This isn’t the beginning of a joke.
Bar staff at the Oak Inn got a surprise on Sunday as a pony wandered into the pub and approached the bar exactly as if it was going to order a pint.
Landlord Martin Barrett and bartender Lizzy Peeling were stunned.
The brown New Forest pony walked in through the front door of the pub as customers were tucking in to their Sunday roasts.
Along with the Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes, they got a side order of New Forest pony.
Martin Barrett told Metro.co.uk: ‘The pony had obviously come in for a spot of lunch.
‘It was a bit of a shock and the pub was full of people. We were doing the second sitting of Sunday dinners and I literally looked up and there was a pony at the end of the bar.
‘The customers all started taking pictures and the horse didn’t seem bothered at all.
New bartender Lizzie Peeling, 24, used her knowledge from a previous job as a horse groom to lead the horse back outside.
‘Luckily, my new member of staff Lizzie had experience with horses.
‘She said: “I’ll sort it” and went straight round, got the pony by the nose and led it out for the pub.
‘The New Forest ponies tend to be very docile. People own them but they don’t have a lot of contact with humans. They’re allowed to just roam around and hang out with other ponies.
‘They tend to be inquisitive and mischievous, and they do come into the car park and sneak up behind customers!’
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It sounds like the Oak Inn hasn’t seen the last of the curious New Forest ponies.
Equine enthusiasts now know the a great place to grab a beer.
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