#55 - got ya!

Today Teddy was easily caught in the hallway and was completely fine. He was a bit forward wanting to walk ahead of me but that was quickly corrected then he was groomed and rugged.

As both Steve and I work tomorrow he has been put in the front paddock so things are easier. Hopefully I can work things through from the front paddock but if not I will reinstate the hallway when I get time off work.

Riders club is having a rally this week to which I was invited but I wont be able to attend with Teddy as its at the indoor arena and I cant get us there. Beside I'm not ready for that yet, however I might go check it out.

#54 - How to piss off a horse in one easy lesson...

I thought I had the advantage today as its cold and wet and raining. I went out to the paddock with the lead rope and Teddy's rug determined to catch him as I don't want the bugs to attack him when the sun finally comes back out. My mission was to get the rug on him but in order to do that I needed to catch him.

For an hour and a half (without exaggeration) I kept the pressure on, sometimes running, sometimes crouching in a prey position and crab walking, sometimes just walking by his side with my hand on his bum or back. A few times he stopped and sniffed or engaged with me in some way but as soon as that lead rope went anywhere near him he was off.

I was determined not to stop but the wind got stronger and I was being blown backward, and the sides of my legs from hip to knee were aching from the walking, mud, knee high grass, wind and rain. I just couldn't do it any longer though I tried.

I'm pleased to say that at no stage did I get angry with him and I talked nicely too him the whole time. But I didn't want him to think that he had won so I had to go to plan B (which I made up on the spot).

I picked up the rug and headed back to the shed, got a bucket of his food and went to the opposite side of the paddock, to an area we call the hallway. I called out to Teddy who instantly recognised the feed bucket and came waltzing over. He check out there was no lead rope then approached me cautiously, stopping at the little river in front of the gate caused by the rain. I encouraged him through the gate, gave him the feed and closed the gate behind him. I left him to the feed and went to tend the veggie patch.

While tending my celery I heard the thunder of hooves gallop passed -Teddy had finally worked out he was locked in and couldn't get back to the big paddock. He cracked it badly! He ran up and down for ages, churning up the grass as he screeched to a halt at the crush then turned around and ran back up to the back gate again. He kept this up for a while occasionally stopping near the fence next to me to snort and protest. I just left him to it.

Later I went out to get him some water, but he didn't want it. He was still pacing, not at a run though, and he just looked from me and then back at the big paddock with a longing look in his eyes. When I turned to leave he neighed out to me loudly. I turned around and he looked at me pleadingly then back at the big paddock.

I told him "Suck it up princess" and came inside.

#53 - Teddy came to me and...

...played, followed, got scratches, rested his head on my arm, shadowed me, explored my clothes with his lips and ran to catch up with me. He even came from the back paddock to the front paddock to seek me out. The only difference this time was I only had a phone in my hands.

#52 - What a friggin' shambles!

It was as if Teddy knew that I wanted to catch him! What a nightmare!

I set out about 45 minutes before the farrier arrived thinking that it was a nice hot 32 degrees, I would wash Teddy and by the time the farrier pulled up Teddy would be ready to have his feet done.

Well as soon as Teddy saw me he was off. In the heat I tried everything known to man to get that bloody horse and it was no use. None stop around the paddock I went after that horse. Nothing. 5pm came and I walked over to the farrier explaining that just yesterday I walked right up to Teddy and got him with no issue whatsoever.

I went into the house and got carrots while the farrier waited. No use - the first carrot Teddy took from my hand and when I went to put the lead rope around his neck he bunny hopped backward out of reach and the second time he got a bite of the carrot and nicked off.

I was totally stuffed, hot and defeated and the farrier left without doing Teddy's feet.

I'm lost and out of ideas on how to fix this. If it wasn't for the catching issue we would be right on track as we have overcome so much! But six months later and there is no improvement with the catching at all - its actually worse.

What do I do now?

#51 - Just walked over and caught Teddy today

Finally this seems to be paying off - today I was expecting a big session with Teddy and I ended up just walking over, he met me quarter of the way, I put the lead rope around his neck and hooked the swivel clip to his halter. As simple as that. I led him to the front gate, coaching him along a tiny bit at the start, then walked the half length of the property. I gave him heaps of rubs and let him go. He just hung around for more pampering. That seemed like such a high point that it was a good place to leave the session.

Tomorrow the farrier is coming after work so this should be a good test. He's a new farrier as the old one had his license suspended for the next 18 months and cant get out here anymore. Once Teddy's feet have been done I will be back into training. It seems like a good time as his calmed down a hell of a lot (as you can tell from the last post photos).

I hope it all goes well with the new bloke. Fingers crossed.

#50 - Teddy Time! ... a photographic journey of about an hour

#49 - so far so good

The last week Teddy has improved a lot with his head issues but he is still a work in progress.
I've managed to do it on my own and with a lead rope laying across my shoulders. He is still suss on the lead rope though, you can just tell.

He's seeking me out every day so that is great and he had three children giving him heaps of attention on Sunday, which he loved a bit too much.

The weird weather has brought the bugs out and he's got a fair few bites on his neck and sides so I will watch him with that, but I have been letting have nudie runs so i have no-one to blame but myself.

