Staff at Lluest Horse and Pony Trust near Llangadog have been coming to terms with the death of their much loved senior resident pony, Gwilym.

Born in 1991 Gwilym was bought for just £18 by the charity’s founder Ginny Hajdukiewicz when he was declared ‘unfit for sale’ at a local pony market.

Suffering from severe malnutrition Gwilym was never able to grow a proper coat, mane or tail and in an effort to keep him warm Lluest turned their farmhouse living room into a temporary ‘pop up stable’.

Gwilym lived in the farmhouse for three months before being able to move to the charity’ s stables to live out the rest of his long life, becoming a firm favourite with staff and visitors alike.

Lluest Trustee, Rhiannon Pugh said: "We are all terribly sad to have lost Gwilym in our 30th anniversary year of existence as a charity, he will be very much missed by staff, volunteers and supporters. Gwilym was an example of what Lluest strives to achieve and we have been overwhelmed by messages of support from all over the UK, many of whom remembered Gwilym when he arrived at the charity in 1991."

Founded in 1985 Lluest Horse and Pony Trust is based in the Brecon Beacons National Park and rescues horses, ponies and donkeys from suffering, abuse and neglect. Full details about the charity’s work can found on their website www.lluesthorseandponytrust.co.uk or Facebook pages www.facebook.com/lluest