‘We’ve been served on our horses at the McDonald’s drive-thru’

The news, on Monday (22 July) that a rider had been fined for taking her horse into McDonald’s quickly went viral.

Christine McGrail led her stallion, Dancer, into the branch in Whitefield, Greater Manchester, after she and her daughter, Emily, were refused service at the drive-thru.

“Everyone saw the funny side,” said Ms McGrail — that is, until Dancer defecated on the floor.

She was issued with a £90 fixed penalty notice for causing “alarm and distress” to customers — and banned from coming back.

But Ms McGrail later told reporters: “We’ve been to that McDonald’s at least half a dozen times on the horses.”

She added: “Minnie [her daughter’s pony] likes McFlurrys. We’ve ended up having to get two spoons — one for her and one for Emily.”

A McDonald’s spokesman told H&H that due to health and safety reasons, it is unable to serve pedestrians, cyclists or customers on horseback at the drive-thru.

But this policy is not being enforced, say H&H readers, who took to our Facebook page to comment on the story.

“Me and my friend have been through the Macon Way [in] Crewe drive-thru and been served,” said Rose Parkin.

“The horses got a fruit bag and carrot sticks!”

Bev McCormick added that she had been served on her horse at Rising Bridge in Accrington “without any problem”, while Bonnie Knight said she had driven through on a cart before. She did not specify which branch.

And it seems that McDonald’s is a popular stop-off while hacking.

“I’ve taken my little cob to the Maccy D’s near Peterborough loads of times and have always been served — even when he snotted on the window!” said Stacey Stringer.

“We have even been asked to wait in bay 1. He was patient as he knew he was getting a Coke and a bag of sliced carrots!”

Joanna Pemberton recalls stopping at McDonald’s with a friend while hacking and buying a cheeseburger and a McFlurry.

“We queued on them, then paid at one window and collected it at the other,” she said.

Another H&H reader — who works in a branch of the fast food chain — confirmed that he has served mounted riders in the past.

However, the publicity from the McGrails’ case means that may now have to stop.

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