A SELBY horse lover turned inventor is making her mark with a new easy-to-use tool.

Tish Fearne (picture), who set up the National Equine Defence Society horse sanctuary at Birkin, near Selby, 10 years ago was born with one hand.

She began suffering strain injuries from heavy stable and field work and found mucking out heavy shavings, which are used instead of straw for horses with breathing trouble, particularly difficult.

Her groundbreaking idea is a lightweight tool which can be used in stable yards, fields, gardens and even to clear snow. The secret of the interchangeable long-handled fork or shovel lies in the angle of the shaft, which relieves pressure on the arm, back and shoulders.

Updated: 11:57 Thursday, December 06, 2001