MEET Polo - believed to be the oldest working horse in Wales. The 40-year-old Shetland Cross Welsh Mountain pony stands at just 11.2 hands high and works every weekend with children aged from four to seven, who use him for riding lessons.

Owner Jane Smith, of Undy, bought Polo 12 years ago, after putting an advert in a local paper.

"He was bought for my daughter Emily, then seven-years-old, and her six-year-old friend Joanne. They shared him so they could learn how to ride," said Mrs Smith.

"He was rescued from Wick, near Bristol. I put the ad in the newspaper saying I was looking for a pony for my daughter to learn to ride. "A lady had rescued him after he was abandoned in a tiny paddock, in poor condition. We nursed him for the best part of a year, until he was well enough to ride."

Today, Polo works with four different families. During the past nine years, since Emily stopped riding him, he has worked with 27 families, with a total of 34 children.

Mrs Smith said: "He was out on Boxing Day, raising funds of £85 for Tenovus cancer charity.

"I will let Polo retire as and when he no longer enjoys it. Right now I think his health would go down rapidly if he stopped working.

"At the moment he's enjoying working and it's keeping him fit."