Out for a trot: Molly the Horse and Danielle Garden out for a ride. Photo: Josh Huntly
Photo by
Josh Huntly
As it turns out, you can bring a horse to water, and that’s precisely what Moama’s Danielle Garden did with Molly the Horse to provide a humorous spark during a dark time in the region’s history.
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The docile 26-year-old mare has become something of a local celebrity after her flood updates, which included metrics such as water levels — measured via tape levels on her legs — mosquito levels, water location, and anecdotes went viral on Facebook, garnering a following of 1000 people online.
For her services to the community and in what shapes as a first in Murray River Council’s Australia Day proceedings, Molly looks poised to be the first animal nominated for Citizen of the Year, receiving her letter in the mail last month.
“I did have quite a laugh (when the nomination letter came), Molly did, too,” Ms Garden said.
“She’s the first horse to be nominated, I’m sure.
“It was nice because it obviously all started in the floods. I started riding around here, looking for the water to come up to my place.
“All the Kiely Rd, Shetland Dve people would all see me and know what I was doing.
“I’d get stopped 15 times on the way home, so I thought I’d just start the Facebook page.”
Molly and Ms Garden have ridden together since 2015 and have often been sighted around Echuca Moama.
But as the community grappled with the severe flood event, Molly’s first-person, or first-horse, perspectives provided a valuable, light-hearted look at the unfolding situation and awareness of the situation for those following online.
“I started doing that and sharing it on the community page,” Ms Garden said.
“Everyone just jumped on it. I enjoy riding anyway and having a laugh, but all of a sudden, it just went whoosh, it was gold.
“There were lots of comments like that, ‘you’re putting smiles on our faces,’ ‘it’s the highlight of our day.’
“That stuff made it feel pretty worthwhile and probably made sure I kept going with it and her getting out there.
“I think a lot of families or people who used to be from here and couldn’t get knowledge on the floods somehow found Molly.”
However, locals have come to know the personable mare outside of the flood emergency through her other endeavours.
Appearances at Fashion on the Field events at Echuca Racecourse and the Gunbower Cup have been a highlight, with Molly donning fashionable frocks.
With no on-track action at Gunbower that day, Molly quickly became one of the main attractions.
“She got a sash for the Fashion in the Fields,” Ms Garden said.
“She just stands there (when she is dressed). She looks at you as if to say not again.”
Glamourous: Molly dressed up for the Gunbower Cup. Photo: Supplied
Molly also has a film credit to her name, starring as an extra in the locally produced short film Loki and Me.
“She’s a real social horse; she could just be in the lounge room watching television,” Ms Garden said.
“She’s a cracker, so I just sort of speak through her eyes, what I imagine she’s thinking and how she goes past everything.
“I take her through the drive-thru Bottle-O, I take her to the coffee shops, we go up to the coffee shop at Three Black Sheep.
“She went to a footy club party and rode into the bar. She’s very quiet, but she really loves that sort of stuff.
“She loves being the centre of attention.”
A former track and cart horse, Molly spends her days in a paddock with her friend Don Quay, whom Ms Garden called the “wild child” of the property.
“Don Quay is a bit of a wild child; he’s the rogue bandit of the crew,” she said.
“From what I heard, donkeys and horses don’t really mix that well when they first meet.
“They just bonded straight away. We can’t take one away … well you can, but when I take Molly for a ride, Don does laps of the yard.
“If I take Don out, Molly just runs and neighs. The other horses have zero response.”
Molly will now attend Murray River Council’s Australia Day ceremonies, and another costume awaits.
“There’s been many comments, many ideas,” Ms Garden said.
“Australia Day flags, green and gold. We’ll obviously have to get an outfit ready.”
To follow Molly’s adventures, type in Molly the Horse on Facebook and head to her page.
