Red Rum won the Grand National at Aintree in 1973, 1974 and 1977

The three-times National winner, who died in 1995, was cited by 45% of Britons who were asked to name an equine animal.

Black Beauty came second with 33% and 1981 Derby winner Shergar, kidnapped in 1983, was third on 23%.

Mori surveyed 1,945 people across Britain for The Brooke, an overseas equine welfare charity.

The Brooke CEO Mike Baker said 90 million working animals were "the world's real equine heroes".

'Harshest environments'

The survey also listed arduous jobs carried out by horses, mules and donkeys abroad, and asked respondents which they thought was the worst.

BRITAIN'S BEST-KNOWN EQUINES Red Rum: 45% Black Beauty: 33% Shergar: 23% Desert Orchid: 16% Muffin the Mule: 13% Donkey from Shrek: 9% Winnie the Pooh's Eeyore: 8%

Carrying sand and gravel from river beds was named by 22%, while 17% nominated working at brick kilns.

Mr Baker said: "Our poll shows that when most of us think of equine animals we think that they are 'beautiful' (45%), 'powerful' (35%), 'fast' (35%) and 'strong' (34%).

"But these are attributes we would find hard to apply to the 90 million working animals that struggle day in, day out, in some of the harshest environments in the world."

Red Rum became a household name after winning the Grand National at Aintree in 1973, 1974 and 1977.

His death in 1995 at the age of 30 made the front pages of national newspapers.