My next equine project horse

AdorableAlice said:
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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Not for a couple years.. he still has the big stroppy teenager phase to go through,, he hasn't quite reached the age yet.. I find it's usually 4 or 5. :D
 
Sorry you are having such a difficult time. Would the Shire Horse Man take him for a couple of months intensive training, give you a break, supposing he will load/travel?
 
millikins said:
Sorry you are having such a difficult time. Would the Shire Horse Man take him for a couple of months intensive training, give you a break, supposing he will load/travel?
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Yes, we are talking about that. Probably not till spring, as it won't be the cheapest episode and we are mid winter now with all the costs involved in keeping the other 'normal and sensible' horses going. I would probably have to sedate him and wedge him upright to travel with a companion. It's not far thankfully.
 
Probably not much comfort right now but over the years I have found that the most quirky to break are often the easiest later on.

I would definitely send him off to boarding school with Shire Horse Man, he can take his trunk and tuck box! Probably best not to let him take his hockey stick though.
 
Doormouse said:
Probably not much comfort right now but over the years I have found that the most quirky to break are often the easiest later on.

I would definitely send him off to boarding school with Shire Horse Man, he can take his trunk and tuck box! Probably best not to let him take his hockey stick though.
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That is exactly what the Shire Horse Man said, well the first paragraph!
 
AdorableAlice said:
That is exactly what the Shire Horse Man said, well the first paragraph!
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<g>
Thing is, I'm sure I read something from you not too long ago about the Shire Man saying he thought Ted had stopped growing...and then he grew a bit more.
Holiday camp at Villa Shire Horse Man might be an excellent idea, for your sore bones at least if not your pocket. It sounds terrifying to have an elephant size animal throw a gangly-teenagey-full-on panic attack next to you (I am a novice, however - not speaking from any knowledgeable point of view there).
 
This might help - http://www.parelli.com/horsenality-horse-training-dorsquos-and-donrsquots.html (I know it's parelli but I've found it quite useful with a tricky mare I'm training with, I was at a loss with her and this has helped me realise she's right brain introvert and just needs things repeated again and again... anyway, might be useful) Also Shire horse man is wrong, Ted won't stop growing til he's 7/8, sorry, that's just what big horses do. But on a happy note, Alice probably will keep growing. Mares don't shoot up like geldings, they're really sneaky about it, so one day you're thinking they're tiny then a few years later they're grown several inches and you never even saw it coming!
 
Sending Ted to boarding school @ Shire Mans's academy sounds like a great move (albeit pricey). You've put so much time and effort into him, but enough is enough, and you've got to keep yourself safe.

Hopefully, a few weeks with the guru will set him firmly on the straight and narrow.

Might it be baked beans on toast for Christmas dinner, to help save the pennies for the school fees?
 
Ted has said sorry, will try harder to miss me next time he has a wobble and is letting me have the weekend off to go to the Good Food Show. Terms and conditions will have to be discussed and I want a new contract and clean trousers.

Alice is furious because she has done all the cupcakes for my leaving party, including a few poisoned ones for Ted

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AdorableAlice said:
Thank you, that is interesting, he is certainly right brained not sure which one, he exhibits both traits.
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they can be right brained introvert with extrovert tendancies! thats where I got a bit fed up and said it is a horse, they are new labels for old stuff-laid back/spooky/steady or panicky=left brain/right brain/introvert/extrovert
 
AdorableAlice said:
Ted has said sorry, will try harder to miss me next time he has a wobble and is letting me have the weekend off to go to the Good Food Show. Terms and conditions will have to be discussed and I want a new contract and clean trousers.

Alice is furious because she has done all the cupcakes for my leaving party, including a few poisoned ones for Ted

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He is a very handsome lad and looks so well with such a shine to his coat
 
AdorableAlice said:
Ted has said sorry, will try harder to miss me next time he has a wobble and is letting me have the weekend off to go to the Good Food Show. Terms and conditions will have to be discussed and I want a new contract and clean trousers.

Alice is furious because she has done all the cupcakes for my leaving party, including a few poisoned ones for Ted

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But look at that face - how can you resist!?! :)
 
A decision has been made.........Deep filled Ted Pie, seasonal veg and gravy.

I jest, Ted is being turned away until the spring. Basic care etc of course but the pressure is off. After a long chat with my long suffering Shire Horse Man and based on various reasons, mental immaturity, me not having enough time to do the slow repetitive work daily, Ted's ability to hurt me by accident and the big one, the fact that Ted does trust me, but just can't as yet, control the panic/flight reaction.

He is not 4 until end of June 15 and my goal will be to have someone sat on him by his birthday. He may go to Shire Horse Boot Camp in the Spring or Boot Camp moves in with him at home.

So it is goodbye and have a safe winter to you all from Ted The Twit. Alice, on the other hand, is positively winging her lessons, walks, trots, halt easy peasy, she even took the contact down on long side reins and lifted her wither. Balance is good, mouths nicely with a little honey on the bit. Quite excited about her, she finally looks like a smart cob. Long lines around the lanes next and a quiet sit on over xmas holidays and then she will go back out with Ted until Spring.
 
