The unwelcome horse-guest! Animal lover causes outrage on small island by keeping pony in living room of semi-detached house

By VICTORIA ALLEN

Creature comforts: Three-year-old pony Grey Lady Too enjoys a cuppa after moving into Stephanie Noble's house, much to the annoyance of neighbours

It is an average, neat semi-detached house on a remote Scottish island, owned by a divorcee animal lover in her sixties.
But Stephanie Noble has horrified neighbours in Back, Lewis, after moving in her pet pony as a lodger.
The three-year-old dapple grey, named Grey Lady Too, has taken up residence in Miss Noble’s living room after a dispute over grazing left the filly without a field.

'Fruitcake': Miss Noble has provoked outrage by allowing her pet dapple grey to become a lodger at her semi-detached home on the Scottish island of Lewis

Her owner has put in a hay bed and turned her chairs into feeding troughs to accommodate the animal, which she now refuses to move.
Miss Noble is now the subject of numerous complaints and visits from her local council and the Scottish SPCA, but because it is her own home officials said last night there is nothing they can do.


Settling in: Grey Lady Too makes herself at home in her new hay bed in Miss Noble's living room

Under fire: Miss Noble is now the subject of numerous complaints and visits from her local council and the Scottish SPCA. But they say they can't do anything because it's her home

Not going anywhere: Miss Noble is adamant Grey Lady Too is happy and here to stay

Neighbours beside the semi-detached home in Broadbay View say they often see the horse staring out of the ground-floor living room as they pass.
Grey Lady Too – named after Miss Noble’s first pony, Grey Lady – has two chairs full of straw to feed from and a bucket of drinking water regularly refilled from the kitchen next door.
In the living room, close to a desk and chair is the pony’s bed of hay, on top of 60 litres of cat litter and four heavy-duty rugs for the filly’s droppings and urine.

Nosing around: Neighbours are furious with the situation and claim they always see the pony staring out of the ground-floor living room as they walk by

The ensuing argument with the property owner saw her reported to the procurator fiscal for an alleged breach of the peace and vandalism.
After that, she took the pony into her house.
The owner said: ‘I will sell myself before I sell that pony. I don’t think any horse or pony should be out in this climate in winter. All I’m doing is fighting for my rights against people, who because it’s unconventional, think it’s wrong.

No home: Miss Noble says she was forced to take her pony in because of a dispute over grazing left the filly without a field

Miss Noble, a qualified British Horse Society instructor who lived in America until 1994, hopes to eventually use the filly for breeding. Her neighbours, however, are less than happy with the bizarre set-up.
One said: ‘Who in their right mind would ever want their next-door neighbour to be a horse? The problem is not unsympathetic neighbours. She has been a pain in the neck from the minute she got here.’

Home sweet home: The pony's bed of hay has been placed on top of 60 litres of cat litter and four heavy-duty rugs for the filly's droppings and urine

The Scottish SPCA has offered to take the pony in but been refused. Inspector Andy Brown said yesterday: ‘We are concerned about the welfare of the pony. But it does appear to be in good condition and well cared for.
‘We are hoping to discuss the matter with Ms Noble. It is an unusual case.’

source: dailymail

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Police hunt horse killer who tortured animal in 'cowardly and barbaric' attack

By CHARLES WALFORD

Eric was found dead in a field after having been mutilated by sick thugs

A horse died after being horrifically mutilated in a ‘cowardly and barbaric’ attack.
The tortured animal suffered severe injuries to its head and body in the sickening incident. Police believe the two and a half year old stallion was sedated before the brutal attack in which it had an eye cut out and its teeth removed.
The horse, called Eric,also had its genitalia removed.

Dawn Jewell with her beloved horse before he was killed

Forensic searches are being carried out in the field, where a mare and a foal were left untouched. The horse was attacked between 4pm on Sunday and noon on Monday in the field near Stithians in west Cornwall. Vivian Allaway, the mother of the horse’s owner Dawn Jewell, said the attack had devastated her daughter, who is in her 40s. Speaking from the family’s home in nearby Herniss, she said: ‘To lose him like this is total devastation for her. ‘This horse was the love of her life - he was her absolute favourite. The poor girl is absolutely beside herself.’

