Horses dance in equine ballet

The horses are encouraged to show individual creativity

An animal psychologist from Exeter University has held a horse ballet at her farm on the edge of Dartmoor National Park.

Dr Martha Kiley-Worthington said she has taught classical ballet steps to her horses who she breeds and "educates" to work on the land and give displays.

In Saturday's event, the animals performed in a ring to music which ranging from classical to country and western and the Beatles.

Spectators were encouraged to appreciate the horses' individual creativity and their capacity to learn dance and rhythm in the same way as children.

They become rhythmic and change their steps to the music accordingly

Dr Martha Kiley-Worthington

Doctor Kiley-Worthington experiments with alternative husbandry to improve the lives of horses, cattle and other farm animals.

She runs an organic farm and an independent ecological research centre.

She has previously held a "multi-species ballet" called "Farm Fantasia" which involved her dogs, cattle, horses and llamas, aswell as humans.

Free expression

In the equine ballet, some of the horses were ridden without any tack, while others were left to canter or trot around the ring freely.

Dr Kiley-Worthington said: "This isn't about dominating the animals. They become rhythmic and change their steps to the music accordingly.

"They represent themselves and you can tap into their personalities.

"It's to get people to ponder whether the way they think about animal minds is correct."

Money raised from the event will fund Doctor Kiley-Worthington's research with African elephants in Zimbabwe.