#34 - Baby cows move has really upset Teddy!

Poor Teddy! The neighbours cow had her calf today right beside our fence so Schapelle, Mercedes and Teddy watched on and have since claimed the little one as their own. But the calf hasn't fed all day so the neighbour has taken them away so she can milk the mum to get the calf to drink. This is a good idea as the mum's udders look like they are balloons about to burst!

The girls and Teddy watched on and walked beside the fence as they were being led away, unaware that they were going to be heading off to the other side of the neighbour's property. When it dawned on Teddy that the little calf was going out of sight he got so upset! He has been running up and down the fence line neighing out to them; running to the house and neighing to us, almost like he's trying to tell us something is wrong, then running back to the fence. He is still pacing, running and calling out as we speak. He is genuinely upset that the little wobbly legged calf is out of sight, the poor bub!

Hopefully the little calf will be OK and come back as even Schapelle and Mercedes are just standing there staring in that direction.

On a training note, once again Teddy has done a great job at training. He has been good to catch and halter, is calm, lowers his head when asked, stops at hand commands and respecting me and my space. He just needs to concentrate on the backing up signal a bit better but considering it's a new method that Pol Blane instructed and this is only his second go at it, so he is doing well. The only problem is that I look like a dickhead to the passing cars when they see me in the front paddock flapping my arms around trying to get the horse to step backward!

#33 - Teddy weighs in at 600Kg! What a fat guts!

Teddy and I have had a quiet, bonding couple of days. He's been moved about, groomed and pampered, received a few treats of carrot and has been taken off his feed as the grass around here is bumper! His weight was also done today and my estimate was incorrect by 100 kg! What a fat guts at 600 kg.

There is some flat weed around but there is nothing I can do about it now so I hope that he doesnt take a liking to it and make himself sick with stringhalt. There isn't a lot so I will just have to keep my fingers crossed.

#32 - Having a well deserved rest

What more can I say.

#31 - Pol Blane was great!

A long day ending with two injured swollen fingers (let go of the rope Tania!) and what resulted in a very useful afternoon.

Teddy loaded into the float fine and we headed to Gisborne where we used my friend Sam's round yard for the training/assessment. We had lunch with Pol and Deb while Teddy waited in a nearby paddock. As I was eating my minestrone soup I could see Teddy dancing around and heard him neighing to the neighbouring horses across the road, but over all he was fairly well behaved.

When we got him to the round yard at the bottom of the hill he was a little hyped up but I demonstrated the progress I had achieved with him for Pol and instantly got tips to make things better.

Pol Blane is a lovely person with excellent horsemanship skills who really knows her stuff. She can demonstrate exactly what she is trying to achieve and get results at the same time. She is calm, patient and attentive to the horse and owner and acknowledges a student for what they are; providing the necessary information to work and progress with.

The full assessment was done on the ground and in the saddle and it was determined that:

• Teddy is head shy to the extent that it is expected that he may have been hit in the face in his past (my poor boy!)
  
• He is also muzzle shy (knew that)
• He is very willing to learn and learns well
  
• He has the tell-tale signs of a poorly fitting saddle, resulting in past back problems (knew this) and which continues to have some minor influence on him, but mostly mentally
  
• He almost certainly has been ridden at some time by someone using spurs and this has caused him issues
• He has seen extensive use of a martingale or some similar tool which bulked up his neck and which he now carries with too tight muscles (I knew something was up with his neck, just couldn't work out what)
• He remembered the neighbours donkeys and was pleased to see them!
• He wants other horses around him (looks like I will have to get him a friend - maybe a donkey!)
• He's been worked, like most dressage horses have, in a tight frame that has to be corrected as he needs to loosen up in some ways and develop better back strength
  
• His polo training must have been extensive and this has resulted in him having a full steam ahead approach and nothing else. To the extend that he has to be put through relaxation techniques just to get him to walk under saddle. I need a horse who can walk with someone on him not bolt! - high priority
  
• He's had pivot training (could come in handy)
• He actually doesn't understand when to stop unless his reins are pulled on tightly (not a good technique)
• His past training and experiences have to be addressed before he will be calm enough to trail ride
• It should only take a few good sessions for Teddy and I to learn what is needed to get him to a trail riding stage
  
• We both learnt what is meant by self-loading today but Teddy isn't trained in it so he will be retrained at a later stage.
• I can't bend my middle finger properly as it's so swollen!
  

I will put Teddy through his new training methods straight away and work with him on the ground until my new saddle arrives. Hopefully by then it will be time to get in the saddle for us both and Pol will be available from now on to assist with training us.

#30 - Still doing well

We had another great session today. Teddy let me catch him easily, did back-ups and came forward well and learnt to stop when I put my hand up during figure 8's etc. I'm going to have to step it up a notch.

I'm nervous about tomorrow with Pol but alway looking forward to seeing Teddy do well. I hope Teddy gets in the float easily. Fingers crossed.

#29 - Eureka! Yay! We are getting somewhere

As I am having a week off work I haven't done much with Teddy over the last two days as I have been working quite late; leaving and returning from work in the dark. I was wondering how today was going to go as I walked out but I was really surprised.

Straight out into the paddock and Teddy came to me and let me halter him without running away! I couldn't believe it, Eureka! Finally he was showing some trust in me. Granted, it wasn't perfect and I can still see some apprehension in his eyes but at least he sees the halter as something he doesn't need to be so concerned about. And he knows he is going to get the best rubs and pats out of it so it must be worth his while.

As I have been told more than once that Teddy is dangerous I am determined to teach him all the safety rules I can from the get-go, so I've moved him on to the backing-up training phase. He did quite well at backing-up although it's all full instruction now, but I am working so I can just point a finger or give him a look and he will know when I want him to back up. I also tried him at one-step forward moving (only to take a step when ask, no more - no less). He also did fairly well at that too. It is only the first day so I was very happy and I am combining this training with all his other lessons depending on the day. The consistency will concentrate on the catching game and the backing up and one-step forwards.

All in all it was wonderful to see him so relaxed around the halter, totally calm and pleased to do what I asked - he was almost waiting for instruction!

When I get the opportunity I will get Steve to video the "after" phase so I can post a short before-and-after demo on Teddy's progress. Tuesday will also be interesting as Pol Blane will be assessing him.

#28 - We may have turned a corner

Teddy did very well today. I am a bit concerned that he thinks he is meant to run when I go to him, but I could be wrong. Never-the-less when he did run it was for about 5 minutes today and then he was ok (though I was doing all that power walking crouched and sideways! Ouch my poor thighs!)

Once he was beside me he got lots of pats and rubs with the halter and lead rope, scratches on the neck and kind words while letting me put the halter on over and over again when I asked.

He was a much more relaxed horse today and was actually very playful, probably more so then I have ever seen him. Very curious, gentle nibbles on my coat, playing games with his lips and giving me those big expressive eyes while following me around. He is still cheeky though but in a cute way. I really enjoyed being with him.