A WOMAN and her horse narrowly escaped disaster after being sucked into a pit of mud.

Michaella Philpot, 20, was riding her horse, Mika, in Coombe Wood, Benfleet, when her mount stepped in a pool of mud and became submerged up to her chest.

Miss Philpot and Mika struggled for several terrifying minutes, being sucked deeper into the pit, until Mika managed to gain a foothold on firm ground and drag them out.

Miss Philpot, who works at Brayside Equestrian Centre, in Great Burches Road, Benfleet, wants to warn other riders.

She said: “We were following a bridleway through the woods when it disappeared and there were just leaves everywhere.

“Mika started lifting her legs higher because she was walking through the mud and then all of a sudden we just sank.

“Somehow, I ended up next to her and we were up to our chests.

It seemed like the more we struggled, the deeper we sank into the mud. It was like quicksand.

“Thankfully, Mika stayed really calm and managed to find a footing. I held on to her reigns and as she climbed out of the mud, she jerked her head so that she lifted me out.”

Miss Philpott has been horseriding for four years and has been riding Mika, an ex-racehorse, for about nine months.

She said: “I have never been in this situation before. It’s one of my worst fears.”

Miss Philpot said she had spoken to some local residents and gathered there were a number of abandoned ponds in the wood.

She said: “I just want to warn other people about the dangers in the wood.”

Terry Isherwood, from Friends of Coombe Wood, said: “Coombe Wood is made up of left-over plot lands, which means it is not owned by one person.

“The wood has village green status, which means it can be used by local residents to enjoy for leisure, which includes horse riding.

“That means that basically people use the wood at their own risk. There was an old lake in the wood, which many of the residents are aware of. However, as far as I know, it does not go near the bridleway.”

A spokesman for Castle Point Council said: “Castle Point Council owns only a portion of the wood with many of the remaining plotlands in unidentified ownership.

“The council maintains the woodland within the council’s ownership as required in conjunction with the Friends of Coombe Wood. At present, there are no plans to carry out any works that will divert or establish any water-holding areas.

“Coombe Wood does have at least one pond in it, but, at this time of the year it is to be expected that, it is full of water by now.

“Anyone riding in the wood is strongly advised to use the marked bridleways to avoid such an unfortunate experience.”