Annie

Here is today’s installment of Karen Wegehenkel photography. Our subject today is that lovely redhead Annie. In these images, she shows her pretty face, her incredible neck, and her sweet side too!

Annie had some time off while the arena was occupied with the new mares but we were back to work yesterday. I was pleased that she was really good despite not being ridden in nearly three weeks! We had been making headway in the canter and that has taken a few steps back during her vacation, but she will come around. She knows her leads so we just need to get her fitness level back to where she can sustain the canter.

She did do her pull-back trick after biting my hand as I was standing next to her. It’s so funny; she nips me then immediately goes back like she just realized that she did a no-no, all that in a split second before I even have time to react. On the plus side, she accepted the bridle with zero head tossing and only minimal grumpiness at the girth. Such a silly girl.

I rode Annie today and she continues to do really well. She is fairly solid W/T/C and we are starting to learn leg yeilding, first at the walk and then at the trot and she is picking it up so well. This has got to be one of the most intelligent horses I have ever met! She picks things up so quickly and tries her heart out I am kinda starting to love her! 

Her ADD-type behavior is still there, and could be intimidating (it was to me at first) but she is all bark and no bite. She is going to make a really NICE horse for someone. I swear she was bred for the show-ring…

I had a great time today and am SO glad we went. Annie is a very pretty girl and she was very brave for her first trail ride.
Dexter was GREAT as well!

We were able to get a group photo after.

Update from Allison:

I rode Annie again yesterday and she was good. She is still a handful on the ground but resonds very well to verbal corrections.

She continues to go well under-saddle, tho she still needs work in the canter. She has a tendancy to cross-canter but that should go away with fitness and balance. Annie steers mostly off weight, she is very soft in the bridle and moves forward off the leg easily. I do like her and wish I could ride her more because she does need it and I know she will only get better with more consistency.

She is a special girl but definitely not for a novice or timid rider/handler.  She has always been a handful on the ground, as of late it is more TB-ADD type behavior; not standing still, wanting to chew on the cross-ties, shaking her head around, things like that.

She is a bit of a bully. She will test you to see what she will get away with. When she first came to SAFE, she had fear-agression issues. When she got intimidated or scared of something she would lash out at it by biting or rearing. Early on she learned that she could intimidate her handler by biting and rearing, so when you first meet her she will do those things to test you out. I had handled her a few times before she did it to me, but she has done it right off the bat with new people too. I don’t know why she does it, just her personality I guess. When she starts getting nippy I growl at her and she quits. Some days are worse than others though. *shrugs*

The trot picture is from before I listened to Andrea and just gave Annie her release. I have issues trusting her under saddle because she is such a freak on the ground so I tend to hold onto her mouth, alebit it lightly, but still holding just in case she does something. Which she never has.

In yesterday’s lesson with Andrea, she convinced me (it took some cajoling on Andrea’s part to get me to do this) to push her forward from behind and throw the reins away. Literally, just bagging, no contact at all. OMG if that horse didn’t give me the best trot I have ever had on her. She went into a beautiful frame, pushing from her hind, rounding her back and picking up contact all on her own. It was a breakthrough moment for me and super exciting. Andrea said that this is what it is all about, teaching a horse to travel in a frame is about getting them forward and giving them their head. They will go onto the bit all on their own. That girl knows her stuff 

Today, Annie ventured to Bridle Trails for the Poker Ride. She was very amped, and I wasn’t comfortable riding the Amped Annie, so thankfully Kathleen ponied her up the trail. Kathleen reported that Annie did super after she settled down. Thank you Kathleen, you are an AMAZING horsewoman!!

After Annie came back, we untacked/fed/watered and went to visit everyone. Annie greatly enjoyed the attention from her many fans and was very well behaved, graciously accepting the pets and scritches from strangers. A very far cry from the timid, fear-aggressive mare from so long ago.

