Mountain ponies run out of water

A herd of wild ponies at a mountain beauty spot have been saved after their watering holes dried up in the continuing heat.

Horse lovers mounted a rescue mission for the 200 ponies roaming free on sun-baked moorland.

Instead of leading the horses to water, 3,500 gallons were transported from a nearby quarry lake to top up their favourite drinking spot.

An animal charity ferried the water in bowsers from the quarry to Gelligaer Common, near Caerphilly, South Wales.

Kay Lewis of the Welsh Pony Rescue and Rehoming Charitable Trust, which mounted the rescue, said: “The watering holes have turned into slurry and mud with foals getting stuck. But having the drinking water delivered has averted a disaster.”

Rod Noble, the quarry manager who supplied the bowser, said: “We just had to help.”