This is the moment traffic stalled on the A19 as horses escaped onto the busy road.
Four horses were captured on a video taken by Peter West as the animals brought traffic to a standstill on the road near Houghton.
Traffic was seen slowly crawling on the northbound road as the horses trotted in front of the queuing cars.
The animals also passed over the central barrier and were seen walking around stationary vehicles on the other side of the road.
Police officers were called to the area at around 12pm on Monday but the animals had been safely rounded up when they arrived.
It is thought that the horses managed to get loose from a nearby field and went on a short adventure onto the main road.
Traffic was moving again between the A690 and the A183 in Sunderland around 20 minutes after the horses were first spotted on the road.
