A police horse was tagged with graffiti while an officer issued a citation in Venice Beach.

According to a witness man in a grey hooded sweatshirt and a backpack approached the animal, who is named Charlie, while his rider was distracted Thursday, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said.

The tag "RBS" was scrawled on the equine's hind leg before the vandal ran off.

Officers were able to wash the writing off and the horse was not hurt, police said.