Officers search for clues on Dawn Jewell's land after her prized stallion was killed

Mrs Allaway went to the field with her daughter and was shocked by the brutality of the attack. She said: 'It was the worst thing I have ever seen - and I don’t wish to see anything like it again.' Police are investigating the attack along with the RSPCA. One line of inquiry will be to see if someone has a grudge against the horse or his owner. RSPCA spokesman Jo Barr said yesterday: 'This is a shocking incident and I cannot imagine what would cause someone to carry out such a cowardly and barbaric act.

'I would urge anyone with information to contact either the police or the RSPCA.'
She said an RSPCA officer and a vet would be examining the body to try and establish the cause of death and to discover whether the mutilation was carried out before or after the horse died.
Meanwhile, police are urging all horse owners to be vigilant in Cornwall.
Vanessa Gilbert from the Devon and Cornwall Horse and Pony Association said there had been a recent knife attack on a horse in Wales but she was unaware of anything similar in the West Country

source: dailymail

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Glamorous Leona Lewis, Pixie Lott and Keisha Buchanan get all dolled up... to visit the stables

By LUCY BUCKLAND

Horsing around: Leona Lewis, a well known animal lover, looked stunning on a visit to Hopefield Animal Sanctuary

The stables aren't a place you would usually expect to spot a set of glamorous chart toppers.
And although Leona Lewis, Pixie Lott and former Sugababe Keisha Buchanan might not have mucked out at Hopefield Animal Sanctuary the trio helped raise valuable funds to keep the Brentwood facility open.
Bleeding Love singer Leona, 24, is an patron for the organisation and roped in some of her famous friends to help raise funds at this weekend's Christmas Fayre.
Leona roped in her friends to the event on Sunday to help raise funds for the centre which faces an uncertain future after owner Ernie Clark died from liver cancer last year aged 84.

Strike a pose: Pixie Lott (left) and Leona Lewis smile next to one of the looked after animals at Hopefield Animal Sanctuary

Leona roped in her friends to the event on Sunday to help raise funds for the centre which faces an uncertain future after owner Ernie Clark died from liver cancer last year aged 84.
A well known animal lover Leona, 26, has made several trips to the sanctuary over the past few months, most recently for a sponsored walk which raised over £14,000.
The singer even took her mission global after hosting a star-studded fundraiser in Beverley Hills.
Leona performed on the night, including a duet with Glee pal, Matthew Morrison and Natasha Bedingfield also performed.

Christmas belle: Leona Lewis looked festive on her visit with a Christmas beret

I like this one! Keisha Buchanan strokes a white horse at the Brentwood sanctuary

Leona also surprised two of the Hopefield managers by flying them over from Essex to be a part of the evening and see the work that she is doing out there whilst recording in LA.
On the charity's website Leona writes: 'Since the first day I visited Hopefield Animal Sanctuary I knew it would become a big part of my life.
'The work they are doing to save these abused and neglected animals is essential, they would simply have nowhere else to go if this sanctuary wasn’t here. At Hopefield these animals get to live out their lives peacefully and free from abuse.

Say sugar cube: Pixie Lott sports a smile as she poses next to a gorgeous white horse

'My mission at Hopefield is to make sure these animals can continue to live here, that they can live comfortably and safely, that we can build Hopefield into a sanctuary that will educate people on animal welfare and continue to save more animals in need.
'The immediate mission is to raise £100,000 by christmas! A big ask but one we can achieve by each just doing whatever we can for these animals that deserve some love.
Hopefield, which cares for 200 animals, needs to raise £1million to secure its future by buying the land it is currently based on.
Hopefield cares for a horses, donkeys, goats,sheep, pigs, chickens, geese, ducks, cats and and even chinchilla's.

source: dailymail

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Mighty stallion that flies without wings: Famous riding school returns to London

By JAMES TOZER



A white lipizzaner Stallion performs during the Spanish Riding School of Vienna Gala Performance at Wembley Arena



Like Pegasus without the wings, the magnificent horse flies effortlessly through the air.

Indeed, it seems as if the long reins held by its handlers are all that is stopping it soaring out of the arena.

This is one of the celebrated white Lipizzaner stallions being put through its paces in a move known as the capriole.



The highly trained riders and horses of the 430 year old 'High School for classical horsemanship' are based in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna



Literally meaning ‘goat’s leap’, it requires the stallion to jump into the air and kick out with its hind legs before landing.

