Meet the remarkable blind horse tipped to become a dressage champion after learning an extraordinary form of equine ‘braille’.

Milo, a 15-year-old Appaloosa, has stunned judges and spectators by returning to the show ring despite losing sight in both eyes.

The 16-hand gelding relies on a unique combination of touch, hearing and rider cues to navigate his surroundings after being struck down by a devastating eye condition.

Owner Megan Share, 28, says Milo uses the feel of the ground beneath his hooves to build a picture of the world around him.

Since returning to competitions last year, Milo has won two horse showing events but now has his sights set on returning to the elite dressage ring – competing against sighted horses.

Megan, who runs Debdale Riding School in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, said: ‘He interprets my pressure on him but he also uses his own pressure of his hooves on the ground surface for his spatial awareness.

‘He’s using his hearing and feel of touch with his feet to feel along the ground, it is like a braille technique.’

Megan has owned Milo since he was just three years old and spent years competing with him before tragedy struck.

After suffering from uveitis, a severe eye condition, he lost sight in both eyes at age 13 despite two surgeries

He navigates using an extraordinary combination of elevated hearing, rider cues, and spatial awareness developed by feeling ground pressure beneath his hooves (a technique likened to reading Braille)

Advertisement

The horse went blind at the age of 13 after suffering from uveitis, a serious eye disease that eventually took the sight in both eyes.

Despite two operations on his left eye, vets were unable to save his vision. 

Against all odds, Milo returned to competition last year and even claimed first place at the Royal Windsor Show for the eighth year running.

Now Megan believes he is ready to take the next step into dressage, often described as ‘ballet on horseback’ because of its precise and controlled movements.

If successful, Milo will become the first blind horse ever to compete in a dressage event.

Megan said: ‘Now he’s won most of the shows he’s competed in this year. We’ve done the Appaloosa Breed Show and he’s already won that.

To help Milo compete at such a high standard, Megan has developed a unique communication system built on trust, voice commands and physical signals.

She said: ‘When we’re walking in areas when I’m not riding him we tell him up or down for steps and then slow down.

Megan acts as Milo’s ‘eyes,’ employing precise voice commands (‘up,’ ‘down,’ ‘slow down’), firm rein and leg aids, and core/seat movements to guide him continuously

Since returning to the ring, he has maintained a dominant streak, including winning at the Appaloosa Breed Show and claiming first place at the Royal Windsor Horse Show for the eighth consecutive year

He is set to compete in upcoming summer shows as he works toward qualifying for prestigious events like the Horse of the Year Show and the London International Show

‘We talk to him like he’s a human. We click at him to go a little bit more assertive, he listens more than he ever did. 

‘Everyone is astounded, when we do go out, people are shocked that this could even happen.

‘There can’t be any other blind horses competing at this level in the world. I’m extremely proud of him.’

Milo is due to compete at an Appaloosa show and the Denbigh and Flint Show in August before taking on qualifiers for the Horse of the Year Show and the London International Show.

Deep Purple singer-musician Glenn Hughes said Tuesday he is retiring from touring as he prepares to undergo heart surgery.

The 74-year-old musical artist ‘has made the difficult decision to step back from live performances for the foreseeable future,’ a statement on his Facebook page read.

The Cannock, England native said that he has ‘had some health issues’ over the ‘past year’ which he is focusing on, moving forward.

‘The results from numerous MRIs, CT scans, and an echocardiogram have alerted my medical team, that I need another open-heart surgery,’ Hughes said. ‘I really have no option and no choice as health is my number one priority.’

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said he is ‘grateful to have been chosen with a life full with the gift of music,’ adding, ‘Thank you for walking beside me.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Hughes for further comment on the story.

Hughes in his early years had been influenced by a variety of musical styles and genres, ranging from the Beatles to the hard rock stemming out of England and the Motown style popular in the U.S., according to Blabbermouth.

He gained prominence with the group Trapeze in the 1970s before his 1973 addition to Deep Purple, which also featured David Coverdale joining the band.

The group achieved success with the new lineup with a trio of album releases including 1974’s Burn, 1974’s Stormbringer and 1975’s Come Taste the Band, prior to that incarnation splitting up in 1976.

Hughes and his colleagues in Deep Purple had been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. 

Hughes’ latest show came this past May 30 at St. Charles, Illinois’ Arcada Theatre with the band The Dead Daises, playing as The Purple Daises, including a mix of songs from Deep Purple, the outlet reported. 

Hughes in January 2026 cited health issues in canceling a spring tour in the U.S. titled The Chosen Years, the outlet reported, which would have featured tracks from his work in Deep Purple, Trapeze, Hughes/Thrall, Iommi/Hughes and Black Country Communion.

