WE’VE all seen the car stickers telling us a dog is for life not just Christmas. The idea is to make people realise there are years of commitment ahead, not to mention cost. More than £1,000 a year to be precise, which is why the RSPCA has so many stray puppies in its care.

But what about horses? According to Equine World UK, even the most basic livery will set you back £3,000 and these costs are rising. At the same time, horse values are falling and this toxic combination has resulted in abandonment in record numbers.

This is animal cruelty and the message is clear: don’t buy a pet of any description before working out how much looking after it is going to cost.