AN EQUINE lover has appealed for people not to feed horses when they take walks in the Cumbrian countryside. Ruth Chamberlain, from Caldbeck, is backing the British Horse Society’s #behorseaware campaign after many became seriously ill and even died following regular feeds from members of the public. Ruth, who’s also an amateur photographer, says this is especially true with hardy breeds, such as Exmoor Ponies and Cumbria’s very own Fell Pony. It can contribute to crippling conditions such as laminitis, a painful inflammation of the hooves. She said: “After the lockdown a lot of people are finding new places to walk everyday and perhaps they’ll see a pony in a field and start bringing it food.