Lauren Mahaffey was helped onto the horse to pose for pictures on a Californian beach ahead of her wedding ceremony.

But the horse had other things in mind and suddenly bolted from its handlers, launching the bride off the saddle and onto the sand.

Off she goes ... The bride struggles to hold on as the horse takes off. Picture: Jarrett Hucks Photography Source: Supplied

Photographer Jarrett Hucks told the NY Daily News that “I’ve talked to a few equestrian people and they said it was the fabric that freaked the horse out.

“I’m not much a fan of large animals myself because of the unpredictability of them, but I agreed to take the photo.

“I was dumbfounded. I stood there frozen…but she got up laughing. We were all relieved she wasn’t hurt.… She was a really good sport about it,” he added.

Thankfully the bride didn’t seem to mind and wasn’t seriously injured.

Photo fail ... The bride is scooped up from the sand after being thrown off the horse. Picture: Jarrett Hucks Photography Source: Supplied