Two horsemen control it with long lines while gently guiding its movements with a ‘lunge whip’.

Another stallion, pictured right rearing with its hind hooves off the ground, shows the extraordinary control of rider over animal.



Visiting London for the first time in five years, the Spanish Riding School of Vienna is once more thrilling crowds with its astonishing combination of grace and athleticism.

The institution has been a favourite of royalty since it was set up more than 460 years ago. Our own Queen is a lifelong fan – and among the few women to have been allowed to ride one of the thoroughbreds.

She was only a year into her reign when she was allowed to take the reins of a horse called Pluto Theodorasta during a visit by the riding school to London.



source: dailymail

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Well spotted! DNA evidence proves ancient artists were painting REAL 'leopard' horses... not just daubing abstract art

By TAMARA COHEN



Well spotted: Cave paintings, such as the 25,000-year-old Dappled Horses of Pech-Merle, show horses with a spotted or 'leopard' coat. DNA evidence shows this is an accurate depiction of the animal's coat



The paintings had been put down to a caveman’s vivid imagination.

But scientists now say that horses with dalmatian-like coats depicted in a 25,000-year-old etching probably did roam Western Europe in ancient times.

DNA analysis of bones and teeth from the Stone Age has uncovered a genetic mutation which would have caused the distinctive pattern of black spots on a white coat.



Stampede: Breathtaking art on the walls of the Hillaire Chamber of the Chauvet Cave in France. Black and bay horses are commonly depicted in cave art that dates back 25,000 years



Researchers from the University of York and international colleagues tested DNA from 31 wild horse fossils found in 15 locations across Europe, from France to Siberia.

Six shared a gene associated with this ‘leopard-like’ spotting.

Of the ten fossils found in Western Europe, from sites in south western France and the Cantabrian coast of Spain, four had the ‘leopard’ gene, suggesting these horses could have been quite common at the time.

The other two matches were found at a site in modern Ukraine, but may have been brought there by traders. Horses – mostly brown or black – were often painted by cavemen.

But one of the most impressive surviving cave drawings, called the Dappled Horses of Pech-Merle and painted 25,000 years ago in south-west France, shows spotted horses.



Panel Of The Chinese Horses: This painting, on the wall of the famous Lascaux Cave in south-western France, shows a more traditional colouring, which led to theories of the more elaborate paintings being symbolic



Found in the 1920s, it triggered a debate as to whether the animals existed, or were an elaborate artistic creation.

There are breeds of dalmatian-like horses today, but they had previously been thought to be a modern phenomenon.

Professor Terry O’Connor, from the archaeology department at York University, told the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: ‘People drew what they saw, and their representations have potential to provide first-hand insights into the physical environment that humans encountered.’

It was unlikely the horses evolved for camouflage as this part of Europe was covered in tundra.

‘They became established for reasons related to the environment which we do not understand yet,’ said Professor O’Connor.



In the flesh: Dalmatian horses are now much more common



source: dailymail

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Wild horses! Angry stallions kick off in mountain-side battle for supremacy

By EMILY ALLEN

Battle for supremacy: The group of stallions gathered in the meadow to hold their battle and mark their territory

These horses took a battering as they kicked each other in the chest and neck in a showdown fight for supremacy over their meadow.

A group of nine stallions gathered on the mountain-side meadow to hold their annual battle and mark their territory.

Photographer Magnus Hoog captured the remarkable final round between a grey North Swede, thought to be eight-years-old, and a brown Arab, aged ten.


Battle: Photographer Magnus Hoog captured the fierce conflicts on camera, including a violent fight between a grey North Swede, and a brown Arab

The winning grey horse secured the best part of the common for himself and a herd of three. The defeated nag was forced to walk away with two others.

All the privately-owned horses, fitted with rubber shoes to limit injuries, remained on the common to eat grass throughout the summer.

They will return to a shelter in the Swedish province of Dalarna over winter.


Victory: The winning grey horse secured the best part of the common for himself and a herd of three. The loser walked away with two other weaklings

Magnus, who lives nearby, said: 'The horses start arriving in the meadow from nine o'clock in intervals of roughly 30 to 60 minutes.

