My next equine project horse

[AdorableAlice]

The furry fool is on annual leave today. He wanted to be furloughed but I insisted he uses his leave up instead. It is his birthday next week, he has asked for a ground floor extension to his living room as he doesn't seem to fit in any more !

 

[Roxylola]

Awww, happy birthday Ted <3

 

[Cloball]

Happy birthday ? Ted. Are you getting a cake?

 

[jnb]

Happy Birthday Ted.... Ruari says, my mum has given up on extensions & now I have my own open sided conservatory cum bedroom. Handy for morning siestas whenever it’s hot plus I can be on alert for when she brings me my next meal. Win win!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Happy birthday ? Ted. Are you getting a cake?

Kind of, he had the apple peelings and core from the pie I made, near enough !

Ted does have the luxury of a barn, but he hasn't done the hoovering in ages and the wood chip as gone dusty. The clean up is on the never ending to do list.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Happy birthday Ted!

He needs a pillow outside the door.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Happy birthday Ted!

He needs a pillow outside the door.

The exact words of my husband this morning when we saw Ted snoring.

 

[View]

Aww, happy birthday Ted.

AA, I think you are very brave leaving him in a stable without a reinforced door - I'm sure he could remove that with one flick of his nose!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Aww, happy birthday Ted.

AA, I think you are very brave leaving him in a stable without a reinforced door - I'm sure he could remove that with one flick of his nose!

Rather amazingly he is one of those rare types that never touch anything. I could leave a coffee mug in there and he wouldn’t touch it. Unlike his friend, Dim Tim who spends all day squeezing his 17,2 frame into a corner feeder.

 

[View]

To me, your pride and love for your horses shines through in nicknames you have given them. They have all landed on their hooves with you.

 

[AdorableAlice]

To me, your pride and love for your horses shines through in nicknames you have given them. They have all landed on their hooves with you.

Ah, thank you, those are lovely words. I do love them and they keep me getting up in the mornings and having a purpose in life. I think with such a lovely comment as the last post on Ted's story I will close the thread. It has been going for eight years, with lots of ups and some desperate downs. i will close it with a picture, taken today, of my real pride and joy, my horse of a lifetime. 27 years old now. None of my dreams and achievements could have come true without 2 very special people making it all possible. One of whom was responsible for Ted finding his way into my hands, her support has lasted decades and is never ending. The other is my long suffering husband, none of it would have been possible without them both.

 

[chaps89]

What a lovely tribute to your wonderful care and love for your horses this thread has been.
I've followed it from the start (how has it been so long?!), and along the way you really have gone through highs and lows of both horse ownership and life.
It's been a privilege to be able to read along and share that, thankyou.

 

[splashgirl45]

cant believe it has been 8 years, have really enjoyed ted's journey and loved hearing about the others. so glad your old lad is still here and happy.

 

[millikins]

Thank you for posting all through these 8 years, I feel honoured to have been able to share it.

 

[ycbm]

AA you are a gifted comic writer and you've given hours of amusement in the last 8 years. If you stop, it will be very sad.

.

 

[Ruftysdad]

I have been following Ted ever since you got him. If I see you have posted, it is the first thread I read. Thanks for the story. I will miss his antics

 

[MyBoyChe]

Me too, I always jump to these posts if I see a new bit added. I will miss them enormously, you tell it how it is with such wonderful humour and I feel like I know you You have indeed beeen through such ups and downs, to put it mildly, but have always managed to find a positive and have given hope and inspiration to many on here. Please dont disappear completely, and if Ted does ever make that police horse that you first saw in him, make sure you post a picture

 

[Caol Ila]

I feel a wee bit sad.... I don't think you should stop posting about Ted and co's antics. As others have said, you are a hilarious, gifted writer, and whenever I get a notificiation on this thread, it's the first thing I go for. Please don't stop!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Ok, you win.

