This rescued horse was destined for the slaughterhouse but is now a pampered pony - after being taken in by a Buddhist temple.

The four-year-old bay mare had been starved and neglected and was due to be made into meat in Ang Thong, central Thailand.

But a good samaritan broke her free from an enclosure and delivered her anonymously to the local temple - with baffled monks finding her on their door step the next morning.

The monks named the horse Miss Songkran and let her roam freely around the temple grounds. She was filmed this week tucking in to bowls of rice with the other animals, including dogs and chickens.

Pra Jinda Kunawatthano, 52, who is the abbot at the temple, said: ''The horse arrived and had blood problem. She was about to be executed when someone brought her to the temple to save her life.

"We let her roam around free and never put her on a leash once. At first she ate grass on the lawn but then started to eat normal food. First, she starts with eating left over from the morning merit ritual. Sometimes people that come to the temple feed snacks.

Normally I mixed all leftover like meatballs from clear soup or stirred fried dishes with rice to feed temple dogs. Sometimes there are spicy dishes mixed in with it but she eats it all. She even eats the other animal's food.

"She has been eating well and now her blood problem has recovered. She has found herself a new home here, eating, sleeping and making friends with visitors. She is part of the temple family, now.''

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