My next equine project horse

the difference between Martha and Ted, sorry to state the obvious a boy girl thing. Martha has just realised that being waited on hand and foot has stopped and she is expected to do the hoovering and washing up....................which is not fair in a teenage sulky way. whilst Ted is possibly not thinking that much at all.
 
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You have already written the book in this blog...all you need is an editor and a publisher (maybe an illustrator) and please add me to the long list of people who would happily buy a copy.

Would Ted be available to 'sign' a few special copies?
 
zzClaire said:
You have already written the book in this blog...all you need is an editor and a publisher (maybe an illustrator) and please add me to the long list of people who would happily buy a copy.

Would Ted be available to 'sign' a few special copies?
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He would be delighted to sign copies, he always wipes his nose on his or my sleeve, so autograph's will be no problem. He is in deep trouble again. He has managed to move a steel self filling water trough, big one and full, away from the wall in the barn. God knows how he did it and am I relieved he did not rip the plumbing out of the wall. Our neighbours would have been flooded if the pipework had gone.

Alice is mightily relieved to find out that next Saturday's show has just been cancelled due to standing grass. She was due to have her first small hunter class at a tiny show before going to the West Midlands Irish Draught Show on the 17th. Not sure she will be ready, a decision will be made nearer the time.
 
All very excited at the home of Ted and Alice this afternoon.

Alice is having her very first pair of Jimmy Choo Choo's fitted at 3.30. Ted is to watch and give her support. He has decided he does not mind watching Alice being set on fire, however he has no wish to be set on fire himself, after all his feathers would be in the way and feathers on fire is not a good look.

Not sure what to expect, no doubt someone will faint. Smelling salts ready for Alice, fire hydrant for Ted. Valium and sweet tea for the poor farrier.
 
Blimey, he moved a full steel tank. Maybe he thought there'd be pocketmoney at the back of it, in a fallen-down-the-cracks-of-the-sofa kind of way.

Hope he doesn't think the farrier has any in his van! <g>
 
Ted was only moving the water to make it more accessible in case of his feathers being set alight.

Hope you and the farrier are in one piece, with nerves not too frayed.
 
Darted him, lasso not needed. He has had a severe talking to and I am very annoyed that he chewed gum and farted throughout his team building talk. I have a feeling that his fifth year is going to be troublesome.

On Tuesday he stood at Alice's side whilst she had her Jimmy Choo Choo's fitted and took not one bit of notice. Alice had to accept her boyfriend is not gallant and will not rescue her if she is in trouble. Alice was impeccably behaved throughout her first experience of being shod and I was so proud of her. The smoke did not bother her or Ted and the farrier, a new one for me, commented that he wished everyone taught their young horses to be so well mannered. I was chuffed with that. The new farrier met Ted and told me he likes big horses. I bet that will change if Ted sits on him.

With Ted now contained in a small paddock and wearing a headcollar work has recommenced and the so far elusive right canter is making an appearance. He is maturing into a horse of two halves, the front end is massive but the back end is weak. He is massively intelligent and very forward going. I just hope his rider wants to keep going through the problems.

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View said:
I take it that Ted has been told to see teacher after class?
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His rider is a retired teacher and he has endless patience plus the ability to find many ways of asking questions until he gets the right answer, which is just as well because Ted has found the No, Make Me and Shall Not response recently.

His rider tells me to keep smiling it will all come right in the end. Ted has his own agenda and has started perfecting his napping skills. Teenagers !

Alice has left the ground and is taunting Ted telling him he is far too fat and furry to ever be able to fly through the air like she can. Well make that a blurred trippy lurch. She isn't nice enough to be a flat show horse so workers will be on the agenda in future.

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Oh it does sound as though Ted is being a stroppy teenager, and that his rider has enough tools in his kit to deal with Ted, without having to resort to detention and punishment exercises.

Love Alice learning to fly.

I have re-read this thread from the start while I am currently on sofa detention (fortunately the hours of that are now reducing), and what still shines through is your absolute determination to do right by your horses. They are a very lucky herd, even if they don't always remember it.

It's been one heck of a journey, for you as well as them.
 
View said:
Oh it does sound as though Ted is being a stroppy teenager, and that his rider has enough tools in his kit to deal with Ted, without having to resort to detention and punishment exercises.

Love Alice learning to fly.

I have re-read this thread from the start while I am currently on sofa detention (fortunately the hours of that are now reducing), and what still shines through is your absolute determination to do right by your horses. They are a very lucky herd, even if they don't always remember it.

