VOLUNTEERS building wooden benches for Machynlleth’s Gerddi Bro Ddyfi Gardens had a special helping hand - a pony to help move large logs.

Gerddi Bro Ddyfi Gardens is holding a series of woodworking days as part of the Big Lottery-funded Sowing Seeds project, with the special days including making the simple wooden benches that will be placed around the garden.

Angela Paxton, the senior volunteer coordinator, said the group had asked Polly Williams and her gypsy cob pony, called Archie, to move the logs from the car park at Y Plas to the community garden as the logs were too big to be moved by hand.

Despite a string of distractions, including lawnmowers, chainsaws and some curious dogs, Angela said Archie had done a great job.

She said: “It was a real treat to have Polly and Archie helping us in the gardens.

“Archie is such a beautiful calm animal, we were all completely charmed by him.

“As a plus, horse logging is good for the environment, with very little fuel or noise pollution compared to tractors or other big vehicles.”

Polly added: “Ponies can get to places that vehicles cannot and they leave very little evidence of their being there, just a few hoof prints providing holes for saplings to put down roots - and sometimes some added fertiliser.”