This is the distressing sight of a herd of New Forest ponies gorging on rubbish left out in the street.
There are fears the famous animals that roam the Hampshire National Park could be ingesting dangerous plastics and poisonous foods on a regular basis.
The local council does not operate a wheelie bin system and so homeowners have to leave out bin bags for collection.
But the flimsy black sacks attract the wild ponies who devour the contents.
The troubling photographs, taken in the picturesque village of Bransgore, show the creatures feasting on the contents of the black bags.
In one image, a pony is seen nose-deep in a pile of rubbish, with a number of Carlsberg beer cans strewn across the ground.
In another four of the animals are depicted munching on nine bin bags left against a garden fence.
Villagers have accused New Forest District Council of putting the ponies at risk by not issuing wheelie bins.
Local resident Kate White: "It’s really sad that this carries on week after week.
"I regularly come across ponies and donkeys eating rubbish at the side of the road.
"I have notified the council about it three times already and they say they will pass it on to the refuse team.
"But it’s disappointing because the council doesn’t do anything about it.
"I don’t know why residents don’t have wheelie bins."
Ponies have roamed the New Forest for thousands of years, pre-dating the last ice age.
Today they are owned by commoners – landowners who have ancient rights to allow animals to graze on the forest – and have free rein around the woodland.
The current population stands at about 5,000 and continue to be a major attraction to tourists.
New Forest District Council said that keeping rubbish away from the ponies was the responsibility of homeowners, not them.
On its website, the council states: "Your rubbish is your responsibility before it has been collected; if animals do split the bags then you are responsible for clearing it up."
A council spokesperson added: "We are aware that this is sometimes an issue in this area.
"We are clearing the rubbish and will be reminding residents to keep their sacks inside their gates, as they live where there are free-roaming animals, and not to put rubbish out before 6pm the evening before collection."
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