The Skegness News has asked readers to come up with a device to protect the UK’s oldest living horse.

Goliath the shire horse is one of the main attractions at the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre but is prone to heavy falls and injuries which leave him unable to get up.

So the News asked readers to think about a “Golly bleeper” to alert staff when the huge horse takes a tumble.

The paper this week received an e-mail reply from an equine enthusiast, endurance rider and News reader living in Canada. Kim Lockhart suggested an equine stress monitor could provide a lifeline for the horse.

It wraps around the girth and monitors stress levels in breathing and heart rate. She added that with a bit of tinkering the monitors can be adjusted to allow remote monitoring. This would give Golly a 300-metre range of mobility for the monitor to pick up the signal.

Kim also suggested that the horse centre contacted the University of Saskatchewan, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, to see if they too have any other ideas. The college is a world leader in equine technology.

Anyone with any other ideas should contact either the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre proprietor, Keith Sanders, on 01754 830286, or the News on 01754 768000.

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