BRISTOL'S HorseWorld is appealing for donations of Guinness to help an elderly mule regain his appetite.

Garth has developed a liking for the Irish stout, which the brewery used to advertise as being "Good for You" before the slogan was banned.

It seems to be the only thing that tempts 46-year-old Garth to tuck into his food.

Megan Ball, the Whitchurch charity's equine manager, said: "We were really concerned when Garth recently lost interest in his daily feeds.

"The vet and dentist could find no reason for his sudden lack of appetite, and he turned his nose up at traditional feed supplements.

"We thought we would try adding a drop or two of Guinness to Garth's feed to see if this would encourage him to eat – and it worked."

"He had been feeling a little under the weather and not really interested in what was going on, including feeding time which he'd always looked forward to previously.

"He is a great favourite of all the staff and visitors and used to spend most of his day reminding the grooms with a bray or a nudge that it was time for dinner, so it was a rather a worry when he suddenly didn't want to eat anything."

"Guinness is believed to have good antioxidant compounds and it's an old horseman's trick to add a little drop of the 'black stuff' to the feed."

Anyone who wants to donate a can or two should call into the visitor centre or phone Julie Scarrett on 01275 893030.