This is the moment a Romanian reveller tries to give a piggyback ride to a horse during a boozy living room party with a group of pals.

The unusual scene was filmed during a party in the Romanian county of Calarasi and resulted in the police dishing out eight fines to those present.

The police said in a statement: “Regarding the images that appeared in the media where a horse is seen in a room with a group of people drinking alcohol and listening to party music, we inform you of the following: Officers from the Calarasi County Police Inspectorate have reported that they have carried out checks regarding the violation of animal protection rules and the observance of health measures imposed during the state of alert.”

The police said they had identified the revellers at the party and that eight men, aged between 25 and 46 from the commune of Nana in Calarasi County, were fined a total amount of RON 21,500 (GBP 3,667) for breaking Law 55/2020.

The police added: “The animal that appeared in the video was not subjected to any aggression or other ill treatment by those present.

“Following the act of one man trying to lift the horse on his shoulders, we would like to point out that both the horse and the man did not suffer any injury, and this act did not violate any animal protection laws.”