An Austrian man has tried to board two passenger trains with his horse named Frieda.

But train conductors refused to continue the journey with Frieda aboard.

Photos of the young man holding Frieda surrounded by laughing passengers were shared on Twitter and retweeted by state rail company OeBB.

"We hope this will stay a one-off," OeBB spokeswoman Julianne Pamme was quoted by Austrian news agency APA as saying, adding that horses could be dangerous, for example if the train had to break suddenly.

OeBB guidelines stipulate that small, harmless animals in closed and secure containers, as well as dogs on leashes and wearing muzzles can be taken on trains.

It's not the first time a horse owner has tried to board a train with their four-legged companion.

In 2011, a man was captured on CCTV lead his pony along a Wales train platform after buying two tickets - for himself and the animal.

Like Freida, the white pony was deemed too big for train travel by conductors.