My next equine project horse

Doris68

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AA - what a really lovely boy! You have done so well with him and must be truly delighted with the progress you have made. He's got a lovely face and a kind eye - certainly will bring you great pleasure over the next few months/years as he grows (and grows..!!) and learns more and more.

Good luck - he's found a great owner for sure!
 

hoggedmane

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He's gorgeous and I am very jealous. I have a shire x mare who is 21 now (not that you'd know it). Her neck can look a bit ewe but not when she is ridden. I think he has changed a lot and improved loads in a short time.
 

LD&S

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Ted looks gorgeous and it sounds as though you're not only doing really well with him but that you're loving it. He already looks in much better condition, looking forward to future updates.
 

armchair_rider

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He's gorgeous. It's also obvious you've put a huge amount of effort into caring for him, he looks far better than he did. Better get as much grooming as possible in whilst you can still reach :p
 

AdorableAlice

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Having spent 3 weeks encouraging Ted to believe I am his best friend and he will always be safe with me, he decided to test me out this evening.

Now that I can catch him I have moved him into the big fields with the cattle. The little nursery paddock is tiny and it was always the plan that Ted would be turned out properly as soon as he would be caught and led.

After letting him out into his new world he trotted off to speak to the cows (he is familiar with cattle having come from a beef farm), I ambled up the field to watch him enjoy his new found freedom. Unfortunately one of the young heifers took exception to Ted and chased him. He turned tail and hurtled across the field with the cow in hot pursuit.

In dire need of safe refuge he parked himself behind me, pressing his head into my back.

I will leave you to imagine the picture of a half shire huge foal trying to hide behind a short, fat, fiftysomething woman with an orange cow in full cry heading towards us ! I think Ted has decided he loves me, and thats fine by me, but I was very close to requiring clean pants !! Hopefully by morning they will be friends.
 

Maesfen

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You weren't the only one nearly needing clean pants then, I nearly wet myself laughing!

Bless the poor wimp; I think your police horse idea is a tad over optimistic at present if he's scared of a heifer...............
 

Littlelegs

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Only just caught up with this thread, but Ted looks a lovely sort. And just snorted crisp crumbs on the cat at the vision of him hiding from the cow!
 

Ladydragon

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I will leave you to imagine the picture of a half shire huge foal trying to hide behind a short, fat, fiftysomething woman with an orange cow in full cry heading towards us ! I think Ted has decided he loves me, and thats fine by me, but I was very close to requiring clean pants !! Hopefully by morning they will be friends.

Ha ha...just snorted my coffee everywhere reading that... :D

He is gorgeous AA and I love his little face... Ted certainly suits him...

I'm guessing the application form for the police jnr horse academy has been quietly ripped up and consigned to the bin now... If not, please send him to me...:)
 

AdorableAlice

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Ted has survived the night, but one of the cows has undressed him, he is minus his headcollar this morning, bet it was that ginger heifer.

He did trot down as soon as he saw me and has had his breakfast plus a cuddle. I didn't try replace the headcollar, short of time in the mornings, so decided not to start something I might not be able to finish.

His police career is on hold ! I think his brother was at Ascot though, there was a black shire x trotting with a policeman, at the side of the Queens carriage, he was rather smart. I shall show Ted the video as part of his education.

If I can't catch him later I am going to raffle him !!! £1 a ticket and the ginger cow is a bonus ball.
 

AdorableAlice

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Thankfully Ted came trotting across yesterday evening minus his headcollar, for a cuddle and his tea. I have not got another headcollar that I would dare put on him in the field so I just put a rope round his neck and gave him a groom.

Three of us searched the field for the leather headcollar that had come adrift, with Ted following us demanding attention, so I was quite relieved he was happy to be caught if I had wanted to.

I went out this morning and Ted was nowhere to be seen. The cows were lay down in their normal early morning spot. I called him, nothing - I started to walk the boundaries with that awful sick/panic/tearful feeling that he had either been stolen or was lay injured in a hedge somewhere.

