Weird stuff Blind horse racing for glory

Blind horse racing for glory

A blind horse is defying the odds and chasing dressage glory after mastering a unique form of equine “braille”.

Milo, a 15-year-old Appaloosa gelding, was forced to quit competition in 2023 after an eye infection left him without sight.

But the determined horse has staged an incredible comeback, returning to the arena last year and winning at the Royal Windsor Show for the eighth time.

Since then, Milo has notched up further victories by learning to rely on touch, sound and signals from his rider to confidently navigate his routines.

Owner Megan Share, 28, says Milo uses the sensation of the ground beneath his hooves to build a picture of his surroundings.

The riding school owner, from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, is now preparing him for major events including the Horse of the Year Show and the London International Horse Show.

Megan is quoted by UK The Sun as saying: “He interprets my pressure on him, but he also uses his own pressure of his hooves on the ground for his spatial awareness.

“He’s using his hearing and feel of touch with his feet to feel along the ground. It is like a braille technique.

“He’s also a lot more alert and he reacts quicker, as his sense of hearing is elevated as a result of him losing his sight.”

Despite losing his vision, Milo continues to compete against fully sighted horses and has shown no signs of slowing down.

Megan said: “I’m extremely proud of him.

“There can’t be any other blind horses competing at this level in the world.”

Vegan diet ‘beats Ozempic’ for weight loss

Going vegan could help people lose weight faster than blockbuster slimming injections such as Ozempic and Wegovy, according to new research.

US scientists found overweight adults who switched to a low-fat plant-based diet lost an average of 5.9kg (13lb) in just four months.

By comparison, trials of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, show patients typically lose around 6.9kg over nine months.

The study followed 224 overweight adults, most of them women with an average age of 54, who were split into two groups.

One group adopted a vegan diet packed with fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes such as beans and chickpeas, while avoiding meat, fish, dairy products and eggs.

The other group continued eating their usual diet.

After 16 weeks, those following the plant-based plan had increased their vegetable intake by around 150g a day and their fruit intake by about 80g.

They also almost tripled their consumption of legumes while more than doubling their intake of plant-based meat alternatives.

Researchers found the vegan group cut their daily calorie intake by almost 500 calories, from an average of 1,834 calories a day to 1,343.

Writing in JAMA Network Open, the scientists said the diet “may be an effective treatment for overweight adults”.

They explained that plant-based foods contain more water and fibre while being lower in fat, allowing people to eat a similar amount of food while consuming fewer calories.

The study also found the vegan diet improved blood sugar control, reduced fat stored in the liver and muscles, and increased the number of calories burned during digestion.

However, researchers warned that the findings have limitations because participants reported their own diets and volunteered for the study.

Around 3.5 million people in the UK are estimated to follow a plant-based diet, which has previously been linked with lower risks of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.