Auditioning for panto? No, they're sporting the very latest in equine fashion: Customers are chomping at the bit for horse onesies

By HANNAH ELLIS-PETERSEN

Runaway success: The must have for your horse, a onesie from Shwmae Products as modelled by Bee

It is the bizarre fashion trend championed by everyone from Cheryl Cole to Nick Clegg. Now it seems the onesie has become a must-have item in the equine world as well.
Customers in Britain and abroad have been chomping at the bit to buy the garments – which come in a range of colours and designs – since they went on sale just three weeks ago.
Although the equine onesies were originally created to prevent horses suffering fly irritations, allergies, and other forms of skin conditions, they are also being snapped up by owners eager to keep their animals’ coats clean before a show.

Designers: Jessica Clarke, right, and Annie Brown who make the onesies in their workshop

Jessica Clarke, 20, who created the designs with Annie Brown, 18, said: ‘We started off making hoods and rugs for my grandfather’s horses and from there we built up a business.
‘All the designs led up to making the onesie, and as far as we know, we’re the only ones in the world making these products. They have been selling all over the place and have made our little company, Shwmae Products, international in just a matter of weeks.

Snapped up: The onesies were originally created to prevent horses suffering fly irritations and allergies

‘They’re particularly popular in Australia and America. We used to do the odd shipment abroad, but now it’s every day. We have three horses of our own which we use to model them.’
Each onesie costs £169.99 and is custom-made by the pair, from Pontypool, South Wales, in their Hereford workshop.
Since it emerged in 2009, the human onesie has been eagerly adopted by celebrities including One Direction, TV presenters Holly Willoughby and Amanda Holden, and even film star Brad Pitt.
In January, Nick Clegg admitted he had been given ‘a big green onesie’ as a present – although the Deputy Prime Minister later insisted he has never worn it.

Equine chic: Rodo sporting a leopard print number in his stable

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All odd cons: World's wackiest hotel where you can spend the night in a Trojan horse, a troll's lair or even sleep with a mermaid

By DANIEL MILLER

Mythical: The 'Cheval de Troie' (Trojan Horse) suite at the magical La Balade Des Gnomes hotel in Belgium

A Belgium enthusiast has created one of the world's weirdest and most wonderful hotels where you can spend the night inside a Trojan horse or even sleep with a mermaid.
La Balade Des Gnomes, near the picturesque town of Durbuy, in Belgium, offers guests a unique experience where they can unwind in an imaginary world.
The fairytale resort is comprised of extraordinarily unique bedrooms from a spaceship in a lunar landscape to a troll's habitat complete with running stream and goldfish.

Accommodation: The interior of the Trojan Horse offers a unique mix of comfort and craziness

You can even share a room with a mermaid floating in a pool on a yacht.
The owner Dominique Noel took inspiration from the four corners of the world and created the innovative abode an unassuming farmhouse. Mr Noel, an architect, said: 'The hotel was created by people who have a strong interest in nature.
'It is built from completely natural materials and celebrates the simplicity of modern times.

Mod cons: It might be based on a Greek myth but you can still unwind in a wooden jacuzzi bath

The hotel's owner Dominique Noel says he took inspiration from the four corners of the world to create the magical resort

Cosy: Gnarled wood and rustic fittings create a magical experience

La Balade Des Gnomes, near the picturesque town of Durbuy, in Belgium, offers guests a unique experience where they can unwind in an imaginary world

'I wanted the hotel to be almost imaginary, with a youthful essence and work harmoniously with nature.'
La Balade Des Gnomes was built to compliment Mr Noel's restaurant, La Gargouille, which is conveniently placed next door.
Mr Noel charges between £50 - £125 a night for the rooms which he believes excite guests and offer them a unique staying experience.

