This is Scary Mom as a brave young mother fought to keep her beloved horse calm as seawater closed in on the animal after it got stuck in ‘like a qυcksп’.

Exhausted and splashed, Nicole Graham clung to her stranded horse Astro for three hours, head held high in a race against the tide.

The 78-pitch show horse felt like a storm and was facing the risk of drowning as the water rose above them.

‘Like a qυcksпd’: Both Miss Graham and her horse were stuck to their waists at low tide

Desperate: Nicole Graham comforts her 18-year-old show horse Astro after he became stranded at the beach

Devoured: Astro becomes trapped very quickly and Miss Graham’s attempts to free him result in her sinking deeper into the quagmire

Ms Graham had been walking with her daughter along the beach in Geelong, south of Melbourne, where 18-year-old Astro was trapped in the mud.

Before she could fire a shot, the smaller horse that Paris and her daughter were riding was also partially swallowed by the mud.

After dragging herself through the mud, Ms. Graham helped her daughter guide the other horse to a more stable place.

However, Astro quickly became trapped and her efforts to free him caused her to sink deeper into the quagmire.

To the rescue: Veterinarian Stacey Sulliп prepares to sedate Astro to get him out safely

Tidal terror: Brave mother tries to keep her horse calm as rescuers seek to free the animal

Emotions: Ms Graham said it was heartbreaking to see her horse exhausted and stressed

When Paris jumped into their car and called for help, Miss Graham remained by her horse. She courageously clung to his neck, fearing that he would not be freed before the tide rose.

After three ‘terrifying’ hours, rescuers came up with a plan to rescue Astro and Miss Graham from the mud.

Ms Graham, who owns more than 10 horses and ponies and an industrial management company, told the Geelong Advertiser how the peaceful trip then turned into horror.

She said: ‘It’s horrifying. It also broke my heart to see my horse exhausted from stress.

Racing against the tide: The water is getting closer to the horse as the animal tries to free it

Trapped fast: Rescuers look for ways to free the trapped horse as time slowly ticks away for him

Pulled free: Astro is pulled from the mud with the help of a farmer’s tractor

‘We’ll go straight down. There was mud everywhere and every time I moved, it made me fall. He refused to let go.”

After getting her daughter and her horse to safety, she returned to Astro and prayed that rescuers would arrive before the tide swept the horse away.

She added: ‘I’ve been driving here for 20 years and there’s never been a single drama. I hadn’t seen any of the signs and didn’t realize it was so muddy.

‘When I saw the dust from the rescue truck, I felt very relieved. I started to feel overwhelmed.”

Firefighter Roger Buckle, who was among the group of helpers, said: ‘It was like a quicksand.’

The fire brigade worked with a local farmer who provided a tractor and veterinary team. Fire hoses and a hose, but this piece of equipment is very effective.

Sedation and exhaustion: Astro collapsed in the hole after he was pulled out of the mud, to the rescue of rescuers

Saved: Veterinarian Stacey Sulliп helps Astro stand up as the effects of the sedative wear off

A local helicopter was on standby as a last resort to get Astro out of the mud.

The combined rescue effort paid off. With drops of water to spare before the water arrived, Astro – who had been anesthetized by vet Stacey Sullivaп – was pulled out of the mud with the help of the farmer’s tractor.

“It’s a race against the tide and we will definitely win,” said Liept Buckle, praising everyone’s efforts, including those of Ms. Sullivaп, whose job Astro anesthesia makes it easier to free him.

Ms Sulliп said Astro was dehydrated but was coping well.

“A lot of horses don’t make it and I think if the owner wasn’t there the chances of survival would be a lot lower,” she said.

It’s all over: Miss Graham led her horse away from the beach after a traumatic rescue

Aftermath: Astro and Ms. Graham are led to safety after the movie. The veterinarian said the horse may not have made a sound because of its owner’s efforts