Terrifying video shows moment 10-year-old's horse bolts on a countryside hack reaching speeds of 28mph

It’s the moment anyone who rides with young people fears - a pony bolting with a child in the saddle. When it happens, all that’s left to do is say a silent prayer and scream ‘sit up’ to give the youngster their best chance of staying on.

And that’s exactly what played out for equestrian, Michelle Ross, while out hacking with friends, including a 10-year-old rider. The 48-year-old was riding her horse Leila, while the young girl was riding little Loki, a horse Michelle was familiar with, having ridden with his previous owner on hunts and trail rides.

The plan was for the girl to ride calmly next to Michelle but Loki had other ideas and suddenly took off. Michelle, from Blidworth, Nottinghamshire, said: “He just decided to go for a run, which was quite naughty.

“He was excited because he recognized the field and although he was well-behaved in the woods, he just wanted to run.”

Michelle, despite feeling petrified, kept her composure and guided the young rider to stay calm and slowly regain control of the runaway horse. Michelle said: “It’s a scary situation but I didn’t want the girl to be any more frightened than she already was.”

The dramatic video sees speeds of 28mph being reached before Loki finally begins to slow. Michelle and Leila catch up with the runaway, drawing up alongside them before they all finally come to a stop, much to the relief of everyone present.

The young rider, dressed in the appropriate protective gear, did remarkably well, holding on and following Michelle's instructions.

Despite the shock, the ride ended with smiles and relief, the sheer joy when the pony finally came to a halt plain to see on the video. Michelle said: "Nothing bad happened and she did so well. It was an ecstatic moment by the end."