Kipping on the moon: The 'Sur un quartier de Lune' suite offers guests the chance to sleep in outer space

Lap of luxury: The bedroom in the lunar suite

La Balade Des Gnomes was built to compliment the owner's restaurant, La Gargouille, which is conveniently situated directly next door

Fairytale: Another of the hotel's brilliant bathrooms

Charms: Mr Noel charges between £50 - £125 a night for the rooms which he believes excite his guests and offer them a unique experience

Inspiration: Architect and visionary hotelier Dominique Noel said he 'wanted the hotel to be almost imaginary, with a youthful essence and work harmoniously with nature'

An aerial view of one of the rooms at La Balade Des Gnomes

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The mane event: Thousands gather to watch barbaric tradition of horses forced to fight in rural China

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Fierce fight: One stallion jump to attack another in the traditional event in Rongshui County, China

With adrenaline pumping, manes whipping and a screaming crowd surrounding them, these two stallions are fighting tooth and hoof as they are pitted against each other in a traditional Chinese horse fight.
The event was arranged to celebrate the end of the autumn harvest in Rongshui County, in the province of Guangxi, and saw the locals gather to watch what animal rights campaigners have called ‘cruel’ and ‘barbaric’.
Horse fights are popular in rural China, as well as in many other parts of Asia, where the ‘sport’ goes back over 500 years.

All about the girl: In order to make the horses aggressive the farmers keep a mare in heat nearby, pitting the stallions against each other

Two stallions are led to a mare in heat, which is taken away when the stallions are aroused, leading them to fight each other.
If the stallions still refuse to fight then organisers use other methods to anger and frighten them such as whipping the creatures or firing guns in the air.

Crowdpleaser: The gathered watch intently as two young horses go head to head with many having picked a favourite ahead of the battle

Vivian Farrell, President of the International Fund For Horses, which has led campaigns to ban horse fighting, said: 'It's cruel and inhumane and I don't know why they do it.
'It is very hard to tackle. They say it's a tradition. Well, it used to be a tradition to sacrifice children, but we've moved on from that.

No sport: The event, held to celebrate the autumn harvest has been part of Chinese rural life for centuries, although human rights campaigners have branded it 'barbaric'

'Sadly it is mostly driven by the Chinese love of gambling, although people get fired up over the blood, gore and intensity of the fighting.'
A spokesperson for PETA added: 'Torturing these magnificent animals in the name of entertainment is deplorable. Tradition never justifies cruelty and has no place in a civilised society.'
Horse fighting has been outlawed almost worldwide, but it still thrives in countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea and China.

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Let's hope it doesn't get a Trojan virus: Artist creates horse sculpture made out of 18,000 computer keys

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Computer keys: German artist Babis Pangiotidis has created a giant rocking horse, pictured, using 18,000 recycled computer keys

A German artist has created a giant rocking horse, with 18,000 recycled computer keys, to condemn our obsession with the technological world.
The incredible sculpture, titled 'Hedonism(y) Trojaner,' is modelled on Trojan, the wooden horse from Greek mythology, which the Greeks used to sneak behind enemy lines into the city of Troy.
But the installation brings the ancient legend into the technical age, using the internet virus of the same name to critique more broadly the hedonistic nature of contemporary culture and the information age.

Tech age: Through the buttons, Pangiotidis criticises how the world wide web has infected all aspects of life

Through the buttons, which are arranged in a gradient of colours from ivory-white to yellow-nicotine, Babis Pangiotidis criticises how the world wide web has infected all aspects of life.
'The internet has earned not only the virus - the conceptual Trojan,' he said.
'The internet is a medium to get information, which is shared both voluntarily and involuntarily, but if you drive behind these actions, there are people googling the side effects of Viagra, an example of our own hedonism.'

Spectacular: The artwork, pictured, suggests our technology overload directs us away from genuine relationships and nature

From Facebook to online shopping to internet dating, the internet is an obsession, he says.
Like Trojan the virus, or malware, that masquerades as a legitimate file or helpful program with the purpose of granting a hacker unauthorized access to a computer, the web seems positive at first but directs us towards hedonism.
The artwork also suggests this technology overload directs us away from genuine relationships or interactions with the real world and nature

source: dailymail

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Foal savaged by Staffordshire bull terrier makes incredible recovery to win national pony prize

By KERRY MCDERMOTT

Then: Foal Bertie was left for dead after being savaged by a dog at a farm in Lancashire

A foal that was left for dead after being savaged by a Staffordshire bull terrier has won a prize in a national riding contest following a miraculous recovery.
Neglected Bertie was just eight months old when he was attacked by his owner's dog in the field he lived on with his emaciated mother, Kiwi.
The young horse sustained serious wounds and developed blood poisoning after being mauled by the vicious dog, but his callous owner simply left the chestnut warmblood cross to suffer rather than calling a vet.