Also, because I am not feeding him and adding vitamins and minerals to his feed I brought him a salt lick on a rope and and Saturday's rain dissolved the whole thing! What a waste of money.

#48 - Joined Kyneton District Adult Riders Club

I joined the Kyneton District Adult Riders Club this evening which I am sure I will get a lot of benefit out of. My friend Sam and I were lucky to get in as there are limited places due to number capping which they do so membership has the most benefit for all members. for me it seems like great timing too.

The main reason I have joined is to get a lesson every month with a qualified instructor which will compliment the ground and saddle work I have been doing myself and the private lessons I have been considering taking next year. The reserve where it is based is just across the road from my place, within walking distance, so I wont need a float for Teddy in the dry months (the use the Kookaburra Park indoor in the wet months) and we will be covered by insurance while members.

The club hold events throughout the year and they seems like a really great group of people. I recognised one of the members from getting around the traps so I think that I'm starting to fit into the Kyneton community.

The Kyneton show is on next week and as my friends and family will tell you I'm determined to get a ribbon at the Royal Melbourne for anything! as my personal badge of being "country!" The club will be holding a comp at the show so it will be a great opportunity to see them in action.

I think it's a good move for both Sam and I as Sam is getting back into the saddle after having a baby. I'm sure we will enjoy it.

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~kynarc/index.html

#47 - Spring fever!

Teddy has been much better and things have been going well the last four days. I try to touch him everywhere first before touching his face and he is completely fine with this (loving it really) but still gets head shy if you go straight for the face. He's back to seeking me out and not fearing me again so that has to be a good thing.

We have a new cute game where I just wiggle my fingers in a scratching motion but I don't move my hand and he moves his face around in the places he wants a scratch. It been great because now I know of some new places right on the top of his head that he really likes to have scratched and it's a great reward for him.

I've also discovered that heaps of people's horses are going nuts lately because we haven't had grass in so many years and all this rain has brought a bumper load of spring grass that has them all razzed up! It's good to know I'm not alone. Besides he's not really razzed, its more head shyness/fear based issues I am facing. Ive gotten used to the natural state that is just plain Teddy the Punk.

I'm looking out to the paddock from the study right now and he is herding the poor cows (they don't much care for him when he does that!) and running around so he's getting exercise and having a play which is great. I like to see him playing and he and the cows are fatties so the exercise is good for them. though I should get him a friend over christmas so the cows can get a break. But then maybe I'll have two horse chasing cows LOL!

#46 - Message to a friend on Teddy

Thanks for the message and your concern. I welcome any advise and wont give up. Today I went out and had carrots in my hands for him and the cows. I got to the cows first so gave Chapelle a carrot and Teddy came up behind me. I knew he was there and turned around gently with a carrot out for him and he literally was shaking in the front legs for a moment. I am not sure if it was a fear response or flight but I just stood there and he didn't run, he just hung around and was a perfect guy after that, like there was no threat at all. I had my hands all over his face and not a problem and then he followed me back to the house. Even when I went over to give Mercedes a carrot he was not pushy or anything but I did feel a dominant air about him. Fickle bloody horse he is!

The only other person I have seen try to catch him was Sam when I first got him and he was stand offish with her too. Not to the extent he is now but he wasn't to this extend for me then either. I do agree that this is probably a dominance thing as I cant see how it could be a fear thing. The only other thing I this is it is from that bridle I brought and used twice. That is the only connection I can make as it happened directly after the first time I used it on him and he was behaving strangely that day as I was riding him - actually both times I used it. My first thought was to have his teeth checked then I realised that when Pol did the assessment on him about two week prior he was completely fine. I used his regular bridle then and always in the past without a problem but when I bought the saddle I realised I had left my bridles in Sam's float so I just brought a $60 one there and used it on him twice (I was too impatient wanting to ride!).

I will spend a couple of weeks to see if i can get him past it before attempting to put his old bridle back on. If he acts strange with that then I know its something else. I know he is a punk and he has attitude, which really isn't that bad, and even after rearing up a few times on me yesterday i then cleaned and oiled his hooves and he was fine. It's just around his face he acts a shit. Otherwise he is doing great with peralli and has been good with me on him. Better than I even expected. But what is with the leg shakes? I wish I knew. It's got be baffled. He's getting fat too with all this spring grass too and I've got heaps of it so I want to be able to exercise him. Ahh well! what's a girl to do?

#45 - I just want to give up

I'm sick and tired of a lot of things lately but when it comes to Teddy I just want to give up. I try and try and as soon as I think I've gotten through one thing another thing appears. And then I end up back at the catching problem again.

It has rained here for days so I haven't been able to work with Teddy after work. Two days pass and he's worse than he has ever been.

Now he rears up every time I go to halter him. I keep reassuring him and I get it on him eventually but I am always in danger as I have to get my arm around his head and then when I go to put the band around his nose he freaks, gets a terrified look in his eyes and rears up. Today I backed up into the gate trying to get out of the way. Thankfully it wasn't the electric fence.

So now I have a catching and haltering problem. Every time I think I'm getting somewhere I discover I'm getting nowhere. I've left a halter on him now (not a string one) - may as well just admit defeat by doing that.

I'm just so sick of it.