Socks struts his stuff to Fleetwood Mac.

The Shetland pony that starred in a commercial for mobile phone network Three has found itself at the centre of a paternity battle after swimming across a Scottish loch to be with the mare of its dreams.

Socks found fame while moonwalking to Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere in the Three advert released earlier this year. Before the bright lights came calling, the five-year-old was already busy working as a stud stallion, however, and his lustful ways have led him into hot water over the paternity of a certain foal.

Born last month to a mare named Kimberley, Scamp the foal does not know who his father is. His mother had been happily grazing in a field with another mare and another stallion, Nuggett, when Socks took a shining to her and swam across a loch to get better acquainted.

Socks’ owner, Mari Williamson, told her story to The Telegraph: “There is a bit of paternity battle involving him at the moment. I put him with three ladies in a field with a loch. But he is a very good swimmer and unfortunately he took a shine to another one of my mares – who I had put in a group with my other stallion Nuggett. He just fancied her more and thought the grass is always greener on the other side.

“Socks swam across – and with his three ladies in tow – and now we don’t know for sure who is Scamp’s real father. Socks was put in stables for two weeks after. He’s certainly one for the ladies.”

She added that there is now an expensive DNA testing process in motion to ascertain who is Socks’ true father and to “keep the line correct”. Socks’ fame mean that Scamp will command a premium if he is sold with confirmation of his lineage.

Fortunately Ms Williamson confirmed that even if Socks turns out to be the son of Nuggett, Socks has “plenty of years as a stud in him so “there should be lots of little Socks running about”.