Søren Andersen had been slated to play guitar while Ash Sheehan was the scheduled drummer for the tour, in which Hughes was lead vocalist and bassist.

Hughes had a busy 2025, as in September, he released a solo album titled Chosen, which included accompanying videos for the titular track in addition to the songs Voice In My Head and Into The Fade, according to the outlet.

L-R: Glenn Hughes, Ian Paice, David Coverdale (at back), Ritchie Blackmore and the late Jon Lord pictured on 1974 US tour 

Hughes pictured in concert in Milan, Italy in 2017 

He spent the majority of the fall season touring locales in Europe and South America, spanning from a September 2 concert in Zoetermeer, Netherlands to the concluding show in Bogota, Colombia on November 29.  

Hughes in 1977 released his initial solo record Play Me Out, which would be the first of a dozen studio albums he would release in ensuing years.

He collaborated with guitar player Pat Thrall for the band Hughes/Thrall, which was the name of the group’s 1982 album.

Other notable names Hughes has worked with in multiple capacities – singing, writing or playing bass – include Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Gary Moore and John Norum; the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Dave Navarro, Chad Smith and John Frusciante; and famed guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, the outlet reported.

He and Iommi had worked again on the 2025 single Rocket from Robbie Williams.

The pub, on Stokesley Road, Marton, Middlesbrough, has been closed since July 27 for a revamp.

The renovation work is expected to be completed this month and the aim is to reopen the pub by August 22.

The pub will continue to offer live music, sports events, and in-pub darts.

Greene King, who own the pub, said: “The upgrades are intended to enhance both the interior and exterior of the pub, introducing modern-day comforts for patrons to enjoy.”

The Rudds Arms will also introduce a new function space available for private hire.

The pub is popular with punters and has previously received glowing reviews.

One said: “Had a lovely meal here today.

“We use this pub regularly and the reason being the atmosphere and the team who work there.

“They are fab.

“They are all so friendly and accommodating.

“Well done team Rudd’s.”

The pub is recruiting for both full and part-time positions in the kitchen and bar.

The Rudds Arms has urged customers to browse menus and book ahead for the reopening via the Greene King app.

A police cordon is currently in place in Gorton following the crash

Emergency services have been rushed to Gorton following reports of a car crashing into a house.

Greater Manchester Police have cordoned off Hyde Road in Gorton after the car hit the house at approximately 9:36pm tonight (August 5).

Motorists are being asked to avoid the area where possible due to a number of road closures in place around the area.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

In a statement issued tonight (August 5), GMP said enquiries are ongoing as they try to establish the full circumstances around the collision.

A spokesperson for GMP said: “We are currently responding to reports of a collision involving a car and a house on Hyde Road, Manchester, that occurred at approximately 9:36pm tonight (5 August).

“Emergency services are at the scene and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.

“Road closures are in place so please avoid the area where possible.”

A day out at the beach is the ideal retreat during the summer, and there’s one unspoilt shore with stretches of soft, golden sand and colourful beach huts not far from Cambridge

There’s one pristine beach near Cambridge that I highly recommend visiting – and it’s not Holkham.

Cambridge is home to the scenic River Cam, lined with houseboats, rowers, and picturesque walking routes, along with the sprawling Jesus Green and Parker’s Piece parks. Not to mention the majestic medieval architecture that lines the university city, with King’s College Chapel and the Mathematical Bridge among the most notable landmarks.

Yet despite its picture-postcard setting and city offerings, we sometimes crave a trip to the beach, especially in the summer. Luckily for us, Cambridge is well-positioned and within easy reach of the beautiful Norfolk coastline, with many of its beaches less than two hours away.

One beautiful beach nestled along the Norfolk shore, which is by far my favourite, is Wells-next-the-Sea. The golden, soft-sand beach stretches for miles, and is lined with more than 200 stilted, pastel-coloured beach huts that only add to its unspoilt seaside charm.

Its sweeping beach means it rarely feels overcrowded, with ample space for kids to run around, build sandcastles, kick a ball around, or fly a kite. There’s the opportunity to dip toes into the shallow, although brisk waters, but it’s a must on any visit, and is a haven for strolls along the sand shore, which I love best.

Strikingly, Wells-next-the-Sea is also backed by pine forests, which not only enhance its scenic setting but also offer a welcoming retreat in the shade during those balmy summers. Parts of the beach are also dog-friendly, and I’ll often walk from Wells-next-the-Sea all the way down to its neighbour, Holkham Beach.

