Brave Rider Saves Horse From Drowning… Race against the tide: Bravery of young mother who stayed by her horse’s side for THREE HOURS after getting trapped in mud ‘like quicksand’ This was the terrifying moment a brave young mother battled to keep her beloved horse calm as sea water closed in on the animal after he became trapped in mud ‘like quicksand’. Exhausted and mud-splattered, Nicole Graham clung to her trapped horse Astro for three hours keeping his head high in a race against the tide. The 78-stone show horse had sunk into quagmire-like mud and was facing the prospect of drowning as the water rose around them. Miss Graham had been out on an afternoon ride with her daughter along the coast near Geelong, south of Melbourne, when 18-year-old Astro suddenly sunk into the mud. Before she could shout a warning, the smaller horse her daughter Paris was riding was also partially swallowed up by the mud. After dragging herself through the mire, Miss Graham helped her daughter and the other horse on to firmer ground. However, Astro was stuck fast and her efforts to pull him free only resulted in herself sinking deeper into the quagmire. As Paris ran to their car and phoned for help, Miss Graham stayed at her horse’s side. She courageously clung on to his neck, terrified that he would not be freed before the tide came in. After three ‘terrifying’ hours, rescuers managed to pull Astro and Miss Graham from the mud. Photo & Story from Andres Grijalva/added by Olga Itina