My next equine project horse

Lovely to see the report and pic of Ted, AA. As you say, rather :eek3: at the hatless leaning over on concrete but they obviously have the right approach. Love a busy but relaxed yard to send a youngster away to, have just organised to do the same for my just 4yo homebred.

So pleased that you have found these people, but very well done for doing such a cracking job with Ted to date, and also knowing when to get more help.
 
So pleased that he has settled like this!
And we've all been there with the muddy line between nerves and nawty pony, just need to get a giant box it seems!

I'm sure Alice will be super duper- im hoping sister Bridgette stops around now as then I can get her measured as a small hunter :)
Might just need to sell her the idea as a free holiday away!

At the end of the day H&S goes out the window when it comes to what is "correct" for backing youngsters- happy ponies is all you want :)
 
Ah!! I know where he is ;) (I moved my pony out of there a few weeks ago).

Lovely yard and the chap you have doing him is great fun :) (went to school with my mother).
 
Ah!! I know where he is ;) (I moved my pony out of there a few weeks ago).

Lovely yard and the chap you have doing him is great fun :) (went to school with my mother).
 
AA do you think the fresh start/change of scenery has made a difference to him? Or they just very good at having no preconceptions whatever tales you told them ;).
 
ester said:
AA do you think the fresh start/change of scenery has made a difference to him? Or they just very good at having no preconceptions whatever tales you told them ;).
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Exactly ester, during the assessment at home they saw straight through what was happening and very tactfully told me I was too close to the horse and all the 'moments' mostly scary ones I had experienced had left me very negative. Ted knew how to work me to his advantage. All the rubbish about his ears for instance, I could not reach and he knows it. A step fixed that immediately and he gave up without issue. Whether he will ever be quiet enough for me remains to be seen but he is being given every chance. When I look back at that picture on page one of this thread three years ago I can be satisfied I got him so far and he is lucky to be alive.
 
Absolutely, he is very lucky to have landed to with you and despite his 'moments' has shown some pretty clear improvement (and expansion :p in that time). Too involved yes that's a good way of putting it, I was just pondering/found it interesting that obviously both you and friends are very experienced but that a fresh view can than make such a difference when a sharp, quick moving beast of Ted's size is always going to be a bit ominous to many! I'm also really pleased for you as I know how worried you have been about what to do with him at times!

It might get a bit too Cesar Milan talking about energies ;), but it strikes me he often seems to say similar about rescue dogs and their owners.
 
Absolutely right again. It was summed up at the assessment. I expect the horse to be difficult, they expect him to behave. It is all very fascinating.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Absolutely right again. It was summed up at the assessment. I expect the horse to be difficult, they expect him to behave. It is all very fascinating.
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This is so often the case though. I remember working in polo for a couple of years, after I had worked in flat racing, and we got several 3 year olds from Ascot sales one day. They came home in the lorry, I unloaded them, jumped on one in headcollar, bareback, grabbed the other 2 and rode and lead them to a field 2 miles away. I never thought about it, I just did it because that is what we did everyday with the polo ponies! They were so astonished they behaved perfectly!

I recently sent my 4 year old away to be broken because last year when I broke her at the end of the summer, the first time I put my leg on she did airs above the ground! I rode through it and rode her away for a fortnight, but then turned her away to mature for the winter. I warned the girl who I sent her to, she hopped on straight away, mare was as good as gold, never even put her back up!
 
AdorableAlice said:
Absolutely right again. It was summed up at the assessment. I expect the horse to be difficult, they expect him to behave. It is all very fascinating.
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I remember a story from years back regarding a 'killer' horse, whom was fine to ride, but deadly dangerous in the stable, particularly with rugging, which had to be done outside and carefully! Said horse went away for training and due to crossed wires, the trainer wasn't informed about the horse's stable manners... You've guessed it, the horse was no problem in the stable, no problem with rugging and the trainer was amazed when he belatedly heard about the horse's 'previous' :-)
 
Expectations are funny things.

At the Mark Rashid clinic I was just at, I was rabbiting on to Mark about my horse's crappy four beat canter, which has been a bugbear of ours for years. During the conversation, I admitted that the horse does a three beat canter at liberty and with other riders, and I reckoned it was my lousy riding that was the problem. We were worked at it, and Mark reckoned that I wasn't *actually* doing anything wrong riding-wise, other than expecting her to stagger in a four beat canter and worrying about it. So we worked on changing the expectation, and a three beat canter appeared. Amazing.
 
OldNag said:
Oooh - we want pictures :)

Has Ted not written home yet, I thought they were allowed to write a weekly letter on Sundays, after prep and before attacking their tuck boxes?
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He can after the first two weeks have passed. I think he signed the secrecy act. I do know he had yesterday off because his mentors took their own colt competing, judging by the amount of sashes accumulated they had a good day.

It is Adorable Alice's fourth birthday today and she is having a muzzle, gift wrapped of course. She has started work again after her accident and yesterday we leant over her. I am sourcing a lightweight crash test dummy for next weekend. Her temperament is just amazing. I do have to be careful about negativity with her because like Coal Ila mentioned above expectation is a powerful thing. It is easy to think she is going to react like Ted and be too careful. That ruddy carthorse has a lot to account for !

Right I need to get going, hopefully everything is where it should be this morning unlike Saturday. Martha did her own version of The Great Escape by tunnelling into and through a 15' wide hedge. She is in season and the tiny pony she could see in the distance was too tempting. It took 6 rails and 3 posts to rectify yesterday and neither of us were popular.
 
Well my visit to see Ted in Borstal was just fabulous. Not only is he pig proof he is also train proof, his field is on the main line and above the level of his field, he didn't lift his head as they shot past him.

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He was caught, led in tacked up and mounted. I fought back the tears !

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AdorableAlice said:
Well my visit to see Ted in Borstal was just fabulous. Not only is he pig proof he is also train proof, his field is on the main line and above the level of his field, he didn't lift his head as they shot past him.

DSCF0826_zpsdxufpr3v.jpg


He was caught, led in tacked up and mounted. I fought back the tears !

DSCF0819_zps5t0sdjsn.jpg


DSCF0816_zpsobq6rspr.jpg
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Super Ted!!1
 
I am so chuffed, this is week 3 of him being with them. He is really pleasing them with his attitude and willingness. If he gets unsure he stays put and gives himself time to process. This evening his rider did rising trot whilst Ted stood still, not something I would have thought about but after the initial 'why are you bouncing on me' glance backwards Ted just accepted it. So when he gets to the trotting stage any movement from the rider won't bother him.

I came away realising even more than before just how individual horses are and how critical it is to be able to understand their needs. The text book is out of the window for Ted, he is being ridden before long lining and no lunging will be done at all until he is a lot older.
 
The breakers came over to mine last autumn and proceed to back my baby in the field no pressure! They restarted her in jan before I sent her away! She's brilliant! Breakers also have 4 horses with me to eat my grass in return for helping me exercise her!
 
coffeeandabagel said:
What a magical day for you. Lovely pics. You chose well when you sent him there.
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It was a magical day for a couple of reasons, I finally admitted I am having a few mental issues concerning the breast cancer and attended a day long workshop to try to address the problems. I walked out of the training/counselling session feeling very relieved and pleased that I attended and I am normal ! Going to see Ted in the evening just made the day perfect.
 
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