Drunk Man Parks Horse in German Bank

Auf einem am Dienstag, 24. April 2007, von der Polizei verbreiteten Foto steht ein Pferd am Montag, 23. April 2007 neben einem schlafenden Mann im Foyer einer Bankfiliale im brandenburgischen Wiesenburg. Der offensichtlich betrunkene Mann hatte sich mit dem Pferd zum Ausruhen in das Foyer begeben, Passanten informierten die Polizei. Die Beamten konnten Tier und Mensch zum Verlassen der Bank bewegen. (AP Photo/Polizei) --- A photo released by police on Tuesday, April 24, 2007 shows a horse standing next to a sleeping man in the foyer of a bank in the east German village of Wiesenburg on Monday, April 23, 2007. The obviously drunken man tried to rest with his horse in the bank's entrance, when passers-by called the police who could convince the man and horse to leave the bank. (AP Photo/Police Handout) (AP)

BERLIN -- An early-morning German bank customer had a bit of a shock when he found a horse already in line at the automatic teller machine in front of him. It seems the horse's owner, identified only as Wolfgang H., had a bit too much to drink the night before and decided to sleep it off inside the bank's heated foyer, police said Tuesday.

The 40-year-old machinist told Bild newspaper he had had "a few beers" with a friend in Wiesenburg, southwest of Berlin, and decided to hit the hay in the bank on his way home.

"It was late, it was already dark and cold," he was quoted as saying.

Confronted with the lack of a hitching-post, he brought the 6-year-old horse, named Sammy, in along with him.

When a customer came across the horse and sleeping rider in the bank at 4:15 a.m. Monday, he called police, who then came and woke the owner up and sent him on his way.

No charges were filed, but there might be some cleanup needed: Apparently Sammy made his own after-hours deposit on the carpet.