'Each newcomer is greeted with hostility by those already on the meadow and this results in fights.

'The aim of the fight is to establish ranks among them.

'The stallions are wearing rubber horse shoes rather than regular metal ones because the owners do not want their horses to get hurt.

source: dailymail

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Police probe 'illegal hunt' after hounds chase fox along railway line... minutes before packed passenger train speeds past

By Oliver Pickup

The fox is shown sprinting along the railway tracks, having been filmed by anti-hunt protesters

A video of a fox being chased along a main rail route to London, while being hunted by a pack of hounds, is being investigated by police.

The footage, filmed by anti-hunt protesters next to the busy Exeter to Waterloo railway line through Clapton, Somerset, shows the fox sprinting out on to the tracks with up to a dozen dogs in hot pursuit.

The hounds are called back by huntsmen just before a train - packed with passengers - speeds down the line.

Police launched a probe into the actions of the Seavington Hunt after claims of illegal hunting and rail chiefs warned the hounds could have created carnage.


Lost the scent? Hounds are shown on the track - witnesses say that there were up to a dozen on the rails, minutes before a train zooms past


The train drivers' union, Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef), described footage of the incident as 'shocking'.

A spokesman for Aslef said: 'I estimate around a dozen dogs were on the line at one point, which is a considerable threat to a train. Anything that affects the safety of the railway line is serious.

'To us it does not matter if it is an individual or a hunt, both are equally serious and we would hope both the hunt and the British Transport Police would take the same view.'


Called back: A huntsman is shown shouting at the hounds to clear them from the track


Witnesses to the incident, at around 7.20am on Sunday, described seeing up to 20 hounds spilling on to the tracks in Clapton, near Crewkerne, in Somerset.

Footage of the incident was captured by anti-hunt protesters, who later handed it to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

One eye-witness, who did not want to be named, said: 'The hunt put their hounds in to a small copse adjoining the railway line and I filmed a fox run past me up the middle of the railway track.

'I was very concerned the hunt were coming so close to the railway as it is the main London Waterloo to Exeter line.

'The huntsman was encouraging the hounds to hunt in the copse and about a minute later, the hounds emerged onto the track exactly where the fox had emerged.

'Up to 20 hounds were on the line for a period of about two minutes despite the efforts of the hunt to retrieve them.

'The Exeter to London train passed through less than ten minutes after.'

The alleged hunt took place close to Clapton, near Crewkerne, in Somerset, on Sunday


The Countryside Alliance, speaking on behalf of the Seavington Hunt, said an investigation would take place into the incident.

Hunting foxes with dogs has been illegal since 2005 but they can chase a scent and flush out foxes who are then shot.

Alison Hawes, a spokesman for the Countryside Alliance, said: 'They (the hounds) were on there for less than two minutes and the hunt acted very professionally in calling them off the line as quickly as possible.'

Avon and Somerset Police confirmed its hunt liaison officer was investigating whether any illegal hunting had occurred.

British Transport Police said no trespass offence had been committed as no people had gone on to the line.


source:dailymail

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Meet the yoga teacher who loves having a good stretch... with her HORSE

By Mary Isokariari

The 'Bow': Linda Guanti enjoys a yoga session with Lewis, a 17-year-old Egyptian Arabian horse

A veteran horse is still competing in old age after beating stiffness in his joints - by doing YOGA.

Super-fit Lewis, a 17-year-old Egyptian Arabian, mastered a string of yoga moves after copying his owner Linda Guanti, 35.

Linda was mucking out when she began practising her own stretches to help her bad back - and was stunned to see Lewis mimicking her.


She spent several hours a day showing Lewis how to adopt the complex poses and he can now hold positions such as the 'bow' and the 'neck side stretch'.

Lewis has even mastered an awkward pose where he kneels forward to push his nose into the ground and stretch his back while Linda stands beside him and reaches to the sky.

Their joint yoga sessions have cured Linda's lifelong back pain and eased Lewis' stiff joints so much that he can carry on competing.

X-ray technologist Linda, from British Columbia, Canada, said: 'Lewis is a great horse. I've had him since he was five-and-a-half and he loves to try anything that's fun.

'I was amazed when he began to do yoga. He really adores the stretches and it's great that we can both combine our hobby and spend time together.

