Longing for love and a square meal, Chennai's Marina Beach horses find both

The horses on Chennai's Marina beach were slowly starving to death because of the lockdown until Shiranee Pereira decided to take a hand

Everyone who’s grown up in Chennai knows about them. They are beautiful piebald horses that clip-clop along the Marina Beach on breezy evenings, their heads down, ears up as the children on their backs squeal with delight. They’re wonderfully tame and will nuzzle children if allowed to. On good days, you can actually see the sea smiling at the sight.
 

The pretty picture comes at a cost. Joy-ride horses on Marina work hard to earn their keep. Owners can earn up to Rs 300-500 a day from joyrides and offer the horses at weddings, etc. From the earnings of Rs