Rosie is a skewbald mare at Wilton Riding for the Disabled. She has her feed, shoes and dental treatment for the next year paid for thanks to The Horseshoe Inn at Ebbesbourne Wake and Palmers Brewery.

Landlords Pat and Tony Bath applied to the Palmers Brewery Ale Fund for money to sponsor a horse. Palmers has a special fund for local good causes and charities supported by pubs that sell its traditional ale.

‘We’ve raised money for the Wilton RDA for more than 20 years,’ explained Tony Bath.‘When we heard about the Palmers Ale Fund we immediately applied to see if we could get funding to sponsor a horse for a year.’

Palmers Brewery sales representative Jacky Follett presented the cheque to at the RDA headquarters on Home Farm. Wilton RDA chairman Carol Carvell accepted the cheque on Rosie’s behalf. She said: ‘We’re a large RDA group run by volunteers and we need to raise £70,000 a year to provide facilities for the 200 riders who ride here free of charge. We’re absolutely delighted with this sponsorship, which is typical of the generous and supportive local community who help us so much.’

Rosie wasn’t able to put her feelings into words, but her groom Mary Tylor said her charge was very happy at the thought of a year’s worth of hay!