Along this route, I’ll often wander along the golden shore, passing the rolling sand dunes at Holkham, before turning around to walk through stretches of the majestic pine forest, which is hard to believe is adjacent to the sandy beach. Back at Wells-next-the-Sea, it’s easy to simply sit and admire the pristine coastline that lies less than a two-hour drive from Cambridge.

While it might just be the most scenic spot for a beach picnic, the Wells Beach Café, located at the end of Beach Road, offers everything from bacon or sausage baps, pasties, pizzas, cake, coffee and, of course, ice cream. And during those colder months, it’s a welcoming sanctuary, where you can warm up with a hot chocolate and grab a puppuccino for the pooch.

After exploring the beach, that’s if you can tear yourself away, the town of Wells-next-the-Sea is equally as inviting. The small seaside town has a population of just over 2,000 residents, and is known for its bustling quayside.

The harbourside is where you’ll spot kids crabbing off the jetty, fishermen bringing in their catch of the day, and visitors sitting under the sun while sharing a dish of fish and chips. There are a few independent shops to explore in the town, along with a selection of eateries, and you really won’t have to go far to find a decent chippy or ice cream shop.

Elsewhere, there are coffeehouses such as GROUND and Nelson’s coffee shop, the tearoom, No. 57, and Arthur Howell Bakery. If you’d rather extend your stay in the seaside destination, there are plenty of holiday homes available to book, including cosy cottages, or there’s the option to book a trendy stay at the four-star The Crown Hotel or The Globe Inn.

However long you decide to stay in Wells-next-the-Sea, you certainly won’t be disappointed, with its pristine beach enough to warrant a visit.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Neighbours said they spotted the teen going door-to-door with a large knife on Monday night before police were called at around 10pm

Advertisement

A teenager who terrorized a neighbourhood while going door-to-door dressed in a creepy clown outfit has been accused of murdering a pensioner.

A 15-year-old boy was taken into custody by police after John Wesley Allen Sr, 76, was stabbed several times in the US state of Illinois. Police were called to a residential neighbourhood in East St. Louis at around 10pm on Monday (August 3), following reports of a body lying at the roadside. The body was later identified as the pensioner, with a coroner later ruling the man had died from multiple stab wounds. A 15-year-old boy was arrested by the Illinois State Police on Tuesday in connection with the elderly man’s death. It has since been revealed the teenager had been spotted in the neighbourhood earlier on Monday, traumatising locals by whispering creepy threats through people’s front doors while dressed as a spooky clown. Ring doorbell footage that has since been posted to social media – which carries a timestamp of around about 9pm, or, about an hour before police were called to the scene – shows a person dressed as a clown approach a home in East St. Louis.

The menacing clown can be seen sauntering up to the front door before leaving the audio message: “I’ve been looking for you.” In other doorbell camera footage obtained by NBC affiliate KSDK, a man can be seen looking into the camera and saying, “I have a gift for you.” Neighbours told the TV station they saw the teen going door-to-door with a large knife on Monday night. Corrine Spry revealed she was sitting on her back porch with her family when she first spotted the clown roaming the neighbourhood, twirling a knife. She watched him roam the area for about 45 minutes before police arrived.

“He was up to no good,” she said. “We’re pretty positive he circled back around in these woods because you could hear the sticks breaking.” Lee Palmer told local news broadcaster First Alert 4 that his mother was at the home alone when the menacing clown appeared on her front porch. The person lingered on the property for several minutes and even went behind the house, Palmer added. “I couldn’t believe it. He was dressed in the clown outfit. That was kind of spooky for her.”

He stated that he feared for his mother’s safety and worried that the masked stranger may have been armed. “He’s going to kill everybody in the house,” Palmer said, explaining his thought process at the time. “Why out of all the houses, why come to this house?” Palmer added: “He was not in the right state of mind to walk on somebody’s porch like that. It’s just unimaginable.” Illinois State Police now say they have arrested a 15-year-old suspect who they believe to have been seen on surveillance video wearing a clown costume.

They have not released details about what led to the killing or what brought the teen to the neighbourhood. Police said in a statement: “Video footage of the suspect dressed in a clown costume has been circulating and ISP is currently working to collect all relevant video.” Investigators have urged anyone with information or more CCTV or other surveillance footage of the clown-clad suspect to contact them.

The popular venue located on Hospital Road is hosting special family-friendly pool party sessions featuring exciting inflatables for children to enjoy in its indoor swimming pool.

Each event, scheduled for August 12 and 26, will feature two one-hour sessions running from 12pm to 1pm and 1pm to 2pm, and promise to provide a fun-filled afternoon of swimming and entertainment during the summer holidays.

Tickets cost £5 per person and children must be accompanied by an adult throughout the event.