The field is not huge by any means, no holes in the hedges, only 3 gates all closed, still no Ted. My legs were jelly by the time I reached the cattle and tears were welling up as I screamed at the cows "what the xxx have you lot done with Ted".

The cows were lay on their chests in a small circle and there was Ted, flat out on his side snoring in the middle of them.

I rant at him, telling him off for scaring me to death, he lifts his head, yawns, rolls his eyes, gets up, stretches and then carefully steps over the still down cattle and ambles down the field with his head on my shoulder to where his breakfast bowl is. I am sure I promised myself I would not get fond of a £200 scruffy carthorse - something has gone wrong !
 

Maesfen

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AA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You really must make a book of all your Ted ramblings, even if you sell it for charity.
It's been funny, heart warming and sad (his beginnings) all in one, a guaranteed block buster if ever there was one. There must be loads of people that would want to share his journey with you; I know I feel privileged to be able to read it first hand, thank you.
 

sarahann1

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So very glad I've found this thread, reading happy stories makes me smile. What a handsome lad he is, looking forward to reading more as time goes on :)

Also glad I found it today and not last week, I had the chance of a yearling for sweetie money and thankfully my head ruled, this thread might have changed that!!
 

kimberleigh

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have loved this thread, thankyou for sharing it with us, just read all 11 pages of it before i go and see how mine are!

i have just got a 2 year old welsh d who, although handled, had a rough start and so can be nervous of new things - previous owners had to twitch him along with a little sedative for the farrier to trim his feet but so far hes been very brave with me - lets me do pretty much anything and even allowed my OH to pick his feet up yesterday; very good for a horse with a fear of men :D

Lenny stands at around 15hh now, and my god is as strong as a bloody ox...can only imagine how big 'little' Ted will get :O

look forward to more updates!

Kim
 

sjp1

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Just love this thread. Ted is a lucky and very adorable boy, and I have no doubt that his only career will be with you - and I wouldn't blame you at all!!!
 

AdorableAlice

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Thank you, such lovely replies. Never thought of a book, I could adopt the Midnight Ramblers thread where the Adorable Alice Training Manual is to be found and Ted's journey into a book !

Ted's next big adventure is scheduled for this evening. My ex husband is coming over to meet Ted and do an annual shop at Tesco. (ex lives in back of beyond where they have only just invented the wheel and never heard of electricity) supermarkets are alien to him and he has run out of pot noodles.

I am not sure who is going to be the most offended, Ted or the checkout lady at the supermarket, as the ex always smells of foxhounds and the flesh house, and not necessarily in that order. To avoid embarassment I will have a little dab of fly spray on my farm clothes before we leave for the supermarket.

The current husband will refuse to come because he says we are a disgrace and should not be allowed out. Plus we have just realised we all bank at Nat West. There will probably be an article in The Sun tomorrow - Smelly countrybumpkins evicted from Tesco for insolvency and public health.

I am taking the camera in the morning, I reckon there is every chance of finding Ted spark out with the cows again. I am hoping my yearling filly will be able to go out soon so Ted will have some equine company. He was gelded three weeks ago and hasn't shown any colty behaviour but it probably is too soon to run them together ? She can go the other side of the rails.
 

Suziq77

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I'm quite hoping you take the camera to Tesco ;)

Please put me down for a copy of Ted and the Midnight Ramblers when it is written - if they bump into him next year they are going to get quite a shock :D

I agree with you re not running him with your filly for another few weeks, we don't need to read Ted and the Teenage Pregnancy just yet :eek:
 

AdorableAlice

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AA, superb reading :D lovely to hear the scruffy cart horse is doing so well x

Scruffy carthorse let me down good and proper during visit from ex husband.

Having proudly told ex how my training had progressed and how much Ted had started to trust me etc etc, we walked over to the big field. Now ex is a fairly experienced old fashioned horseman and was quietly smirking when I explained we must not face Ted or he would run away.