'Neck Side Stretch' position: Lewis has beaten stiffness in his joints becoming a real poser after learning how to do yoga stretches


'Doing yoga with your horse is a wonderful way to make a connection with them.'

'Lewis has learned how to remain calm in vulnerable positions that would frighten most horses.'

'Plus, he's a fairly athletic horse who jumps and does dressage so there stretches help to keep him fit.' Linda turned to yoga after she fractured three vertebrae in her back falling from a horse when she was 14.

The injury was never fixed and gave her chronic health problems throughout her adult life that meant she was unable to ride properly.

Back improvement: Practising her own stretches with Lewis has helped Linda's back


Several years ago she then suffered three prolapsed discs.

But when Linda discovered yoga in 2007 she noticed a dramatic improvement in her health.

She began doing her stretches while she groomed Lewis in a bid to save time and be around her pet more often.

But to her amazement Lewis soon joined in. In one manoeuvre, Lewis kneels forward and pushes his head into the ground in a stretch that would cause most horses to spook.

The pose, named the 'Bow', stretches Lewis' shoulder forward while his other front leg is tucked behind to stretch the shoulder. The neck, back, and hind legs are also stretched.

Another pose involves Linda standing at the horse's rear and arching her back in a 'Neck Side Stretch' pose. The horse cranes his neck round to the side which helps with flexibility, range of motion and suppleness throughout the neck and also the back.


The yoga expert: Lewis has mastered a string of yoga moves after copying his owner Linda Guanti, 35


Lewis would normally have become stiff as he grew older but the stretches have kept his joints supple and he's able to continue competing in dressage, show jumping and cross county competitions.

Linda said that doing yoga with Lewis has helped to heal her bad back - and even helped with his stamina.

She has become a part-time yoga instructor and now runs classes that people can bring their horses too.

She added: 'There is nothing I can do about my weakened discs and damaged bones but the benefits of doing yoga with Lewis were unmistakable.'

'Yoga with him has helped with the initial healing process and was keeping my body in the healthiest state is could be. All the past limitations and pain from my injury were lessening.'

'I was overjoyed. My riding skills improved, my body awareness and balance improved. My outlook on life improved.'

'Yoga is also just as beneficial for horses as for humans. Horses have the same issues as we do. Stretching and body awareness reduces injury and enhances performance and pleasure in activity.'


source:dailymail

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Swimming with the seahorses: Stunning underwater photos show animals stretching their legs

By OLIVER PICKUP

Water baby: The incredible images show the sunlight shrouding the horses who are snapped while swimming

It didn't take long for these horses to get into the swim of things - after being taken into the sea for a spot of exercise.

The powerful 1,000lb racehorses quickly found their sea legs before taking a dip with their trainers in preparation for their next race.

The stunning images were captured off the coast of Malta by photographer Kurt Arrigo, who couldn't believe his eyes when he first spotted the unusual sight.

The racehorses are taken into the water for half-hour heavy paddling sessions, as the exercise helps build up and tone the animals' leg muscles.

The herd swims majestically in tandem with the trainers before earning a well-deserved rest.


Swimming practice: The trainers will stay with their horses, who find the training in the water very hard going

Mr Arrigo said: 'I'd seen them take these particular horses swimming before and it was such an extraordinary unusual sight I asked the owner if I could come back and take some photos.

'I said I wanted to shoot underwater which they didn't think it would be a problem - although at first the bubbles from the scuba gear frightened the horses a bit.

'When they settled down they just swam above me allowing me to work at different angles using the seascape, fish and different light to get the best shots.

'It was one of the most thrilling shoots I have ever done watching them gracefully move through the water.'


Hard work: The horses can only manage to swim for about half an hour


Mr Arrigo, from Malta, has travelled across the globe shooting underwater wildlife from schools of hammerhead sharks off the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean to documenting underwater activity on the Great Barrier Reef.

But he said at times photographing the horses swimming was even more dangerous.
He added: 'I had to calculate my depth and make sure they I wouldn't get hit by one of the hooves.

'It's quite amazing as you can really hear the horse work out - apparently it's quite hard work for them so they only do this for around half an hour.

