The programme for Spirit of the Horse, a show now encamped in a big top on Clapham Common, claims that the production is dedicated to "the grace, beauty, agility and intelligence" of our equine friends.

I'll just about go along with grace, beauty and agility, though personally I've always felt distinctly nervy when horses are around - they're so damn big and their hooves are so damn hard - but one must seriously quarrel with the word intelligence.