I rode Annie in a lesson with Andrea Lucianna and she was sooo good!! She is a bit of a spaz in the crossties, walking all over and she pulled back once; but once you get on she is all business. We w/t/c both directions and worked on getting her to lengthen, which she still needs some work on. She is very focused on her work and seems to really like being ridden. She tries so hard to understand and comply and she LOVES to hear “good girl!”. Did I mention her gaits are smooth as butter!

My first time really riding her was today and I am looking forward to working with her more.

Annie looking beautiful today. Sarah was really working with her to get her to lengthen her frame a bit, she wants to travel very bottled up or very behind the vertical. She finally got her to do a little better and I was snapping up lots of photos. I got so many good ones I couldn’t decide on the best ones, here are a few of them.

Afterwards we worked on her canter under saddle, which she needed me to help her get Annie into it so no photos of that. She did great though, got the canter to the right several times!

Annie did just fabulous at the show! She surprised us all by being just cool as a cucumber with all the activity in the arena! I was really proud of her, our little wild child has grown up! Of course, she had to remind us just how sensitive our little drama queen can be by taking almost an hour to get in the trailer, bringing to mind fond memories of the mare that once threw herself on the ground to avoid getting in the trailer on the day of the seizure. Thankfully, she wasn’t THAT bad, but she does like to intimidate you into not making her get into the trailer by showing you her pretty chestnut belly. Sarah, our volunteer that has been working with her and rode her at the show, did a great job with her. She handles her antics wonderfully and just laughs at her dramatics.

Annie also did great on the trails course! The goats weren’t a problem, but she was VERY offended by the waterfall. Annie is going to need a little more practice on trotting in hand. She wasn’t quite into it otherwise I think she would have cleaned up in Halter and Showmanship as she is SO beautiful!

From Sarah:

Yes, Annie was just lovely at the show. When I first arrived in the morning she seemed a bit antsy when alone in her stall, but with either someone joining her in the stall for grooming or out for a walk, she settled nicely. She really was not bothered by any of the sights and sounds of the day, and wasn’t concerned about leaving the other horses to go for a little walk around the park either. What interested Annie the most was meeting people! She was really a pleasure to handle and ride at the show.

Update from Kyle:

I worked with Annie today for the first time in a few months. The people who have been working with her have been doing a great job. I think Annie has really turned a corner. She was easy to handle, didn’t have any major overreactions, and worked nicely with me despite my not having worked with her for awhile. She stood nicely in the crossties, which is something I wasn’t entirely comfortable letting her do before. I was even able to pick up all four feet without trouble, despite my previous hesitations (from being kicked). Overall, I was really quite impressed with the improvements in her demeanor and willingness, so thanks to the people who have kept her going and pushed her forward! We even did a fun photo shoot and have some new, lovely shots of our handsome girlie.

Annie being ridden by dressage trainer Vivian Doolittle and by a novice rider (Robbi):

A few photos of Annie today, with a friend of mine who used to train dressage (Vivian Doolittle) and who is volunteering her time to help us. Annie hasn’t been worked in over a month but she was a very good girl (even for having her back feet picked!). She got a little balky but gave it up quickly and did not escalate it at all. She thrives on attention and really does want to please.

We haven’t had any new photos of Annie in a while so I took a bunch today, just out in the pasture. She hasn’t had any work the last few weeks as Kyle has been her primary handler, and I’ve noticed she’s actually getting a bit tubby. She looks great actually, both her and Willow are very naturally slender even when they have a good cover over their ribs just from the way they are built and their long backs. But she has put on quite a bit of poundage since she first came here and it suits her well.

Update from Kyle:

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!

Update from Allison:

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.

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.

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!

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:

And video!

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):

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.

Lots to write about Annie! She is doing great!! She is now off the lunge line and walking and trotting in the big arena!

