My Partner Ted
I first met Ted on the late bank holiday of May 2005. He was a big belligerent “young man” with attitude. He wanted all of your attention but only on his terms. He had more strength than anyone he met (and he knew how to use it), and if you didn’t do things his way, you would most certainly be on the end of his wrath. He had no respect for “man nor beast”. He frequently used his feet to establish his authority on who was boss. In fact he had become a dictator.
I was asked to help him as I was the last resort. I was informed by his owners, that if he was being led in from the field, he would constantly rear up and try to put his feet on his owner’s shoulders (which is a bit much as he was standing at about 15.3hh). Because of such actions, he was deemed as being “dangerous”. His owners were advised on numerous occasions to have him destroyed.
He greeted me with flat back ears and teeth, and an attitude of a Tasmanian Devil, which I dealt with in a passive manner and this seemed to put an element of confusion into Ted’s mind. While he was trying to work out his next line of attack, I quietly slipped on the head collar with my 12ft line attached, ready for the next onslaught (which wasn’t long in coming). By staying calm and keeping out of reach, I was able to get him circling on the line and eventually listening to me. 20 minutes of working and listening (and occasionally Ted trying to pick a fight with me), I told the owners it would be a pleasure to work with Ted. I later found out that the owner had said that he hated me (in a friendly way) because I had achieved in that 20 minutes, more than he had in all the time he had owned Ted.
I arranged to work with Ted twice a week.
The work proceeded with Ted and I in various forms of what some may perceive as conflict but in fact it was no more that a normal parent-teenager relationship. I am not a horseman that prefers to use sticks or such likes, my only tools are a rope halter, a 12ft line and the most important tool in any horseman’s toolbox, body language.
For the next few months, the pattern of work continued in the form of me asking Ted and Ted saying “make me”, but with persistence and consistency, we eventually came to the understanding that if he did as I asked, we would achieve things a lot quicker (and Ted was a quicker learner). However, if I didn’t keep up my passive dominance, Ted would most definitely try to take it away from me.
Over time, Ted and I overcame many obstacles with the introduction of tack,(a natural hackamore, as I like to work without bits, as I find horses work better for me in this way) and a saddle. While working with the reins from the ground, Ted reared as a resistance, and caught me with a knockout blow to the point of my jaw with his knee. After making my recovery, I carried on with my work with him, without any acknowledgement as to what had just happened. I think Ted learnt a big lesson that day, as he soon realised that despite the resistance, 1. I was still going to ask him to carry on working, and 2. I did not react to his actions. I was still there without any repercussions, so he had no one to fight against, so resistance was pointless. (some people may think I am mad, putting myself in that sort of position, but I believe that if I show trust in the horses I work with, my trust is returned 10 fold). This theory worked with Ted because the progress that was made, was incredible and continued in such a manner that in what seemed like an instance (which of course it wasn’t), Ted and I were working in “partnership”, even when it came to riding him, he accepted most things I asked of him, with very little resistance. Occasionally, he would ask me to explain again, what I was asking of him and having explained again, he would comply with a great deal of enthusiasm and he was really enjoying his work.
Ted progressed in every aspect of his work and took all new requests in his stride, with the attitude of “I can do that, show me more”.
In the following summer, we took Ted to his first ridden show, from which he returned festooned in various coloured ribbons. Even with all the bustle and noise and the excitement that these shows produce, Ted remained so calm and relaxed, he allowed a friend’s 6 year old daughter to ride him.
As you can see from this website, there is a lot about “Ted”. Ted was that blank canvas that all artists look for. He enabled me to put into fruition, all my thoughts and ideas that I have carried inside for many years. He enabled me to prove to myself that these methods do work, and with those thoughts in my mind I dedicate this website to my friend and lifelong partner “TED”.