Ted came hurtling down as soon as he spotted me, feathers and mud flying, ex says "hope he has brakes". Sadly the brakes failed, he covered me in mud and barged straight into me. To add insult to injury he then tried to snatch at the bucket that had his tea in. That is the last time I will feed him in the field.

I caught him and proudly showed the ex I could touch most of Ted without him bothering too much, even his front legs and I picked a foot up. "Wonderful" says the ex followed by "he is about to bite your arse and at that size he is unlikely to miss". That riled me and I assured him Ted would never bite, he is not colty at all and he is nervous. As the words came out the flipping scruffy carthorse nipped the soft fat bit at the top of my arm ! and it hurt.

Ex's final comment was "nice horse won't be long before he is topside of you". That comment will make me try even harder to get it right now. !
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AdorableAlice

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Four weeks in and Ted is pushing the boundaries. At present he is a bit of a dangerous mix of cocky and nervous.

The worming/de lice/feed and good grazing has made him feel much better and stronger. He has also got a lot taller. He has got very food proud and has refused to be caught. The final straw came last night when he offered his backside at me and after being told off for that, decided he might shake hands instead.

He is now in bootcamp after being driven into a stable. I was definetely too quick in allowing him out into the big fields and feeding him in the field was a wrong decision.

He was sweet to handle this morning and I am going to do plenty with him over the weekend. Food has stopped other than a haypot. Am I glad we gelded him on day 2, it seemed mean at the time but was totally the right decision. He would be a right boyo with his nuts still on. I have my hat and gloves back on !

I have warned him he will be made into Frey Bentos if he doesn't watch it.
 

Marydoll

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Thankfully Ted came trotting across yesterday evening minus his headcollar, for a cuddle and his tea. I have not got another headcollar that I would dare put on him in the field so I just put a rope round his neck and gave him a groom.

Three of us searched the field for the leather headcollar that had come adrift, with Ted following us demanding attention, so I was quite relieved he was happy to be caught if I had wanted to.

I went out this morning and Ted was nowhere to be seen. The cows were lay down in their normal early morning spot. I called him, nothing - I started to walk the boundaries with that awful sick/panic/tearful feeling that he had either been stolen or was lay injured in a hedge somewhere.

The field is not huge by any means, no holes in the hedges, only 3 gates all closed, still no Ted. My legs were jelly by the time I reached the cattle and tears were welling up as I screamed at the cows "what the xxx have you lot done with Ted".

The cows were lay on their chests in a small circle and there was Ted, flat out on his side snoring in the middle of them.

I rant at him, telling him off for scaring me to death, he lifts his head, yawns, rolls his eyes, gets up, stretches and then carefully steps over the still down cattle and ambles down the field with his head on my shoulder to where his breakfast bowl is. I am sure I promised myself I would not get fond of a £200 scruffy carthorse - something has gone wrong !

Ha, ha, oh you fool, to think you wouldnt get attatched to such a lovely boy :D
What a great post
 

LD&S

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Four weeks in and Ted is pushing the boundaries. At present he is a bit of a dangerous mix of cocky and nervous.

The worming/de lice/feed and good grazing has made him feel much better and stronger. He has also got a lot taller. He has got very food proud and has refused to be caught. The final straw came last night when he offered his backside at me and after being told off for that, decided he might shake hands instead.

He is now in bootcamp after being driven into a stable. I was definetely too quick in allowing him out into the big fields and feeding him in the field was a wrong decision.

He was sweet to handle this morning and I am going to do plenty with him over the weekend. Food has stopped other than a haypot. Am I glad we gelded him on day 2, it seemed mean at the time but was totally the right decision. He would be a right boyo with his nuts still on. I have my hat and gloves back on !

I have warned him he will be made into Frey Bentos if he doesn't watch it.

OMG not Fray Bentos lol, I love reading about Ted, maybe just take his Ipod away
 
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