Eddie Vedder reveals 'terrifying' horse riding disaster with Bruce Springsteen

Eddie Vedder has revealed how a casual afternoon with Bruce Springsteen turned into a terrifying ordeal involving a runaway horse.

Speaking to Howard Stern on Tuesday, the 61-year-old Pearl Jam frontman admitted he has long harboured a phobia of the animals. Despite his nerves, he joined "The Boss" and their wives for a ride that quickly spiralled out of control.

“I’m terrified of horses, and that ride with Bruce did not help anything at all,” Vedder confessed, recalling how he tried to hide his panic.

“I was trying to act not terrified. I was like, ‘I got this…’ You know, don’t let the shark know you’re scared.” The facade crumbled when his horse bolted off the trail and into dense woodland.

Vedder described the sensation of "surfing" the animal as he frantically looked for an escape route: “What I remember is surfing the horse and looking, ‘Where am I gonna jump? Where am I gonna jump?’”

Though the group, including Patti Scialfa, shouted instructions, the horse eventually repeated its erratic behaviour. Fortunately, Vedder stayed upright, earning a rare compliment from the rock legend.

“So in the end, Bruce said that was pretty good horsemanship that I, you know, didn’t crack my head,” Vedder joked.

The harrowing experience wasn't all bad; a photo Springsteen took of the shaken singer later inspired Vedder’s track "Picture."

While Springsteen’s daughter is an Olympic equestrian, it seems Vedder will be sticking firmly to the stage from now on.