Beer works wonders for two four-legged regulars at a popular country pub.

Shire horses Patch and Charlie are so fond of the occasional tipple at the Golden Galleon, overlooking the Cuckmere Valley, they get excited each time they get near the pub.

Patch and Charlie have become such a hit with the owners, staff and customers that they have been given their own tankards inscribed with their names.

When they arrive at the pub, just outside Seaford, Patch, aged eight, and Charlie, three, wait patiently in the gardens ready for pub owner Stefano Diella to fetch their tankards of beer.

The horses are used to the taste of the Golden Galleon's own brews, such as Downland Bitter, Cuckmere Haven Best and Saxon Berserker.

The mini brewery at the pub is the only one in Sussex which uses hops grown in its grounds.

The excess malt from the brewery is given to Patchlands Shires at Hellingly, where Patch and Charlie are stabled, so it can be mixed in with their feed.

The vitamins in the malt are good for the coats of the horses.

Adie Matthews, who runs Patchlands with his wife Jane, said: "They have malt mixed with their feed each day and they love it.

"They both like their beer as well. Charlie is the alcoholic of the two and we have to restrict the amount he has.

"He is particularly found of the stronger Saxon Berserker. Patch is a bit more laid back but still fond of a pint."

Alan Edgar, chief brewer at the Goldon Galleon, said: "We are delighted the run-off malt is put to such good use to ensure these fine horses are kept in tip-top condition."

Shire horses are one of England's best-loved and oldest breeds, dating back to the 16th Century.

The horses from Patchlands are regularly hired out for special events and the public loves to see the large horses dressed up in their finery.

The word shire derives from the Saxon word schyran, which means to shear or divide. This is why the word turns up in the names of counties, indicating land which had been divided.

In mediaeval and Tudor times, a lot of attention was paid to breeding strong horses in Britain, as they had to carry knights in armour weighing about 30st.

Laws were even passed forbidding the breeding of horses under 15 hands in height.

Both Patch, at 17.3 hands, and Charlie, at 16 hands and still growing, are way over the old minimum height - thanks to their malt-based diet and occasional pint.