A New Forest resident was in for a shock when he opened his doorbell camera app and saw footage of a pony using it to scratch its backside.

Paul Stephenson, 71, was alerted by his Ring app that there was movement outside his house.

He opened it to find frequent visitor Rumble, a 27-year-old pony, staring straight into the camera in hopes of a feeding.

The amusing clip then shows the hoofed guest leaning in to inspect the doorbell before casually using the device to scratch an itch.

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Rumble usually visits the retiree's home in the winter months for a daily feed and spends the rest of the year roaming freely through the forest.

Paul noted that summer visits from Rumble are rare, making this surprise appearance all the more unexpected.

The 71-year-old shared the video on Instagram and joked that moments like this make his Ring doorbell purchase "worth every penny."

Rumble is Paul's only regular horsey guest, but he did note that his home is familiar to other animals too.