Update on Annie from Julie B., foster mom:
I am now riding Annie in English tack with no problems. She is going well
under saddle but has tried to buck when asked to trot — not sure what that
is about! She continues to improve with listening to leg and seat aids. I
have now ridden her outside of the round pen and she did very well. I have
also ridden her near other horses and that didn’t seem to bother her.
Here are some of the things she now does!
Allows all four feet to be picked up, held, and cleaned — wow, huh!
Will allow to be blanketed and unblanketed and fine with rear leg straps
Will allow to be groomed all over including back end, all four legs, behind
pasters down near heals, all over face, poll area, ears, girth area — allows
currying and brushing
I have pulled her mane lightly
I have brushed out and sprayed her tail with conditioner
Pretty good with fly mask both on and off (still doesn’t like the initial
velcro sound)
Will go to the back of her stall and wait without being asked when I pour
out her grain
I have tied her loosely (but not cross-tied yet)
Has been tacked up outside the round pen in a completely different area
Still stands quietly to be mounted
Always easy to catch in the pasture
Areas to work on:
I have started trying to desensitize her to clippers
I want to get her used to having water sprayed on her from the hose and
poured on from a bucket
Desensitizing her muzzle area — still doesn’t like anything around her mouth
including the bit (not pushing the bit thing as I don’t want it to hold up
her being trained under saddle for now — will visit the issue later)
Continue to ride her outside the round pen and increasingly in unfamiliar
areas
Areas of concern:
the bucking thing, but so far it hasn’t been a big deal
A bigger concern is that she will pull back and bounce her front feet off
the ground when she gets anxious or scared; she has also reared all the way
up in the past