'I've not seen anything like it before, and not all horses can swim as some just don't get it.'

source: dailymail

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Swimming with the seahorses: Stunning underwater photos show animals stretching their legs

By OLIVER PICKUP

Water baby: The incredible images show the sunlight shrouding the horses who are snapped while swimming

It didn't take long for these horses to get into the swim of things - after being taken into the sea for a spot of exercise.

The powerful 1,000lb racehorses quickly found their sea legs before taking a dip with their trainers in preparation for their next race.

The stunning images were captured off the coast of Malta by photographer Kurt Arrigo, who couldn't believe his eyes when he first spotted the unusual sight.

The racehorses are taken into the water for half-hour heavy paddling sessions, as the exercise helps build up and tone the animals' leg muscles.

The herd swims majestically in tandem with the trainers before earning a well-deserved rest.


Swimming practice: The trainers will stay with their horses, who find the training in the water very hard going

Mr Arrigo said: 'I'd seen them take these particular horses swimming before and it was such an extraordinary unusual sight I asked the owner if I could come back and take some photos.

'I said I wanted to shoot underwater which they didn't think it would be a problem - although at first the bubbles from the scuba gear frightened the horses a bit.

'When they settled down they just swam above me allowing me to work at different angles using the seascape, fish and different light to get the best shots.

'It was one of the most thrilling shoots I have ever done watching them gracefully move through the water.'


Hard work: The horses can only manage to swim for about half an hour


Mr Arrigo, from Malta, has travelled across the globe shooting underwater wildlife from schools of hammerhead sharks off the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean to documenting underwater activity on the Great Barrier Reef.

But he said at times photographing the horses swimming was even more dangerous.
He added: 'I had to calculate my depth and make sure they I wouldn't get hit by one of the hooves.

'It's quite amazing as you can really hear the horse work out - apparently it's quite hard work for them so they only do this for around half an hour.

'I've not seen anything like it before, and not all horses can swim as some just don't get it.'

source: dailymail

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Trip to the Zhou: Remains of horses and chariots unearthed from tomb dating back to 3,000-year-old Chinese dynasty

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Watering the horses: A staff member sprays water to maintain the humidity of an ancient horse and chariot pit unearthed in Luoyang, China. The main pit has a five chariots and 12 horses buring almost 3,000 years ago

It could have been as early as 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ that these horses were moved on to greener pastures - and no-one has laid eyes on them until now.

Archaeologists have painstakingly uncovered the almost-3,000-year-old remains of horses and wooden chariot in a Zhou Dynasty tomb in Luoyang, Henan Province, China.

The completed excavation unearthed four horse-and-chariot pits, dating back to as far as 770BC.


Exciting find: Archaeologists say this is the most complete find of any tomb of its era. The wooden chariots have completely rotted away, with only the ash residue remaining


The pits have well-preserved evidence of bronzeware and ceramics from the Early Western Zhou dynasty.

Though a far smaller tomb than the famous 'terracotta army' found in 1974 in the Lintong District, this find has been undisturbed while buried - not suffering the ravages of grave robbers.

Archaeologists believe that the tomb belongs to an official of some renown during the dynasty - pottery, metal weaponwry and inscriptions are consisted with a man of mid-level importance.


Funeral procession: The main pit contains five chariots and 12 horses. Archaeologists say that the animals were not entombed alive


Apart from the artifacts themselves, the tomb is an exciting discovery for historians, as it provides unquestionable insights into the funeral customs in the early Western Zhou dynasty.

The unearthed tomb is a vertical earthen pit tomb, which is very common in that period.

Because of the ancient nature of the site, the traditionally wooden coffin and body within have long-since carbonised.

But the most valuable discovery by far is the complete set of chariots and horses of all different shapes and sizes.


Protected from theft: While other tombs in the region have been stripped of their contents, the Luoyang tomb includes pottery, copper weaponry, jade and other objects


Animal lovers can at least breathe a small sigh of relief - archaeologists say the side-lying nature of the horse remains show that the animals were slaughtered before burial, and not entombed alive.

At the time of this official''s death, large-scale irrigation projects were being instituted across China, and the nation's writing system was being further developed.

It was also the time of the great Chinese philosophers of antiquity, including Confucius, Mencius, and Zhuangzi.

Many nearby tombs have fragments of the Luoyang find, but most have been emptied of their funeral relics by thieves.


