A Woman Stays By Her Horse’s Side For 3 Hours After The 900-Pound Animal Becomes Trapped In The Mud

After her beloved horse became entangled in muck, a young mother waited with him for over three hours. The horse was eventually saved after a race around the clock with the sea rising swiftly. Initially, the heroic woman was able to save her daughter and another horse.

For this mother-daughter team and their two horses, a ride on the beach turned into a nightmare. Nicole Graham was riding Astro, a 17-year-old horse, while her daughter Paris was riding a smaller horse, when the big animals became entangled in muck. The mom raced to save her daughter and her horse out of desperation.

Astro was straining to find his way out, and his desperate attempts to free himself only served to sink him farther. So his owner clung to him, attempting to calm him down, until the small daughter Paris sought assistance. The child went to their car, where she was able to contact for assistance. Meanwhile, her mother remained at Astro’s side. Both the horse and his owner were fatigued by the time a rescue squad arrived. Fortunately, after sedating Astro, they were able to drag him to safety. Graham, who owns ten horses, found the encounter unsettling.

“It was frightening. Seeing my horse exhausted and struggling was also heartbreaking,” the woman told the Geelong Advertiser. “There was mud everywhere, and any movement sucked me back down. It refused to let us go.” The horse was rescued thanks to the efforts of the fire department, which collaborated with a veterinarian and a local farmer. Fortunately, Astro was uninjured and only dehydrated!

“It was a race against the tide and fortunately we won,” said fire lieutenant Roger Buckle. “It was like a quicksand.” Nicole Graham, the horse’s owner, was recognized by veterinarian Stacey Sullivan with saving the horse’s life. “A lot of horses don’t make it and I think without the owner there, the chance of survival would have been a lot lower,” she said. More on this thrilling rescue in the video below!