AdorableAlice said:
A decision has been made.........Deep filled Ted Pie, seasonal veg and gravy.

I jest, Ted is being turned away until the spring. Basic care etc of course but the pressure is off. After a long chat with my long suffering Shire Horse Man and based on various reasons, mental immaturity, me not having enough time to do the slow repetitive work daily, Ted's ability to hurt me by accident and the big one, the fact that Ted does trust me, but just can't as yet, control the panic/flight reaction.

He is not 4 until end of June 15 and my goal will be to have someone sat on him by his birthday. He may go to Shire Horse Boot Camp in the Spring or Boot Camp moves in with him at home.

So it is goodbye and have a safe winter to you all from Ted The Twit. Alice, on the other hand, is positively winging her lessons, walks, trots, halt easy peasy, she even took the contact down on long side reins and lifted her wither. Balance is good, mouths nicely with a little honey on the bit. Quite excited about her, she finally looks like a smart cob. Long lines around the lanes next and a quiet sit on over xmas holidays and then she will go back out with Ted until Spring.
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I have just realised that the Camel is one year younger than Ted - another June foal :) Hope the winter off does him good, Alice sounds lovely.
 
twiggy2 said:
He is a very handsome lad and looks so well with such a shine to his coat
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Just what I was thinking, fantastic shine! Over the years we have found the big gangley horses who mature late just need longer to start with. Ted will get there, your patience and humour will see him through, but leaving him this winter and sending him to shire horse camp in the spring sounds a good plan!! Might save the lawn and you a few bruises!
 
*turns to the last page hoping it doesn't end here...*

just caught up with about 2 years worth of Ted and Alice updates.... what a marathon!! I see my last post on this thread was just as AA got her diagnosis... how lovely to read the fortitude with which she battled through, and even more wonderful to read the positive (or is that negative?) results at the end... and I still think Ted and Alice sound wonderful.

I totally agree that the ones who are less easy to start with are the best ones later in life. My 20yo ID was one of the less straightforwards but you know what, once we worked out how he worked we were away. It has to be his idea, and it will never be if it looks like it will be difficult!! He still has his quirky moments, and jumps about stupid things... he is however, the most sensible horse I've ever had when it matters most. Hang on in there with Ted, he'll be reet.

I also agree that he's maybe a bit immature still mentally... I was always told that warmbloods and cold-blooded horses didn't mature physically until they were about 8, so stands to reason that the brain follows that...

looking forwards to more updates :)

ETA - AA - my mum also went through a similar diagnosis at pretty much the same time, but the type of tumour meant that her treatment was very different. She had a unilateral mastectomy within 3 weeks of discovering a lump. She was home 3 days later, and the results of the biopsies meant that she escaped with only oestrogen blockers, calcium supplements and something else (can't remember what it was now) for 6 months. Thankfully she had a very good consultant and surgeon and was back to herself (minus a boob) within a few weeks.
 
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Thank you Jenhunt, and very best wishes to your mum. It is frightening just how common breast cancer it. I remember one of the specialists I saw saying to me it is now as prevalent as the common cold ! The stats of one in three will have some form of cancer and one in eight ladies will have breast cancer, terrifying figures. Ladies don't miss your scans.

Ted is fine, told me he wants some snow to roll in Alice, she is so rotund he reckons she would make an excellent outsize snowball.
 
Yes, it is terribly common now... I raised about £1500 for Breakthrough Breastcancer this summer and they reckon 1 in 3 or 4 has a family member affected by it during their lifetime...

Ron also wants snow, but mainly because then he'll be allowed a duvet day during which he can eat an entire bale of haylage like last time...
 
I am sure there will still be tales...... remember the one where Ted ran to Alice and couldn't stop in time and dunked her in the water trough?????? :))
 
coffeeandabagel said:
I am a bit worried......if Alice and Ted have time off over the winter - what are we going to read about.......
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I am sure they will make the odd appearance. They best disappear from the husbands reach, because when he notices what they have done to the field today he won't be impressed. I put Alice back in with Ted this morning and they had a right hooley, there were divitts flying over the 8' hedge into the next field.

We went to the Good Food Show yesterday. Husband tried everything in sight in the alcohol department, umpteen taster samples. He is now downstairs sipping Toffee Vodka, he doesn't even like spirits. Maybe if Ted bought him a big bottle for Christmas the potholes would appear smaller. I will appear even bigger having just eaten some rather nice and expensive fudge. We like the Good Food Show, it was a very rare Sunday away from the yard and mending whatever Ted has broken.
 
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Hetsmum said:
I am sure there will still be tales...... remember the one where Ted ran to Alice and couldn't stop in time and dunked her in the water trough?????? :))
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They are back in that field at the moment, it also has a footpath and Ted likes ramblers, especially ones with sandwiches.
 
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