Watch: Viral video star Thunder happy to be back on dry ground

Thunder enjoys an apple. Photo/Beth Ferguson

A happy Thunder (pictured) eats apples yesterday after Friday's floodwaters ordeal in the Hakataramea Valley.

About 4.30pm on Friday, horses and ponies, including Thunder, belonging to Beth and Ben Ferguson, were trapped as they tried to cross a raging torrent in what is usually a dry creek bed on the Fergusons' paddock.

Mrs Ferguson said the horses were in shock after they tried to cross the creek and became stuck.

Warning: Language may offend

Click here for the Fergusons' video on YouTube

"They were pretty shaken up, but they have just started to calm down. They're here eating apples over the fence.

"It's a dry creek bed that only runs one or two times a year and when it does it's just a tiny creek."

She said both she and Mr Ferguson had checked on the animals earlier that day and saw them high on a hill and thought they would be safe.

"For some reason they decided to come back to the house. They got halfway across and decided they didn't want to cross any further."

Tension was high as the horses stalled through their crossing.

There was only about an hour of daylight left, but thankfully they figured out a way to cross the water, Mrs Ferguson said.

A video of the ordeal has been shared widely on Facebook and features on YouTube's trending list.