Now: Bertie and rider Daisy Shufflebottom, 21, won a rosette in a national riding competition, following the plucky horse's 'miraculous' four year journey back to health

By the time Bertie was rescued by animal welfare investigators his injuries were so serious a vet was on the brink of putting him down - but changed his mind at the last minute to avoid upsetting a child that was on the site.
Instead Bertie and his mother Kiwi - who was by then so thin her ribs were protruding dangerously - were taken to Shores Hey Farm rescue centre in Briercliffe, Lancashire, where they began a remarkable four-year journey back to health.
Now plucky Bertie has rewarded his new masters by winning a rosette at Equifest - a national competition for rescue horses.

Left for dead: Bertie was unable to stand and had developed blood poisoning by the time he was discovered by animal welfare investigators

Equine and data services manager Amanda Berry said staff from Shores Hey cried 'tears of joy' when Bertie took fourth place in the competition, ridden by 21-year-old rescue centre worker Daisy Shufflebottom.
'We're all so delighted with Bertie and how far he has come since the attack,' she said.
'He’s had to do such a lot in a short space of time to perform at Equifest with Daisy.

Emaciated: Bertie's mother Kiwi was severely undernourished when the horses were found by animal welfare officers - she too has been nursed back to health

'The atmosphere there was amazing and he wasn’t bothered by the flashing lights, noise and big crowd of people there. He just took it in his stride.
'When he did his performance in the daytime we knew that he had come in the top 10 but we didn’t know exactly where until later on.
'As they were counting down from 10 to one it was nail biting - and when his name was read out as fourth we went mad with excitement. There were many tears of joy.
'For a horse of his age and background that is such a massive achievement,' the 40-year-old added.

Reminder: Bertie is now the picture of health, but the horse's legs still bear the scars of the savage dog attack

Daisy Shufflebottom, 21, who rode Bertie in his successful outing at the four-day Equifest, hosted by the RSPCA in Peterborough, said: 'Bertie and I bonded straight away - he’s got a great temperament to work with.
'He can be quite cheeky occasionally but he’s great. I never expected to do as well as we did. It was a very big step for him.
'From where he was to where he is now is a dream come true.
'Bertie was one of the worst cases we ever had and now he’s doing amazingly well. He still has scars from the dog attack but he has recovered really well.'

'Miraculous recovery': Daisy Shufflebottom, pictured above on Bertie, took over the rescue horse's training in the spring


Picture of health: Bertie, pictured enjoying a ride with Daisy, has been described as a 'gentleman' by staff at the Shores Hey Farm rescue centre in Lancashire

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What a night-mare! Military police officer suffers calamitous crash from his horse during parade for Italy's Palio di Siena race

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Ouch! A member of the Italian military police officer is thrown head-first off his horse during a parade on the eve of the centuries-old Palio di Siena race

It was a parade full of pageantry and precision to mark a horse race which has been contested in Italy for centuries.
Until things went just a little wrong for this unfortunate rider.
The member of the Carabinieri - the Italian military police - was involved in a spectacular crash when his horse careered head-first into a barricade.

Catastrophe: The rider is sent flying as the horse careers into the barricade and ends up in a heap on the floor

He, too, was promptly thrown head-first out of the saddle and ended up in a heap on the floor.
The Carabinieri had been taking part in the procession yesterday during the General Proof on the eve of today's race.
Twice a year, every year, almost without fail since the mid-1600s, 10 riders compete bareback around Siena's shell-shaped central square in a bid to win the Palio, a silk banner depicting the Madonna and child.