Families are encouraged to book early as spaces are limited.

The Thursday letters page is appalled by EA’s plans to lay off developers, as one reader is impressed by Amazon’s Luna streaming service.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Shocking success
I’m not sure I’m shocked at Halo: Campaign Evolved’s failure (I would’ve expected it to do a bit better based on nostalgia, but PlayStation owners have no nostalgia for it, so it seems to have done about as well as the Gears Of War remaster).

However, I am genuinely shocked that the two Black Ops games are doing so well. They’re not even remasters, let alone remakes, they’re just straight ports that have had no work put into them. Again, I assume it’s nostalgia but am I the only one that barely even remembers which ones they were? Apparently so, to tell by the sales.

I tried to remind myself of the campaign by reading Wikipedia and I do remember them now, and I admit they were good ones but is that’s what’s driving the current success? The campaign or the multiplayer? If it’s the campaigns, I could sort of understand because I haven’t played a good one in a modern Call Of Duty for years.

Either way, Activision want to be taking a careful look at what’s going on because they’re in serious danger of their newest game selling less than two that came out 15 years ago.
Trancer

Very predictable
So EA are getting ready to layoff $125 million worth of developers? Isn’t that lovely? Sorry, I mean absolutely disgusting. It was completely predicted long before the deal went through, because what else are you going to do when you’re $20 billion in debt, but the whole thing is awful.

That many people is going to mean whole studios and I don’t see how they continue with anything other than sports games and Battlefield. I used to stick up with EA a bit, when people used to rag on them, but not anymore. They’ve become something else now and too many microtransactions isn’t the half of it.
Zeiss

No access
RE: Halo: Campaign Evolved. I don’t care about any of the issues with Williams or the lack of multiplayer (I only play the campaigns) but the fact I am finding it impossible to sign into my Microsoft Account means it is a game I can’t play on my PlayStation 5.

I have an old Hotmail account but is tied to an old phone, so I can’t use it or I must wait 30 days to renew my security (why?!). I tried to set up a new Hotmail to use for this, but the website is out of action. If I try to create an Xbox account then it won’t let me use a work email, so I am completely stuck.

I am glad the game has been a flop and that I left Microsoft behind a long time ago. I will definitely be giving up on the all-digital future as I can’t be bothered with any of this.
Simon

GC: We had the exact same problem, although we were able to create a new account to play it.

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Size isn’t everything
I saw a post on X today that showed and compared every map of every Grand Theft Auto game.

Apparently, according to this post, the map in GTA 6 will be the biggest one in the series, and is estimated as being four times the size of the GTA 5 map. Estimates are close to guessing in my mind, so this entire post might be nonsense to invite attention and clicks, but it got me thinking about the true worth of gaming real estate.

A game can boast a huge game map, but if it’s just empty terrain that’s not much of an asset. One of the best maps I’ve explored in a game was the Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3. I don’t know how that map compares size-wise to GTA 5 or 6, but it was seemingly packed with unusual sights and secrets. In other words, within the world of Fallout 3 there was plenty to do.
Michael Veal

GC: Fallout maps tend to be smaller than average but, as you say, packed with much more detail than others. We believe some of the biggest are racing games like The Crew and Fuel, which, as you say, are mostly empty.

Don’t miss Gaming news! Add us as a Preferred Source

As a loyal GameCentral reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for gaming stories. We have all the latest video games news, reviews, previews, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.

Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Add us as a Preferred Source

Advertisement

The principle
So this journalist was arguing that if Project Helix had a disc drive and PlayStation 6 didn’t it could get a lot more gamers, but I don’t understand the logic as PlayStation 5 players aren’t going to migrate to Xbox because it has a disc, as they still wouldn’t be able to play there catalogue of disc games on the Xbox ,making it null and void.

I did think that with so many not being able to afford next gen, the only thing to do is have one format so as many can play the next gen of games to get revenue. No more console wars but that’s not going to happen, but may need to if Sony and Microsoft are going survive in the console world.
TWO MACKS

GC: Most people don’t actually care about discs, as the percentage of digital sales shows. What they have got upset at though, is Sony taking away the option.

Next gen gramophone
What gets me about the component crisis is that everyone’s focusing on what it’s going to do to next gen console prices, but the same thing is happening to PC components, phones, and everything else. It’s like we’re heading back into caveman times. We’ll be recording things on VHS next and loading games in from audio tape.

I’m not even sure to what degree I’m exaggerating, because if the PlayStation 6 costs £1,000+ what happens then? A gaming PC is going to be about the same and I’m not paying that. Even if they continue manufacturing the PlayStation 5 to compensate, it’s not like it’s made out of cardboard, they still need components for that, just maybe slightly less.

