ANNIE - 2003 chestnut Saddlebred mare

[schwung]

Annie is doing well also, although she had a little setback last week. She tripped at the trot and then spooked herself which got her rider unbalanced, which started her bucking, and Andrea's assistant fell off. She's just fine, Annie was pretty upset about it though and they had to go back to working on the lunge line for a few days to settle her down and then they were able to go back to where they were. Because of that setback, she's a little behind Willow in her training and not quite ready to canter under saddle, but getting there.

[schwung]

Annie is doing fabulous! She has fully recovered from her panic after she bucked her rider off, and I got to witness her second canter under saddle. She is so beautiful under saddle - she has very beautiful movement, a lovely canter. She has this incredible neck...its very flexible (they call her the gumby horse), and she does have this neat trick of turning around and nipping your knee when you put the leg on and she's feeling sassy.

Annie's such a funny horse - and so incredibly sensitive. She will still occasionally revert to mildly aggressive behaviors - mainly just ear pinning and nipping - when she feels threatened. She is simply incredibly insecure still, but as I said she has latched onto Andrea's assistant who has done most of the work with her, and she LOVES her. She also is a horse who thrives on praise...she soaks up every "good girl" like a sponge. When she was testing out her canter under saddle, she was having trouble taking the canter and wanting to trot faster. It ended up being a group effort to get her to canter, and then once she had it we were all gushing over her and she looks so incredibly pleased with herself when she was done...it was so cute!

Here's a few photos from after her ride:

[coconut]

What an utterly stunning horse she is!!! Simply a beauty.

[coconut]

While I was checking out the first photos I went over and took a look at Annie's to remind me ...and that poor babies feet were hideous! She is a testament to what love and care can produce!

These horses have such a special place in my heart

[Whitewolf821]

Annie looks absolutely gorgeous under saddle!

[mytwoponies]

Wow- look at that neck! What an absolutely gorgeous girl. She hardly has a winter coat unlike the rest of us.

My mare was a snarky mare- ear pinning, she would reach around to try and bite your leg, and extremely sensitive under saddle (along with spinning, running away and bucking). She was also neglected from handling & basic training for many years. It has taken two years but she has slowly come around. She is not even the same horse now, we can do anything with her (including showing, roping, cattle and showmanship) and I love it when people say "I want a horse like that!"

I suspect Annie will be the same way. Just insecure and wants to control a bit of what's going on around her. I think she will be worth it and an amazing horse for someone!!

[schwung]

And here's Annie!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKZZ9LhjfEY

2nd canter under saddle (its a group effort!):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGaWECIXrTg

And I just had to post this...those of you who knew Annie when she first came to us, and how you couldn't touch her head at all and she would pin her ears and try to bite, know what a change it is to see Annie progress into this. This is Annie and Allison sharing a moment (although she still has a little vixen in her and WILL nip if given the chance...as you see at the very end of the clip. But she's mostly a super sweet horse and really loves attention):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zYufQAplvE

[mymercedes]

These mares, Hope, Willow, Annie, are all absolutely stunning!! If I were in the market for another personal riding horse, I would be first in line! Just amazing how they've turned into such magnificent horses!

[lbanimals]

I didn't get to watch the videos but WOW Annie looks like a fancy show horse. Once she is a bit more solid under saddle, I think she will be snatched right up....

[rodeo51]

She is a beautiful...beautiful mare

[fototropic]

She is simply stunning! What a lovely mare! I doubt Annie will spend much time looking for that perfect home. Rather I'd think people would be lining up for a chance to have her with them. You have all done a wonderful thing with these horses. Thank you for sharing them with those of us far away.
Pam

[schwung]

Annie is also wrapping up her training and coming back to Monroe this weekend, where hopefully we can find enough volunteers to keep her going until she finds a home!

In the last couple of weeks Annie has also made huge strides in her training. While she will always be a more sensitive horse than Willow, she is going very well walk/trot/canter as well and she also is past the point of testing anyone, she has even given up the turning around and nipping at your boot trick. She is more "looky" than Willow, and more reactive to things, but she is also easier to put on the bit as she is more naturally round. She is now reliably cross-tying, and she bathes. They haven't tried clipping yet but that's on the agenda for before she leaves. Bridling issues are long gone. Annie is a very nice horse and is going to make someone a superb mount. She's got the makings of a great english show horse (dressage, hunters, saddleseat), but I am sure she would look great western as well.

