A horse has been rescued after spending almost 24 hours trapped in the Santa Ana river in California. 

The owners of the horse, which is called Conquistador, said it became unsettled and bolted while riding next to the river, becoming stuck in the riverbed at around 6pm on Saturday.

The animal was located with the aid of social media before being rescued by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Footage shared online showed Conquistador being airlifted from the river by a helicopter with the aid of a specially designed harness. It was then placed down safely in a paddock, but was too exhausted to move.