Showpiece: The Carabinieri put on a spectacular display for the spectators through the streets of Siena

The Carabinieri was founded as the police force of the Kingdom of Sardinia, but became the 'First Force' of the national military during the process of Italian unification.
Although it assisted in suppressing opposition to Benito Mussolini, they were also responsible for his downfall.
Many units were disbanded by Nazi Germany, which resulted in large numbers joining the Italian resistance movement.
Since 2001, it has been one of the four Italian Armed Forces.

source: dailymail

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No long faces here: 100-year-old tradition allows dray horses to start their summer holiday like the rest of us with a pint of ale down the pub

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Well earned drink: Monty, the Wadworth brewery shire horse, gets his lips on some beer at the start of his summer holiday

Most of us enjoy a pint down the pub to mark the start of our summer holiday and these dray horses are no different.
No, they're not drinking castle-mane (sorry), it's a refreshing glass of Wadworth ale, the drink a brewery has given to its horses for more than a century at the beginning of their two week summer break.

Drink up! The horses drink to their summer hols and the two weeks of fun and freedom that awaits them in their field

Monty, Max and Prince were given the beer outside the Raven Inn in Poulton, near Devizes in Wilshire, by the staff who they help with deliveries around the area 50 weeks a year.
The boys enjoyed their ale at noon today, sharp, before being led down the main road into a field where they showed their delight at being set free.

My turn: Dray horse Max gets his pint of Wadworth Ale at the Raven Inn in Poulton, Wiltshire

Wadworth has been employing shire horses for more than than a century to bring beer to the county's pubs and this trio of beautiful horses are the last remaining working shires left in the UK brewing industry.
More than 1,000 people turned up to watch the tradition and then watched them run free in a nearby field to start enjoying their summer break.
These wonderful photos show how the three kicked up their hooves and romped around.
Major John Bartholomew was chairman of Wadworth was responsible for bringing back the tradition of dray horses to deliver around Devizes.
'This is a lovely day and I am so pleased to see so many people here,' he said.

Work mates: Max, Monty and Prince have enjoyed their Friday drinks and now set off for their hols

Adoring crowds: Around 1,000 people turned out to wish the horses well on their staycation

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Is this the ultimate wrestling contest? The incredible battle of strength between wild horses and man

By PAUL MILLIGAN

Aloitadores struggle with a wild horse during the 400-year-old horse festival in Spain called 'Rapa das bestas'

The annual Rapa das Bestas festival in Spain is not for the faint-hearted, as it pits man against horse in an incredible wrestling match.
The 400-year old tradition of Rapa das Bestas, which translates as ‘cropping the beasts’, sees locals attempt to wrestle wild horses to the ground, before cropping their manes.
The horses come from the mountains of Galicia, in the northwestern region of Spain, and are rounded up so that the locals can clip their manes and tails and brand the foals.

The festival sees locals from northern Spain wrestle wild horses to the ground in order to cut their manes

The aloitadores go in packs of three - one who gets on the horse's back, another who takes hold of the neck, and a third to take the tail

The most famous event is the three-day festival held in the village of San Lorenzo de Sabucedo, where the use of nothing but hands, no tools or ropes, is permitted.

As if the process wasn't a difficult enough test of human strength, the horses in 'Rapa das bestas' are wild and untamed

The festival has been condemned by animal rights groups, but locals have defended the festival saying it provides an opportunity to see to the needs of animals that are ill or infected by parasites.
It takes three men (known as ‘aloitadores’) to manage each horse: One who gets on the horse's back; another who takes hold of the neck; and a third to take the tail.

