My next equine project horse

AdorableAlice

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Dear Ted,

You were entered in Prelim 12 and 13 at riding club level, NOT the 2.15 at Cheltenham. Twenty metre circles are just that, not the wall of death with your head, shoulders and quarters all going in opposite directions at the same time. You were going so fast the poor judge missed most of the movements off your sheet, or maybe she spared you the embarrassment of writing what she really thought.

However, you did achieve 4 hurried, 5 tense, 3 head highs, 2 overbents. Plus you had 2 error of course because your poor rider dare not give and retake the reins for fear of you clearing off at warp factor flatout. In the little box where the judge writes her own comments you achieved 'a bit onward bound' in Prelim 12 and 'he's rather jolly today' in Prelim 13.

Anyway the highlight of the day was the lentil soup and rocky road cake. Things were going so badly there are no photos other than this rather long distance one, which actually does sum up our morning, all the other horses were the other end staying out of the bonkers creatures way.44849546_2215418958700549_8711071026437423104_n.jpg
 

Peregrine Falcon

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Hmmm, at least rider stayed in the saddle!

I failed to do that once, judges comment was "a bit tense today"!

I bred a pony who can either be fab or a shit bag. All good fun, parties are a great opportunity to show off. 😃
 

D66

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That's what boy racers do! You need to check on him between 10.00 and 11 in the evening; he'll be down at the local supermarket car park with the other lads, doing wheelies and doughnuts and showing off their stainless steel exhausts.... Until they get moved on by the police that is.
Alice didn't tell you cos sometimes he lets her go too. ;)
 

AdorableAlice

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Exhausted this morning, bottom lip out of control and slept all morning flat on his side. We are in trouble because his rider has refused to take him to any more parties. Ted is ringing Carl and Charlotte in the morning, they like sharp forward thinking horses. I haven't the heart to tell him that their sharp forward thinking horses don't tend to have 'cart' as a prefix.44984890_2115494238668013_7082095123403636736_n.jpg
 

AdorableAlice

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Possibly, but we have to accept that a mature Ted is not really built for the dressage arena. He did well at 5/6 and was lot lighter in his frame, but now at 7 he is heavy and has developed a much more 'Shire' movement and frustratingly it really shows up with his feathers off. He needs to lose weight again, he was slim in the summer but now the grass is back he has piled it back on. Horse like owner sadly.
 

ycbm

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Possibly, but we have to accept that a mature Ted is not really built for the dressage arena. He did well at 5/6 and was lot lighter in his frame, but now at 7 he is heavy and has developed a much more 'Shire' movement and frustratingly it really shows up with his feathers off. He needs to lose weight again, he was slim in the summer but now the grass is back he has piled it back on. Horse like owner sadly.


I had the same with my cob AA. At four and five instructors were telling me he was a prospect for Advanced. At seven and eight he packed on so much extra bone and build that he stalled approaching medium and it was clear he wasn't going any further without damaging himself.

Yes, pretty please, an update on your tribe 🐎🐎🐎
 

AdorableAlice

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Ted and Co are very flattered to be remembered. It is hard to believe that Ted and Alice are going to be 8 later this year. They are mature horses now but it doesn't seem five minutes since Alice was born and Ted landed in a heap one very wet Sunday lunchtime.

Ted hasn't been on any adventures other than taking his new friend, Aunty Clare on a cross country ride, after which we all held our breath hoping that wonderful internet advert found Aunty Clare, would not disappear into the blue yonder in search of gin and valium, and never been seen again. I did offer her pain relief and cold coffee when she returned to the lorry and I refrained from commenting about her arms being noticeably longer than normal. She did manage a smile as she slid off him, her knees buckling as she landed on her backside in the grass at his feet. I muttered something about, 'he's quick for a cart horse and lets have a look in the bit drawer for next time'.

Thankfully she still loves him and continues to come and ride 2 or 3 times a week. We put a vulcanite pelham on instead of his fulmer but that didn't have any effect. He is built like a bull and is immensely strong, I have no idea what to try him with next time he goes off roading. Aunty Clare spoils him, he has a matching headcollar and saddle square in a very fetching turquoise and even has a selfie picture on his Ipad.

Advertising for someone to come and ride him filled me with horror, but he and I have been so lucky to find such a lovely lady who is experienced and able to understand him. He adores her, she has endless patience with him. She can even stroke his ears now, I still can't get within a country mile of them ! He has now stayed sound for a number of months, has lost a lot of weight again and is getting fitter. Hopefully he stays sound.

