Online rumours that a horse died as a result of the recent Groundswell protests in Whakatāne appear to be wide of the mark, as confirmed by the police and an event organiser.

Numerous accounts on social media blamed the protest action in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, part of Groundswell's nationwide Mother of all Protests movement on November 21, for the death of a horse seen near the entrance to the town.

Several members of the public have suggested they saw the horse at the State Highway 30 and Hinemoa Street roundabout, just after the bridge at the entrance to town.

However, Groundswell Whakatāne co-coordinator Shelly Milne says the horse passed away before the protest even began.

'It was nobody's fault,” says Shelly, who knows the owner of the horse personally.

'It was just one of those very unforeseen things that just happened to happen in a very public place.”

Shelly says the horse, which she describes as 'slightly older” but in good physical condition, was resting under the shade of a tree at the roundabout when it suddenly collapsed at about 1pm. It's believed the horse died of a heart attack.

She says a tractor, due to be part of the protest, and trailer were soon on the scene and the horse was taken back to the family's farm to be buried before 2pm.

The horse appeared fine just seconds prior to collapsing and Shelly says it was just 'an unfortunate act of mother nature in a very unfortunate time and place”.

Police confirm this version of events.

'Police received reports from passing motorists at around 1.50pm Sunday regarding what appeared to be a dead horse on the roundabout at the intersection of SH30 and Hinemoa Street,” says a police spokesperson.

'Police attended and confirmed the rider was not involved with the protest. They had been out for a ride on their horse when the horse suddenly collapsed and died.”

Whakatāne District Council was notified of the death of a horse in a residential area on Sunday, 21 November.

"Council's security contractors were advised of the situation from a traffic management perspective but were not required," says Council's manager of community regulation Verna Kinney.

"Any animal welfare concerns should be referred to the SPCA."

Whilst Shelly and two other protestors rode horses at the event she says all were taken care of and looked after.

She says the horse's death and the timing of the protest was just a coincidence and the owner is devastated at the backlash, which she calls a 'social media witch hunt”.

'He has owned the horse for many years, it was his baby basically,” says Shelly.

'He is the most loving guy, such a sweetheart and he is just devastated. 'He would never put his animal in any situation that could hurt it.

'The owners are mortified and they are so upset with the public backlash that they have got. It is just nasty.”

Police say the horse died at the roundabout heading into town at Landing Road. Image. Google Maps.

The Groundswell protest began with the Howl of a Protest back in July. In recent weeks it has found itself linked to other protest movements across New Zealand, including those with anti-mandate and anti-lockdown sentiment. However, Shelly says the initial core message behind the Groundswell protests was on show in Whakatāne and, other than the tragic start to the event, the protest went without a hitch.

'The police were fantastic as were the transport agencies, who I have had a lot of contact with,” she says.

'Everyone was very peaceful and it did not cause too much chaos to the town centre traffic flow.”

'We have some passionate farmers in our area that are working their butts off and have had a gutsful of the restrictions that have been put on them by this current government.”