Animal Rights 1, Rolling Stones 0!

The Rolling Stones have been forced to cancel their upcoming concert in Serbia - so a stable of horses don't have to be drugged. The legendary British band were due to rock Belgrade's Hippodrome racetrack on July 14, and it had been suggested the 300 horses stabled just yards away be sedated to keep them calm during the raucous show.

However, The Stones decided to change the location of the concert after animal protection society ORCA raised their concerns.

Raka Maric - manager of Music Star Production, the show's organisers - said: "The concert will not take place at the Hippodrome."

The organisers sent a letter to ORCA in a bid to quell their concerns and iterate the band was never prepared to jeopardise the wellbeing of the nearby equine residents.

Maric said: "The Rolling Stones' band members are great animal lovers. We didn't manage to convince The Stones' management that the concert would not harm the horses."

It is believed the venue will now be switched to Usce park, which was the location of a major 1989 rally against the late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. The Rolling Stones have never played in Serbia. A scheduled 2003 concert was cancelled in the wake of the assassination of then prime minister Zoran Djindjic. A 2006 show had to be shelved after guitarist Keith Richards injured himself while on holiday.