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Dim Tim is off until Spring, he is growing and now taller than Ted. He will be a teenager before he matures at this rate. He is just legs, joints and massive feet. His appetite is impressive as is the two barrows of muck every morning. He shares is bed with the cat, a very brave cat as Tims feet are bigger than the cat.

Little Alice and her young rider have been having lots of fun, lots of lessons and last weekend she tackled her first ever SJ competition, all 60 cms of it. Better late than never I suppose. She is comfortable and confident at 90cms at home/lessons with single fences but when faced with an arena full of fences she went like the greenest of the green. I am hoping she will give her young rider lots of fun through the summer until September when her rider heads of to uni to become a vet.

I hope our trainer doesn't see this picture, hours have been spent on rider position, I have no idea what is going on ! but at least she stayed on.

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This is my favourite picture, the team on Christmas eve as seen from behind Teds ears. Pocket Rocket cob and I with Alice being led, the giant Ginger Ninger on the left with Teds normal rider on board his own horse and a friend on the right with the coloured. With such fabulous weather we rode everyday over the break, with the result being Ted and Pocket Rocket needing full sets instead of fronts. Well that was expensive, especially when Ted removed his near fore with a hind shoe whilst playing tag with Timmy in the field.

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There are no plans for Ted to compete again, it isn't fair on him but hopefully he will continue to enjoy hacking and fun rides. Little Alice is heading back into the small hunter ring possibly county level depending on cost and she will go jumping locally (please don't tell her, she will go sick again). Dim Tim will go dressaging and MW showing if he grows up in time. Pocket Rocket will continue looking after me on gentle hacks and I have hit my 5 years no evidence of disease target. Happy days.
 

chaps89

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5 years is fantastic news! (And hasn't it gone quick)
Who is the chestnut in your last photo? I do like a good ginger.
It sounds like all is going well at Ted Towers which is great news :)
 

Annagain

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Yay to all that except Ted not competing. We're not that close to you but I often thought if I was competing an hour north and you and hour south I might get to meet him! Maybe we'll meet Alice or Tim at shows now that M is turning his hoof to veteran classes!
 

AdorableAlice

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5 years is fantastic news! (And hasn't it gone quick)
Who is the chestnut in your last photo? I do like a good ginger.
It sounds like all is going well at Ted Towers which is great news :)

Gaelic Gamble is the ginger ninja, was a small HW, now a big MW, hasn't been out since 2015, he got to Hoys twice but was never quite good enough to make the placings. He is a lovely Irish horse, with unbelievably, no breeding on his passport. How anyone can breed 18h of pure quality and not register it is beyond me.
 

Hetsmum

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Its been a long time since I've been here and I only came back to catch up with Ted. I am so pleased to hear all is ok in Ted land with him, yourself and all the gang. You must be very proud of how far he has come :)
 

Old Bat

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Another one who saw the email and had to find out how it was all going! thank you for the update. That looks like Allens Hill so I guess you aren't to far away from me?
 

AdorableAlice

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The furry fool is 8 today and to mark his birthday he has just refused to be caught. Deja vu of the very beginning of this now 7 year old thread !

The weather is atrocious, cold and very wet, he is clipped out. The girls are tucked up in bed, so is the cat
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Dim Tim stood there without a headcollar and willingly had a his mac on whilst Ted galloped around him like some giant whirling dervish.

'He can freeze' I screeched at my husband who is standing there clutching Teds rug, followed by quite a lot more colourful quotes about Teds parentage, manners and gratefulness (lack of). "you can't leave him in this weather, that would be cruel" says husband. My comment of, 'well he might learn his lesson' was flippant of course, but husband promptly tells me that I have always told him that horses do not reason like we do. So off I trudge back to the yard, get carrots, trudge back to a now waiting Ted, who no doubt has been told by husband that carrots are on their way,he has his rug on, warm, dry and with a carrot shoved where the sun does not shine, accompanied by much more cursing and threats about making sausages or throwing him to the lions.

Happy Birthday feral cart horse, 7 years on and you remain a twit. Admittedly a slightly more useful twit than all those years ago.

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Adopter

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Happy Birthday Ted, you are a very lucky horse, good friends and an understanding owner. I can not believe it is 7+ years that you have entertained us with your humor through good and bad times. Here's to the next 7, may they be happy and filled with fun that you can share 😀
 
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