Annie's adoption fee has also been increased to $1000 - and she is also worth every penny!

Her adoption fee has been increased to $1000 to reflect the training costs we put into her. She is worth every penny of it and more, this is a NICE horse!

[dbaldstockings]

Dressage anyone?
Here is a relative of Willow, now in Southern California: scroll down the videos page to Dalton
www.frenchlightdressage.com/videos.html

Registered name is Explosion in Gold.

Bred up in Washington by Antigo Saddlebreds. They have supplied many of the golden ASBs for the Merced County Sherriff's Posse (mounted posse). Carri seems to have a nice breeding program where she's breeding for quality and for color. Quite a few chocolate palominos as well.

David was the head trainer for Medieval Times out here for the last 8 years. He is now back to straight classical dressage training. If you look at his other videos, there's another one of Dalton as well.

His website is www.frenchlightdressage.com

And by the way, Harry Callahan ¡§cousin¡¨ to Annie, has been continuing his Grand Prix career in Florida: Finishing in the middle of a group of 12 horses. Very few horses ever make it to this competitive level.
cfh-dressage.com/News.html

www.saddlebred.com/asha/news.php?f=americansaddlebredharryca

$1,000 for a prospect with these kinds of relatives¡Khope you can put this info to use rehomeing them ƒº

(posting on both mares)

[shekaberry]

So I took Annie out for a thorough grooming session the other day, and I could not believe this was the same horse!!!!!!

At first, she was a little jiggy, like "what are we doing, why is there no wall behind me", but she quickly relaxed and dropped her head as I curried her. She is shedding like crazy so she must have been itchy and the brushing felt very good. She didn't like the Show Sheen on her mane, but did not react aggressively; just put her head up in the clouds and backed away from me. She was fine with the show sheen on her tail and boy does she have a gorgeous tail!

She picks up all four feet like a pro and didn't even flinch at her blanket coming off and going back on. She LOVES face rubs now and has no problem having her muzzle area handled. There was no nervousness about being taken away from Willow, who she follows around like a puppy, and her ground manners are darn-near perfect.

I am very impressed with her transformation over her time with Andrea, her confidence level has gone up considerably and she is really starting to shine.

[ki]

I've been working with Annie over the last couple of months, though she has had the last couple of weeks mostly off.

Annie is a special mare. For the right person, I have no doubt she will be a horse of a lifetime.

When I first started working with Annie, I felt that she was still hypersensitive and needed a bit more discipline on the longe before I felt comfortable riding her regularly. For the most part, I have been working Annie in the long-lines in a longeing cavesson. We've simultaneously been working on discipline, relaxation, and her overall connection into the bridle. As of a couple of weeks ago, she was moving very nicely and reaching forward into the contact in all three gaits. Overall, she has learned to react to commands from both the voice and the reins promptly without overreacting or losing the relaxation in her back.

I was able to hop on her a couple of weeks ago, and I was really pleased with how much more she was willing to keep her body relaxed. She had a couple of balky moments, but these were resolved with little more than a growl from me. Unfortunately, I've had a bit of a mishap that has kept me out of the saddle, but I really think Annie is ready to start the bulk of her riding career. While she needs a well-balanced, confident rider with quiet hands, her ability to learn quickly, her responsiveness, and her natural athleticism make her an excellent prospect for a serious rider. She is still young, sound, and highly trainable.

On the ground, Annie has really become easy to work around. At first, I had to worry about her overreacting to anything that I did, but she quickly became much less reactive. She is still a bit touchy about having her hind legs done, but frankly, I'm not sure whether it is her or me that is touchy. She managed to kick me the first day that we met, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's picking up on ongoing hesitation on my part. She's a very smart horse. Other than that, she's become really quite wonderful on the ground. The biggest problem I have is her trying to climb in my pocket for a cookie.

For a confident rider looking for a really special horse, Annie could be a dream come true. She is a horse that thrives on consistency and affection, and it will we bring me great joy when we find a great home for her!