The division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice N M Jamdar asked the petitioner NGO, Animals and Birds Charitable Trust, and the Animal Welfare Board to identify unfit horses, and inform the executive health officer of BMC.
"The health officer shall call upon the horse owner (once the NGO and Board identify the horse to be sick). The horse shall be examined by a doctor from the committee appointed by BMC. Until the horse is not certified fit, the horse owner should be prohibited from riding it," the judges said.
The bench was hearing a public interest litigation filed by the NGO, which alleges that animal protection rules are flouted in the city. It wants a ban on horse-carriage and joyrides in Mumbai.
As per a recent report of BMC, 196 out of the 371 horses examined were found to be needing treatment.
The court has directed the health officer to submit action-taken-report after three weeks.