I ran back to the house fumbling with my clothes as I was dressed for work and had heeled shoes on and dress pants that were too big so they were falling down as I ran. All I could think of was getting better shoes and a halter. I jumped in the car and drove up and down my road looking for him but I couldn't find him anywhere.
The road I live on is over 30 kms long, it just changes name along the way as it passes through to Redesdale, but I started in the direction towards Kyneton as this is the way I walk Teddy to the riding centre so he is familiar with it. Nothing. I turned in the other direction and drove a few km but still couldn't find him. In a panic I rang my friend Sam and she was trying to get me to calm down. She woke her baby to get him in the car to come and help me. Sam suggests that I go down driveways or dirt tracks to areas other horses might be. Great suggestion and something I hadn't thought of in my panic.
Again I travel towards Kyneton looking for him but couldn't find him so I head back the other way towards Redesdale. About 1.5 to 2km down the road I drive off to yet another dirt road and about half way down I see him locked in a paddock. I search around trying find access into the paddock while I ring Sam to tell her I have found him and stop her from packing up Mitchell and the float and taking the 25 minute drive to my place. I discover that she has called Deb in Kyneton who in turn called her policewoman friend, both of which where on there way to help me look for Teddy! I'm so grateful I have such good friends! I put a stop to the search and collected my thoughts while standing in the pouring rain.
I find a gate to the paddock and walk over to Teddy who is standing still and miserable. I easily halter him and see a house at the back of the property so lead him over to it. I discover that he is limping badly. I get to the house but it's actually inside the neighbouring property and no-one is home so I lead Teddy back to the car.
As we walk his back leg is stretching out and improving a bit but his is very stiff and the initial move forward is hard for him. At the car I remove his sopping rug and have a look at him for injuries but there are no cuts etc. He is clearly favouring his left hind leg and he reminds me of a footy player whose done a hammy. The poor guy has to then walk the couple of kms home.
It takes ages for us to get home. It's pouring with rain the whole time, I'm leading him down a 80 kph road of which everyone is doing 100 kph and the sides of the road are either covered in waist high grass, flooded, blocked by fallen trees logs, full of ditches and/or eroded into massive uneven corrugated trenches. There was not a single clear area the whole way and I had to stay off the road as it was commuting traffic. No wonder Teddy was injured getting so far in that lot in the dark! And I was surprised that so few people slowed down when approaching a woman on the side of the road in the rain with a limping horse!
The vet just showed so this is to be continued...
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