Today has been a trying day for the twit. He is finally slim enough to be winched into a fly sheet and can even get his head down to graze (just) without going blue in the face. On the way from his paddock to his stable this morning a horse fly got inside the neck of the rug and sunk its fangs into the delicate little soul. He went ballistic and knocked his handler over, who of course hung on like grim death because Ted with a loose rope is extremely dangerous. The run button is always just bubbling away under the surface, it has never truly left him even though it is possible to reason with him as he has got older.

So after dragging the poor girl for a few yards he recomposed himself but wouldn't allow her to get the rug off or detach the neck and he is swinging his head like an irate giraffe trying to swat the fly himself. There is not a lot of sideways movement in his neck as he is built like a bull. I am out on exercise whilst all this is happening and arriving back i find my friend plus my husband looking dishevelled and very hot, the horse is soaked in sweat and trying to rub his neck raw on the stable door, another friend is trying to apply aloe vera which Ted, of course, considers to be highly suspicious and is having none of it !

Ted will be staying with me until one of us dies, if it is me first I have made sure he is is willed to my dearest friend who I know would either find the right home for him or do what is best to protect him.

It is a frustrating year with no competitions for him, he is going beautifully now and would easily go novice BD, Alice was due for her County career too. But we must all be grateful we are well and can look forward to next season. Many people have suffered badly in these awful times we are living through.

 

[Caol Ila]

Hah! I'm glad we win. You guys are an inspiration for dealing with tough horses, or horses who have moments of being tough.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Noooo you must NEVER stop writing about Ted..!!!!! We love him ❤❤❤❤

 

[View]

AA, I'm glad you will keep us posted on their antics. Your perspective on life (as you say, we do have much to be thankful about in the current climate) and your determination to do right by those for whom you are responsible is an example to us all.

 

[buddylove]

As I have just bought a pretty much feral 3 year old, I am off back to the beginning of the thread.........

 

[AdorableAlice]

As I have just bought a pretty much feral 3 year old, I am off back to the beginning of the thread.........

All you need is a sense of humour - warped
Patience - in spades
No fear - says she, who freely admits being scared SH1tless by Ted on many occasions
Money - tree preferably
Be prepared to be disappointed, frustrated and angry but never admit it the horse.

Bribery with food is not a totally bad idea depending on the temperament. But do give great thought to how you might use food in your training, it can backfire on you. Ted was incredibly nervous and shy so treats never worked with him as he could not let himself touch my hand. I used food to teach that his stable was a good safe place with nice things in it but always in a bucket/feeder. Thinking back, the only hand fed rewards used was loading and being trained to wait on the lorry and we did have a mounting issue well after the backing process, when he decided to swing away from the block. Because he is not a horse that could never be crushed or trapped between the block and a wall we used the 'stand still, have a pony nut route' to train him to be safely mounted. This has lasted throughout his life and now he will stand anywhere to let a rider scramble up a gate or fence to get on him (he is huge) and his rider always has a mint or nut in their pocket to reward him. He will even stand in a ditch if needs be.

On a more helpful note, a few things I learnt might help you. If your lad wants to leave your presence, let him. Don't ever think you can handle a truly frightened horse by force, no matter how big or small. The need to run will leave him over time. Sadly Ted has never completely lost the run reaction and we are always aware of this and adapt if needed.

Don't try to achieve something new with him unless you have endless time, never finish on a bad note. Accept something as simple as the horse wanting to come to you and being curious is a very big forwards step that you can then build on.

Keep revisiting things that the horse finds easy and comfortable, that builds trust and helps moving onto to new things.

Good luck.

 

[Tarragon]

I am another one who also jumps on this thread whenever I see a new post has arrived, so i am very pleased you have decided to keep it going.
But oh the irony of having two fit and healthy horses going well and nowhere to go - i feel for you!

 

[buddylove]

All you need is a sense of humour - warped
Patience - in spades
No fear - says she, who freely admits being scared SH1tless by Ted on many occasions
Money - tree preferably
Be prepared to be disappointed, frustrated and angry but never admit it the horse.

