vets to assess the pony.
"We are unable to give any further details about this incident for legal reasons. That doesn’t mean we are ignoring the situation and we can assure you, we take all allegations of cruelty or neglect seriously."
The RSPCA are do not have the powers to remove animals from their owners and the law states the horse should go back to its owner.
The spokeswoman added: "The RSPCA has no more powers than members of the public to remove animals and we have to work within the law at all times. An animal can only be legally removed from an owner when they have been seized by police.
"The horse had to go back to his legal owner, by law."
Swansea group Whispering Willows Sanctuary, had said it had begun fundraising to buy the horse and more than 5,000 people were backing their calls but that their attempts to take the horse back with them failed.
She was told the horse had been taken to a vet by the RSPCA.
Representatives went to Flintshire over the Easter weekend but did not return with the horse.
On their return from north Wales, the group were called to Westgate Street in Cardiff and took another horse into their care.
