A miniature pony was left stranded on the roof of a house this week after being swept away by floods.

Leaf, a therapy animal from Japan, was last seen disappearing into a rain swollen river, leaving behind the flooded farm where she was looked after alongside other animals.

Staff working at the centre feared that nine year-old Leaf had drowned after they organised a search party in the area but could not find her.

Staff working at the centre feared that nine year-old Leaf had drowned when they organised a search party in the area and could not find her (Picture: Asia Wire)

However as the floods cleared, the little horse was spotted amid the scenes of devastation – standing on the roof of a house.

Mari Tanimoto, 49, who works at the organisation, said she was shocked when she got a call to say that Leaf had been found.

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The horse was covered in mud and had injured one of her legs but was otherwise unharmed.

Residents meanwhile are baffled as to how she ended up there – insisting that the water levels never reached high enough to leave her on the roof.

Getting her down off the roof also posed a problem. Rescuers fed her carrots in order to keep her calm while they devised a strategy that eventually involved bringing her in through a window.

Mari Tanimoto, 49, who works at the organisation, said she was shocked when she got a call to say that Leaf had been found (Picture: Asia Wire)

Another centre worker Masayuki Yoshida, 48, said: ‘I thought that she was already dead, but luckily she seems to have survived on the roof’ (Picture: Asia Wire)

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Tanimoto said despite the difficulties she was so happy to see the tiny horse that she cried when they were reunited.

Another centre worker Masayuki Yoshida, 48, said: ‘I thought that she was already dead, but luckily she seems to have survived on the roof.’