NEARLY 60 horses have been rescued from poor conditions at a farm near Farnham, in the latest example of how indiscriminate breeding is fuelling the UK horse crisis.

World Horse Welfare was forced to step in and seize the animals after the situation at the breeder's premises on the Surrey/Hampshire border spiralled out of control.

The female breeder, who cannot be named for legal reasons, owned around 120 equines at her farm's peak, as well as llamas, angora goats, rheas, pigs, geese and donkeys.

But she lost control of the situation, leading to more and more foals being born and reaching sexual maturity, adding to a herd that never received any handling.

For full story, see this week's Farnham Herald.