Bribery with food is not a totally bad idea depending on the temperament. But do give great thought to how you might use food in your training, it can backfire on you. Ted was incredibly nervous and shy so treats never worked with him as he could not let himself touch my hand. I used food to teach that his stable was a good safe place with nice things in it but always in a bucket/feeder. Thinking back, the only hand fed rewards used was loading and being trained to wait on the lorry and we did have a mounting issue well after the backing process, when he decided to swing away from the block. Because he is not a horse that could never be crushed or trapped between the block and a wall we used the 'stand still, have a pony nut route' to train him to be safely mounted. This has lasted throughout his life and now he will stand anywhere to let a rider scramble up a gate or fence to get on him (he is huge) and his rider always has a mint or nut in their pocket to reward him. He will even stand in a ditch if needs be.

On a more helpful note, a few things I learnt might help you. If your lad wants to leave your presence, let him. Don't ever think you can handle a truly frightened horse by force, no matter how big or small. The need to run will leave him over time. Sadly Ted has never completely lost the run reaction and we are always aware of this and adapt if needed.

Don't try to achieve something new with him unless you have endless time, never finish on a bad note. Accept something as simple as the horse wanting to come to you and being curious is a very big forwards step that you can then build on.

Keep revisiting things that the horse finds easy and comfortable, that builds trust and helps moving onto to new things.

Good luck.

Had a good half hour with him this morning as it's windy and rainy I called the boys into the field shelter (He shares with my daughter's 2 ponies who are super chilled). I picked up a brush and brushed and fussed the ponies and the big brute was very interested. Had a sniff of the brush, let me scratch his chin, and we progressed up to his face, ears and I was able to rub all the way up and down his mane and wobble his huge neck, which sent him into soppy eyed, droopy lipped ecstasy!
Happy with that so left him to it. It's funny he did the funny gulping thing that you mentioned Ted did at the beginning, I felt he was trying very hard to be good, hopefully the ponies are a good influence on him!

 

[MyBoyChe]

Oh I am so pleased you have changed your mind. I agree with the poster above who said you are an inspiration to others. I think the biggest thing I take from you is that you just keep going..whatever the problem, whatever bumps in the road you meet, you refuse to be down for long and always manage to find a way round them. Hurrah for Ted the Twit and hurrah for you, long may you both continue to brighten the forum x

 

[AdorableAlice]

 

[chaps89]

Brave cat

 

[ycbm]

Ok, you win.

Today has been a trying day for the twit. He is finally slim enough to be winched into a fly sheet and can even get his head down to graze (just) without going blue in the face. On the way from his paddock to his stable this morning a horse fly got inside the neck of the rug and sunk its fangs into the delicate little soul. He went ballistic and knocked his handler over, who of course hung on like grim death because Ted with a loose rope is extremely dangerous. The run button is always just bubbling away under the surface, it has never truly left him even though it is possible to reason with him as he has got older.

So after dragging the poor girl for a few yards he recomposed himself but wouldn't allow her to get the rug off or detach the neck and he is swinging his head like an irate giraffe trying to swat the fly himself. There is not a lot of sideways movement in his neck as he is built like a bull. I am out on exercise whilst all this is happening and arriving back i find my friend plus my husband looking dishevelled and very hot, the horse is soaked in sweat and trying to rub his neck raw on the stable door, another friend is trying to apply aloe vera which Ted, of course, considers to be highly suspicious and is having none of it !

Ted will be staying with me until one of us dies, if it is me first I have made sure he is is willed to my dearest friend who I know would either find the right home for him or do what is best to protect him.

It is a frustrating year with no competitions for him, he is going beautifully now and would easily go novice BD, Alice was due for her County career too. But we must all be grateful we are well and can look forward to next season. Many people have suffered badly in these awful times we are living through.

More Ted et al (who's Al?) Yeah! ???