The three-day festival takes places every July, and dates back more than 400 years

They then wrestle the horse to the floor in order to shear its hair to stop it from overheating during the hotter months or brand it if it is a younger horse that has not previously been tagged.
The festival begins on the first Saturday in July, and starts with an early morning mass, prior to the herders heading off at 7am, and goes on into the Monday.
Both locals and tourists are permitted to go in search of the horses and bring them down to the village, although only locals are allowed to be aloitadores.
On the final day the horses are herded back into the mountains, where they are allowed to roam freely for the rest of the year.

source: dailymail

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Not such a long face now: The horse who lost his tail to cancer is riding high after having it replaced with hair extensions

By TOM GOODENOUGH

Happy, the former show jumper, is restored to his former glory and proudly shows off his new tail

Horses are well known for having long faces, but Happy the horse had more reason than most for looking sad.
After vets discovered a tumour at the base of his tail, they were forced to remove the huge, grapefruit-sized melanoma - leaving just a stump behind.
Fortunately for Happy, however, a hair extension company has come to the rescue and returned the horse to his former glory.
And now the former show jumper can go back to enjoying his retirement at his home in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.
The steed formerly lived in Leeds at a horse sanctuary but was adopted shortly after undergoing the operation.

Happy was left anything but when vets were forced to remove his tail after discovering a tumour

And the intervention of the company, 'Horse Hair Extensions', has come at just the right time for Happy, who was starting to show signs of distress at no longer having a tail to wave away flies.
Luckily for his new owners, the generous company even agreed to waive the £70 fee for reconstructing Happy's new pride and joy.

Not again! Happy keeps a close eye on his tail as co-owners Anita Elcome and Ruth Varty inspect his new pride and joy

Amy Shedden, from Hope Pastures Horse and Donkey Sanctuary in Leeds, West Yorkshire, who briefly took in Happy before he was re-homed, said he seemed delighted with his new tail: 'It’s important for a horse to have a tail so they can swat away flies and Happy was in desperate need.
'We are a charity so couldn’t afford to pay for a new tail so Happy’s previous owner started contacting people after I spoke to her.
'Then, Horse Hair Extensions contacted us and asked what colour he was so they could match the tail.
'He still had the dock so we took pictures of that and sent it off so they could see what they were working with, and they began making the tail out of real horse hair.
'After it arrived in the post we braided it onto Happy’s tail and he seemed really pleased. He was rehomed just a week ago and will be a riding horse.'

The 16-hand horse named Happy received his new tail with the kind assistance of a hair extension company after being left with just a stump

Happy might still have a long face but he seems content with his new tail at his home in West Yorkshire

Happy’s new owner, Anita Elcome, a 34-year-old cleaner from Knaresborough, North Yorks, said she fell in love with him as soon as she saw the horse: 'We have to remove his tail every few days because there isn’t much hair remaining on his dock, so it works free after a while.
'After we remove it we then braid it back in.
'But it is very important for a horse to have a tail as it shows their mood, and also swats away flies.'

source: dailymail

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Foal play: Young horse leads emergency services a merry dance as they attempt to rescue it from a river

By CHRIS HANLON

Catch me if you can: Foal makes a getaway from firefighters attempting to rescue it from the river

Like something out of Black Beauty a foal playfully evades the clutches of firefighters attempting to rescue it.
The foal was eventually removed from the water by firefighters using specially designed 'horse slings' at the River Lea culvert in Edmonton, London.
Three fire engines, two specialist rescue units, a command unit and two senior officers formed the attendance from the fire brigade - and were also joined by two police officers. Rescuers were called just after 2pm today following reports that the foal was in distress. However, an eyewitness reported that the foal's owners turned up shortly after the incident began and said that the horses 'occasionally get into the shallow overflow' and that they 'are not in any danger as the water isn`t very deep'. The unnamed owners did not even stick around to watch the hour-long rescue unfold.

Splash down: A firefighter comes a cropper while attempting to catch the foal using horse slings

River dance: The animal playfully jumping in the River Lea culvert at Edmonton

Looking ropey: Emergency services work together to pull the animal to safety

After the creature had led three firefighters who went in the water to catch him a merry dance for quite some time they eventually managed to apprehend it and attach ropes to allow it to be pulled from the water safely.
Despite appearing to be unconscious after being dragged back on to dry land, firefighters massaged and dried the creature to revive it.
On regaining consciousness the young horse happily ran off into a nearby field. A local said it is not uncommon for the fire brigade to rescue to horses who enter the river.

Safe and sound: The unusual rescue mission eventually comes to a happy ending

source: dailymail

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