Comedian John Bishop rehomes four horses

Award-winning comedian John Bishop has rehomed four horses from World Horse Welfare.

Deserving animals

Dora, Amara, Indie and Mable join John and his wife Melanie’s menagerie of rescue pets, which includes two English Bull Terriers and a pot-bellied pig, at their home in Cheshire.

“Melanie and I share a love of animals of all shapes and sizes and foster the belief that there are so many animals who have been neglected or abused that rehoming is the only logical option,” said John.

“It makes no sense to us why anyone would breed foals, puppies or even goldfish when there are so many deserving animals who need good homes.”

‘Belong together’

According to Melanie, who is very experienced with horses, they didn’t plan on taking on so many new additions. They first rehomed Dora and Amara who both suffered terrible neglect.

It is believed Amara spent her early years fighting for food. As a result she has a strong personality and was giving Dora a hard time. Melanie felt that adding two more horses to the herd would help change the dynamic.

The couple has since taken on piebald mare Indie and a filly called Mable. “The little herd we rehomed now feel they like they belong together,” said Melanie.

Rehome a Horse Month

John encouraged anyone who can give an animal a home to look at rehoming before buying.

“Growing up I never thought I would have a field full of horses, but owning them isn’t rocket science – you just need a bit of common sense and a good sense of humour,” he said. “They’re strong-willed, unpredictable and impulsive so it’s a lot like bringing up children.”

To help people find the right horse more easily, World Horse Welfare has launched a new website to mark its Rehome a Horse Month.

Video guide

TV presenter and patron of World Horse Welfare Lee McKenzie is kick-starting the campaign with a video guide to the rehoming process.

“It’s very rare to know the horse’s full history and if the partnership doesn’t work out then your options are very limited,” said Lee.

“In contrast, when you rehome a horse from World Horse Welfare you know exactly what you are getting. Plus if the horse is not right or your circumstances change, you can return it at any time safe in the knowledge that World Horse Welfare will find it the ideal new home.”