Family members who were enjoying a quiet evening at home were surprised by an unexpected visit when a horse crashed through their roof and ended up in their kitchen.

The bizarre incident took place at a family home in the residential area of Monte Rey in the Brazilian municipality of Presidente Prudente on the night of 4th May.

According to the police, the adult horse was grazing on land backing onto the property and inadvertently wandered onto its roof, as it was at the same height as the land and it was also dark at the time.

However, the 300-kilogramme (47-stone) equine was clearly no match for the house’s makeshift corrugated roof, and it fell through into the kitchen underneath.

The property’s residents, a family, had just had dinner and were startled by the loud noise.

They ran into the room, thinking a thief had broken in, and got the surprise of their lives when they saw the huge horse standing there in the kitchen.

A photo taken inside the house shows the hefty animal standing on its legs amongst debris in the kitchen with a cut to its shoulder.

Other photos show the huge hole the horse left in the roof and the flimsy wooden beams it broke through during its two-metre (6.6-ft) descent.

Despite getting the shock of their lives, the family members were uninjured in the accident. Their kitchen, however, ended up worse for wear.

Workers from the Zoonosis Control Centre rescued the animal and treated it for the minor open wound sustained during its fall. It is currently doing well.

The family has filed a report with the police in the hope of receiving a payout to fix their broken roof and damaged kitchen.

At the time of reporting, the Zoonosis Control Centre was holding the animal until its owner appeared to retrieve it for a fee.

If the owner does not show up, the horse will be donated to a charity to be resold.

The Zoonosis Control Centre has pleaded with the local population to not leave large animals loose so as to avoid similar accidents.