I don’t see where all this is going but I have a nasty feeling none of it is going to be good. To think that gaming would come to this: games too expensive and time consuming to make, consoles too expensive to buy, and everyone who’s any good at making them is laid off the minute the boss’s Christmas bonus is in danger.

All I can say is thank goodness for indie gaming because if it wasn’t for that I genuinely think I’d be giving up on video games after all this.
Eckard

Better than Ultimate
After reading about Indiana Jones And The Great Circle being available in Luna, I decided to give it a try to see how it performs. Was a very pleasant surprise to find the Luna version of the game contains the Order Of Giants DLC as standard.

The performance is excellent too and seemed better than Xbox Ultimate, which I have previously tried. I do have very good internet though.
Deskiryu

GC: Xbox’s streaming service is surprisingly poor, considering their situation.

New old hardware
Long time reader, not wrote in for a while. Great interview recently regarding the new Spectrum. Always enjoy reading your interviews, just a shame since Covid you don’t get to do the amount you used to. Really enjoyed the recent Reader’s Features of late. Big well done to those who worked up the courage to do a piece of their own.

This Speccy coverage got me thinking. There’s been loads of negativity for quite some time now around PlayStation and Xbox, and also Nintendo at times. I’m curious to know why you covered the Spectrum but haven’t yet done any articles on the brand new Neo Geo AES+ that was announced several months ago, an old mythical legendary console that most of us probably only dreamed of owning back then.

It’s now remade and at a price which is much more affordable and we get to experience these classic games today easily on modern TVs without having to remortgage. (I am aware of Arcade Archives on PlayStation , Switch or Xbox) but I want the real thing.

Secondly, ModRetro has just released the M64 a modern day N64 that plays original games with the promise of new ones to come, along with remasters, overclocking, and other options that weren’t on the original hardware. Apparently their newly designed trident N64 pad is meant to be absolutely superb. An important factor here is both are physical, which is just awesome especially on the back of Sony’s nonsense.

For me, these two consoles are highly positive and I’m super excited for both to come out. I’ve actually recently sold my PlayStation 5 to fund getting both. Do you plan to cover them as I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to hear your thoughts on them. So I’d just like to know why it appears both have just been completely skipped over.

Apologies if I’m wrong here but there has been no mention of either by yourselves. We could do with more positivity and also more news that doesn’t involve Sony/Microsoft or rumours. Apologies if it sounds I’m complaining, that’s not the intention. I’m just curious, that’s all.

Keep up the good work GC.
Ricardo (Bertie1)

GC: Interviews are barely a thing now, for any publisher, but we try where we can. We do have a couple coming up for games from big publishers though, so maybe there’s some hope that things will improve. As for the Neo Geo AES+, we think we were short-staffed when it was announced, so never got round to it. We have been in contact with Plaion though and will definitely be covering it in the future. The M64, we’ve never heard of till now.

Inbox also-rans
What the best games to start with for seniors?
Jay Van Housen

GC: That’s a complicated question. We’d need to know their level of experience with games and general interests, at the very least.

Excited to know that 007 First Light will be at Gamescom. My decision to make the Switch 2 my only current gen console is paying off.
Swede

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Will single-player video games go extinct?

MORE: Games Inbox: Will the Xbox reset work for Microsoft?

MORE: Games Inbox: When will Spider-Man 3 be released on PS5?

Anything that increases mankind’s knowledge is welcome, so the data generated by the impact will understandably be eagerly examined.

But should there be any other intelligent life anywhere else in the universe, they might also examine this incident to see what they could learn about mankind.

They would immediately see that this strange creature has filled the atmosphere of its own planet, Earth, with noxious fumes and saturated its oceans with undecayable plastic. It has even covered its beaches in the beautiful North East with millions of nurdles (and that’s without looking at whatever the water companies are pumping out today).

Not content with that, this creature is now filling up the orbit around its Earth with rubbish. The European Space Agency estimates that there are 54,000 pieces of debris larger than 10cms spinning around Earth and there are 140m fragments – in total, we’ve left about 15,800 tonnes (the equivalent of 40 jumbo jets) up there.

So an outer space life form would conclude that this man is negligently untidy.

Looking carefully, this life form would see plumes of smoke rising from the European wildfires which show how man has harmed his own planet so badly that it is now burning beneath his feet and then, not content with that, it would see that this hideous creature is now turning on its harmless neighbour, the Moon, firing junk into it as if it were some giant space pinball game.

And this intelligent life form would conclude that man is an arrogant so-and-so who is not as intelligent as he thinks he is.