Tamara Ecclestone accused of animal cruelty as daughter enjoys ‘barbaric’ pony ride
This isn't the first time her parenting skills have been questioned
SOCIALITE Tamara Ecclestone has been accused of animal cruelty after sharing a photo of her daughter riding a pony.
Instagram followers have slammed the mum-of-one allowing Sophia to ride a "skinny, under-fed" pony as "barbaric".
On holiday in Los Angeles, Tamara has been enjoying family activities with her two-year-old daughter Sophia.
In one photo the little girl is sitting on a pony that's chained to a metal bar, walking round in a small circle.
Instagram users appeared unhappy with the "barbaric"; practice.
One wrote: "This is animal torture! Those are real horses, strapped in this machine every day all day....you are doing a great job having Sophia spending a lot of time with animals, but you must also teach her to respect animals, not to abuse them for her own entertainment."
Another commented: "Surely those horses being chained up & walking round & round in circles is cruel. Feel so sorry for them."
A third asked: "It's barbaric and not learning to ride, it's giving those ponies a miserable life for what?"
"Try looking at those animals as individuals, not as a thing for shallow entertainment of your child," read a fourth attack.
In another Instagram snap the toddler, whose dad is the reality star's husband Jay Rutland, is riding a different small pony.
Sharing the family fun with her followers, she captioned the photo: "Sunday mornings in LA."
However, other social media users didn't see the happy side of the family photo, instead commenting on the dishevelled state of the "poor pony."
One used a very direct hashtag, writing: "That poor pony that is so skinny, under fed, #animalcruelty."
Another agreed, writing: "I think that horse needs some water, food and a rest. Surely you can see that Tamara."
"There is a huge difference between a healthy, happy pony and a way too thin, unhealthy pony. This is an awful shame that you keep supporting the skinny and sick, abusive pony owners," a third wrote.
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The accusations of cruelty to animals continued, with one user advising: "Think this rich lady should save that sad pony!!!"
"Like you Tamara but that poor animal looks abused and Sophia should be wearing a riding helmet," another wrote.
These latest accusations come less than two weeks after the Formula 1 heiress was previously slammed for allowing her daughter to ride a horse without a helmet.
Whilst on holiday in California she had taken Sophia for another horse ride at the Beverley Hills Farmer's Market.
Sharing a snap of the little one on a small pony, she captioned it: "Go Hershey go!"
Whilst Tamara evidently saw the fun side of the mother-daughter day out, her followers were quick to dampen the mood as they called her out for her lack of safe headgear.
One user wrote: "Why would you let your daughter on a pony without a hat and strapped in?!! Please safety first, ponies have minds of there own they are unpredictable animals!"
"Please put a hat on her next time Tamara, simply not worth the risk despite the fact pony is small and pace slow," another advised.
A fellow horse-lover added: "Surely she should wearing a riding hat? I've ridden for over 20 years and wouldn't consider risking it no matter how short the ride."
These horse riding-related incidents are not the only issues fans seem to have with Tamara's parenting skills.
Earlier this month photos of Sophia on holiday in the Bahamas got people riled as they accused her of allowing her daughter to get sunburnt.
The socialite hit back at the online "busy bodies" who commented that Sophia should have been wearing SPF.
She wrote: "For all you busy bodies commenting on Sophia's tan she is not burnt in the slightest has been wearing factor 70 and kept out of the mid day sun.
"She is a lucky girl that tans quickly none the less I am fully aware of the dangers of the sun and she has never burnt."