Somerset pony becomes foster mum to three orphaned lambs

Three orphaned lambs that were rescued by a woman in Somerset now have a new foster mum - a Welsh mountain pony called Heidi.

The mare is even feeding her adopted trio with the family's vet putting it down to "the randomness of nature".

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Becky Popham took on the lambs from a local farmer as they needed a home when their mothers died. Becky's late father was a sheep dealer and she says she was pleased to help.

But, after putting them in the stable with mare Heidi to keep them secure she says she had no idea the pony would warm to the new arrivals like she has.

Soon the youngsters and the horse could not be separated and Heidi had become their foster mum.

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Becky says sometimes Heidi lies down for the lambs and lets them jump all over her, which is"lovely to watch and really quite unusual".

Heidi will not let Becky's other horse, Snow White anywhere near them.

She says, "My older horse doesn't like them. If she sees them she snorts."

Becky still has to bottle-feed the lambs three times a day, as Heidi's milk is really only a comfort for them. The mother of three doesn't think it's weird that they feed from a pony. She says "It's the animal kingdom at its finest".

Her children have named the trio - two boys and a girl - Prince, George and Dewdrop. The lambs will be kept as pets, adding to the family's menagerie of a dog, three cats and of course the two horses.

Becky points out that the youngsters could even prove useful - not just for their wool but also because they eat things horses will not, keeping the grazing under control.