It's been one heck of a journey, for you as well as them.
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Thank you, you are very kind. Sofa detention in mid summer is rotten, I went through all my rubbish from May onwards and there is something very wrong with being unable to enjoy pleasant summer days. I hope you continue to improve quickly.

Ted has had a moment today involving a hissing, spitting and whirling yellow snake. I am sure I tucked the hose pipe securely into the fence whilst I left it to fill Ted's trough, apparently not and it was doing a very good impression of a cross rattle snake when I checked it. Ted was dancing and dodging the impromptu shower with a look of horror on his face. All part of the training I told him as I tried to retrieve it and got a soaking myself.

I do try to do right by my horses and I fear my wonderful big horse is edging nearer to the end, his LV is back and the battle is a big one. I just can't lose him it will destroy me. Why do we love horses so much.
 
AA, what happened to Ted the eventer? or is Alice now Mr Fox-Pitt's new prospect?

I hope that the old horse is feeling better and more comfortable soon, sending healing vibes for you both.
 
Puddleduck said:
AA your old boy is the Cushings sufferer if I remember right?

Have you had his bloods checked recently? He might need a slight adjustment to his meds to help his body manage the LV.
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Yes he is a Cushings sufferer. Stable at the moment on the bloods. Karidox is helping him at the moment and he is reasonably comfortable. Ironically my facebook page just put a year memory picture up.

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We are in exactly the same place 12 months on. I had it completely controlled until a month ago. He is back in his tea towel curtains again. I have just told my husband I can't leave the horse for our annual 7 days away at the end of August, that has gone down like a lead balloon to say the least.

To add insult to injury Little Alice has a nasty cold and won't be able to go to the West Midlands ID Show. All her work has been geared towards getting there and I had looked forward to it. She is on antibiotics too. My morning and evening stables is more like a hospital drug round. She was spot on ready and looks a picture. The old lad had a runny nose for a couple of days and so did Ted. I can only assume I have brought a bug in from one the shows that either the youngsters have been to or the maxi cob. We have been out and about quite a lot over the last 8 weeks and I am very careful, but evidently not careful enough.

Happy days at team AA, a peed off hubby and two sick horses, pass the gin.
 
Hope Alice's cold is on its way out now, and that the old boy is improving....

I think sometimes it doesn't matter how careful you are - if they're going to get it there's not much one can do! We're really struggling with flies this year, and Ron (who is always itchy at the best of times) has got a number of scrapes on his cannon bones and fetlocks from kicking himself accidentally and scratching on things he shouldn't.... I feed him an anti-itch supplement, and plaster him in Deet spray and gel and religiously cover the various scrapes with antiseptic to keep the flies off, but it seems like a losing battle at the moment. It says something about how unhappy he is that he hasn't once removed his fly mask, and has only removed one surcingle from his fly rug this year!!!
 
Ten weeks have passed since the furry eejit has been seen in public and ten weeks of sick horses and plenty of frustration.

I will apologise now if any of you are at Swallowfields baby dressage tomorrow, Ted is entered and gawd only knows what he will be like. He has grown yet again, is full of Kevin itis, has awful wind and is very likely to embarrass us. I will report back if we survive.
 
AA I think I may have seen the wonderful Ted hacking this week with his rider, well it was definitely his rider and a very large black pony with white socks lol would he have been hacking near Upper Bentley? Or has your rider been fraternising with other big hairy ponies?
 
Tried to post this yesterday. but the forum was down (for posting at least) so here goes again:

I have been sending good luck vibes! How did he get on? Hopefully he surprised you, in a good way preferably.

Hope also that the others improve, and that you can get away at the end of August. Is there really no one who can be trusted with them for a week? Or would they be ready for the funny farm after a week of Ted and Alice antics? <g>
 
This is hard, really hard, but................Ted was perfect, yes you read that right, PERFECT. 68% in both classes and 2nd in the intro and won the prelim. I took his temperature on the lorry in case he was ill !!!

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There aren't any nice pictures of him, this one is the 'do you think he is ill ?' query with a bemused Ted wondering what we were worrying about.

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There is no doubt, he is finally growing up and it was such a pleasure and so very satisfying to be with him on Sunday. He worked calmly with focus, didn't break a sweat and seemed to enjoy himself. The penny has dropped for the right lead canter, he is still a bit wall of death ish, but the canter has emerged.

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My big lad is improving so the holiday may be on after all. Just hope he doesn't have another flare up.
 
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