Historical riches: Apart from the physical objects uncovered in the tomb, historians now have a richer understanding of funeral rites and customs of the Zhou dynasty

source: dailymail

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Miraculous recovery of starving horse down to just a third of her normal weight found 'rotting' in a field

By CHRIS PARSONS

Back to good health: Dolly the horse has doubled her weight thanks to the help of animal charity Happy Endings and emergency treatment from vets

A starving horse found rotting to death in a tiny enclosure with no food or water has astounded vets by making a miracle recovery.

Dolly the two-year-old cob was cruelly abandoned on waste ground in south east London and had shrunk to a third of her normal weight when she was discovered four months ago.

The famished horse had developed sores all over her body after being so weak she had to lie in her own filth, and was thought to be just hours from death.


Close to death: Four months ago Dolly was close to starving after being found with sores all over her body and having wasted away to a third of her normal weight


It is thought she had been dumped after giving birth to a foal, with her owner taking her baby and leaving the emaciated mare to starve.

Fortunately she was rescued in the nick of time after being spotted by a member of the public, who contacted animal charity Happy Endings in time for the poor animal to be rushed to a leading equine hospital.

Chris Johns, co-founder of Happy Endings, said: 'I have never seen a horse so close to death as Dolly, if we had got there a couple of hours later I don't think she would be alive now.

source: dailymail

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It must be a seahorse: Spooked animal throws off rider and swims half a mile out into the Channel

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Out at sea: The horse, named Shallimah, swam half a mile out to see in the English Channel from Sandwich, Kent

A horse had to be rescued by lifeboat crews after swimming more than half-a-mile out at sea.

The spooked animal threw off his female rider while going for a walk along the beach at Sandwich, in Kent.

It then ran into the sea and was chased by his owner who eventually had to give up because he kept swimming further out into the English Channel.


Rescued: Shallimah was taken back to shore by lifeboat crews after he got spooked and started swimming away

But after going for its almighty swim, the horse named Shallimah was rescued by Walmer Inshore Lifeboat volunteers.

Walmer lifeboat helmsman Andrew Howland said: ‘This was one of the most unusual and most satisfying rescues I've carried out whilst a lifeboat crew member.

Shallimah's owner had called 999 and reported she and her horse had got into trouble and needed help from the RLNI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution)

source: dailymail

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Newly-wed Zara breaks down in tears as she retires beloved horse who helped her to world championship crown

By LOUISE ECCLES

Sorrow: Zara's last parade with Toytown

She bit her bottom lip and fought back the tears as she attempted to maintain a certain amount of royal decorum.

But attempts at a stiff upper lip failed miserably when newlywed Zara Philips broke down and cried as she officially retired her beloved horse Toytown.

It was with Toytown, fondly known as ‘Noddy’ or ‘Ginger’, that she was crowned world eventing champion five years ago.


Triumph: World champions in 2006


Yesterday, the Queen’s granddaughter paraded the horse for the last time, at the final day of this year’s Festival of British Eventing, at Gatcombe Park, in Stroud.

Miss Philips, who married England rugby player Mike Tindall just over a week ago, described Toytown as ‘the complete horse’.


Winning team: Zara Philips cried as she paraded Toytown at the Festival of British Eventing. The pair were crowned world eventing champions in 2006


Firm favourite: Zara has 15 horses including but she described Toytown as ‘the complete horse’


She said: ‘I think it will be quite difficult. It’s the end of an era.

‘He was the horse of a lifetime for me. We grew up together, we went through the levels together, and it all just seemed to go our way.’

‘His movement, his character, it all combined to make the complete horse. And cross-country, he was just a machine.’

She added: ‘I don’t think I am ever going to find another horse quite like him, but hopefully others that will be good enough to go to the same level as he did.’


End of an era: Zara said Toytown was ‘the horse of a lifetime’ but he is now retiring after suffering several injuries


The pair won individual and team gold at the 2005 European Championships, before conquering the world title a year later in Germany.

The horse’s final appearance for Great Britain came in the 2007 Europeans in Italy, where he finished sixth individually and helped secure another team gold.

But at the age of 18, and after suffering several injuries, the chestnut gelding has finally retired from the ring.


Affectionate: Onlookers saw Zara Philips and her husband, Mike Tindall kissing and cuddling at the event

source: dailymail

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