Can't afford a racehorse? How about a racing guinea pig?

In the city of Probolinggo on the north coast of East Java, Indonesia, children enjoy racing guinea pigs.

They release the rodents two at a time down a narrow, fenced off run so that the pets scamper in a straight line to the finish.

With children lining the "racecourse" and shouting encouragement to their favourites, the rodents dash surprisingly quickly to the finish line.

After completing the race, a competitor's only reward appears to be a cuddle from its proud owner.

Despite their common name, these animals are not from the pig family and they don't come from Guinea in Africa. They originated in the Andes of South America and have spread widely around the world since domestication.