PEOPLE in West Devon are being asked to share their love and give a pony a home.

South West Equine Protection (SWEP), a small charity helping Dartmoor and Bodmin ponies, is appealing to find loan homes for these small and hardy ponies.

Loan pony co-ordinator Adele Cassidy said: 'The winter seems to have hit our loan homes hard as we have had a huge number of ponies being returned from their loan homes.

'All equine owners and carers are feeling the effects of higher hay prices and the charity is feeling it too. We currently have 20 mouths to feed at our rehabilitation yard, most of them are ready for new loan homes to take them on.'

SWEP rehome the ponies on a loan scheme, where the pony remains the property of SWEP, but the loan home will treat them as their own. SWEP looks for long-term homes, matching ponies with people as best they can.

Anyone interested in taking on a SWEP pony, please visit the SWEP website at http://www.swep.org.uk">www.swep.org.uk to find out more about the scheme and see all the ponies looking for homes, or contact Adele Cassidy on 07780 673672.