Philip Stark was on a long run in the hills above Berkeley, California, when he started thinking differently about the wild green plants around him.

Much like enjoying a vintage wine – something soft and rounded on the palette, warm, rich in flavour and mellow – our ideal of ageing is that it should be full of opportunities to relax, reflect and reap the rewards after a lifetime of hard work and family commitments.

Hairy caterpillars, bird-borne bacteria, and flying foxes share something in common – they all pose serious threats to the lives of horses.