My next equine project horse

My fieldmate was telling me that her colleagues all think she's quite mad when she hasn't seen the latest episode of whatever's hot at the moment and has done this "riding" thing instead. Sometimes they have watched a whole boxed set or two films in the evening. They also feel sorry that she has to make arrangements for her horse before she goes on holiday. Just as well she hasn't told them about poo-picking in the dark when it's peeing down...

It's particularly bad for her as her former colleagues all had horses so all conversations were normal (!)

However, we have now agreed that we are much better off as we have real lives and said colleagues only have "virtual" ones. How long since they watched a sun rise or saw the deer pottering about? :)
 
Excuse me - announcement............

I have been elevated to carthorse supremo, now listen, I had a bit in my mouth with dangling things, chomped away, blew bubbles and kisses at Mummy and my personal trainer, Kevin the Shire Horse Man. Then I had two lines on and I got it sussed. No panics, no teddies over the gate, no sweat, no panting - actually edit that - Mummy was sweating and panting, she will tell you it was because her short fat legs struggle to keep up my my long svelte legs, I think she was lusting after the Shire Horse Man and his talent for handling nut case horses.

Mummy has instructions for my work plan for the next two weeks and then the man is back.

Ps, Alice you may have had a make over, your legs shaved and your mane restyled but you still look like a dumpling. I am on my way to stardom, I did leg yield, well that rope got a bit near so I shuffled sideways, I have Carl Hester on speed dial you know.
 
Oh wow - well done both of you! Hope the homework sessions continue in the same vein <stern look at Ted>.

It does sound as though we could do with a photo of the new Alice (perhaps just a little one of Ted, too).

Your office anecdote made me laugh, a lot. Thank you.
 
I have just spent about 3 days catching up on this thread (thorugh lunch breaks at work :P) and it has really cheered my up after a c****y weekend!

Congratulations on your wedding AA! Ted is a absolute stunner, all of your horses are a real credit to you after all you have been through. Onwards and upwards ;)
 
Haven't commented on this thread before but keep up with it as best as I can (it's fab!!) and so chuffed Ted has had a really clever moment!! Stardom beckons! Surely we are due some pics of the wonderful Ted and of Alice's makeover too?! :D

Big congrats on your wedding AA!

Also, I am another one who gets the most awful looks from people at work when OH calls with an equine-related emergency...or when I tell them I am going on holiday and taking the ponies with me and spending the holiday doing manual labour on farms!!
 
Well, the good behaviour didn't last long.

Alice worked first, has walk, trot and halt cracked on the lunge in minutes. Great I thought, then she tried to lie down. There has been the odd occasion in the past when she has thrown herself on the floor in a hissy, she did it after being wormed in her stable last year. I think she might have a little bit 'character'. Thankfully she soon realised that lying down on the job is not acceptable and the lesson ended nicely. She went back to her box and.......chucked herself on the floor. Give me strength.

Ted took a different tack and managed to chuck me on the floor by having a panic and bowling me over. Frustratingly this was after he had been very good, listened and tried hard.

Wine and paracetomol is easing the pain, need someone to ring in sick for me in the morning, I think I might be lame !
 
All the best horses have "character "
Granted squidge doesn't throw her self on the floor but does like to do levade impressions if she thinks the farriers held a front foot for too long!

As for ted- cut out of the shire man as a reminder to behave ?
Or perhaps a friend for trudy would work :)
 
Hope you are not too lame in the morning! Nothing like youngsters to test your patience!!
Still sounds like progress to me.

I am good and lame, plus my right shoulder is in a mess and a far as the surgery area goes - ouch, don't tell the husband, he heard the incident but didn't see it. What he doesn't know he need not worry about !

The Shire Horse man came to my rescue last night and we worked through the problems. That was not before Ted had added another problem though. Despite having plenty of quality grazing he had to stick his head in a bramble patch in the hedge. I found him yesterday morning with evil spiky brambles stuck in his forelock and mane. The stuff in his forelock was hanging in front of his eyes. An hour later I was covered in blood, he still had it all tangled on him and I was late for work. I had another moment of being ready to give up on this ridiculous horse.

So after de-tangling him and being relieved his eyes were undamaged, the Shire Horse Man got to work on him. In less than an hour Ted was soft, relaxed and listening. My confidence improved and once again I am hopeful of a good future for the bonkers cart horse.

A plus point is that Shire Horse Man thinks Ted might be nearly done height wise. Hope so, that will leave him a nice 16.2. He has been level for a while now, famous last words and all that !
 
Ouchy ouch - these young lads just don't realise their knocking over power.

I can recommend a big human comb (think the type used for big curly perms) for getting brambles out - not as painful as fingers.

Hope you've had some bute and are feeling better soon.
 
Ted is going to be a police horse when the Shire Horse man has finished with him! Hope you have a good stash of arnica AA and you feel a little better today x
 
How are you today, AA? You mentioned on another thread that Ted had flattened you yesterday. I hope you are not feeling too battered.

Naughty Ted.

How kind of you to ask, thank you. I am ok, just a sore ankle and very frustrated with him. Nothing seems to stick in his mind other than fear.
 
Dear Ted,

I quit. This is 7 days notice of my leaving your employ. Find somebody else that will...

Spend a small fortune on you
Repair everything you break, damage, fall onto, sit on, skid into and dig up.
Insure you so you can be mended as required
Tolerate being dribbled on, having your tongue stuck down their ear, trodden on a lot, tripped up a lot, fingers crushed in stable doors and strangled when you decide to investigate the end of their scarf with your teeth.
Someone else who will pour endless effort into you and understand that you retain nothing in your pea sized brain.
Who does not mind when you launch your now sizable frame, into orbit like some exocet missile when a rope touches your back and perhaps more importantly, does not mind when you land on them as you crash earthwards.

I will return my works uniform of course, the trousers that are plastered in inch thick mud from the permanent wheelspin that you urfing great dustbin lids splatter me with on a daily basis and the extra strong gloves I invested in after the sixth severe rope burn you kindly gave me when you had a 'moment'.

Adorable Alice is organising my leaving party and you are not invited.

Yours faithfully,

Your exhausted social worker, muck shoveller, wild animal trainer and class one mug. xx
 
Sounds like Ted has really pushed his luck this time, hasn't he?

Fed up with him at the moment. I need a lottery win to investigate all his problems. I am concerned he has pain in his poll, the headshy business is getting worse, anxiety is off the scale and powers of learning retention is zilch.

Repeat after me - he is only 3 and a half, things will get better - won't they ?
 
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