Annie, our little hotheaded redhead, is doing amazingly well. One thing that is clear about Annie is that it takes a while for her to trust people and she is really looking for one person to bond with. Right now, that person is Andrea’s assistant, who has been her main handler and rider. Annie LOVES her and I guess it is very sweet how much she has latched on to her new person. Andrea had her doubts about Annie at first because she was so distrustful and reactive at first and with new people and being in a new place she reverted at first to some of the aggressive reactions to something she didn’t like or scared her. Now that she is comfortable with her handlers, its completely gone. She’s still reactive and sensitive, but she’s also a lot more brave than you would think and very easy to train under saddle. They were dropping hay bales in the arena from the loft today and she did one little spook and that was it. She has also gotten way better about having her mouth handled and Andrea came up with the coolest idea for getting her over her bridling issues. Normally, for hard to bridle horses (like my horse was), she uses sugar cubes as an incentive to take the bit. But Annie HATES sugar (thinks you are trying to poison her), so she was having none of that. So Andrea tried wrapping fruit roll-ups around the bit. She LOVES it! I would never have thought of that, but it lasts a while and she has to take the bit to get it because it is wrapped around the bit. Her bitting issues are now completely resolved. What flavor does she like best? I asked Andrea. She said, any flavor is fine, but she likes the kind with the tongue tattoos.

Anyway, as soon as the weather clears I am going to get up there and take some video of her. Andrea really likes this mare and thinks she has natural ability for dressage. She describes her as very supple and she goes naturally on the bit with just a slight close of the fingers. I can’t wait to see her!

Last report I had from Andrea (which was on Saturday) is that Annie is doing well, but of course is much more reactive than Willow and Andrea is going slow with her…working on desensitizing, learning how to tie and have baths and all that. She’s tacked her up, lunged her in tack, and had a rider lean over her and walked her around, but not up on her yet (even though she’s had some rides on her already, Andrea thought it best to start from scratch with her). One of Annie’s biggest issues continues to be having her mouth handled. She does not like to be touched in the mouth at all which makes bridling a challenge and also things like worming are nearly impossible. So getting her over that has been a recent focus — just getting her used to having fingers in her mouth and around her face, bit in and out, and using a lot of treats as a reward to get her to associate it with a positive experience.

Annie’s doing well. So far Andrea (the trainer) is just getting to know them and working on ground work. Willow is learning to lunge and have things blankets thrown over her back and such in preparation for the saddle. She’s doing more desensitizing work with Annie as she is still the more sensitive and reactive mare even though she has had more training, Andrea wants to establish trust with her before she rides her. Willow she described as “spunky, but very sweet”. I think she was surprised at how nice they both were and how nice of movers!

Annie’s on her way up to training!

Annie loaded into the trailer like a champ, but was very nervous when she couldn’t see Willow. She is still so insecure about her place in this world and hopefully her training at Half Trak Farm will help her confidence in people and herself.

When Annie got put into her stall, she was more interested in what was happening in the aisleway than the hay on the floor. She is so social and wants to be involved in everything, even though she is a little afraid. I can’t wait to see how she progresses under saddle. 

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

Update from Monica B.:

Yesterday I tried to make the most of a break between rain showers. With the help of Ashley, who boards her horse at Edensgate, and her friend Hailey, we put Annie through her paces.

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/horsebytes/

I hope to supplement this at some point with some footage under saddle, but she looks pretty good just out in the field!

If you want to just go direct to the video:

A recent photo of Annie:

Another Annie update from her foster mom, Julie:

Here’s another update on Annie. Unfortunately I can’t seem to post to the
message board from my computer — I’ve tried everything and even my
techno-savvy ex-husband can’t figure it out…

Anyhow, yesterday was Annie’s fourth ride and first ride in “grown-up” tack
: ) — my western Crates saddle, which is alot heavier than the
breaking/backing saddle, complete with back cinch and ridiculously short
stirrups (my daughter has obviously been using my saddle again!). She was a
little bothered by the whole idea and didn’t want to stay at the round pen
panel but was okay once I got on. Annie is getting much better with her
balance and we practiced moving her haunches away, moving forward more
freely, turning away from and toward the side of the round pen, and one rein
stop. We trotted both directions several times and also mastered backing
up! Annie is starting to get the hang of bending both directions but is
definitely better bending toward the right — need to keep working on that
other side…

Even being tacked up with an unfamiliar and heavier saddle, Annie stood
fairly still (she’s actually better than my morgan mare at that!). We did
more at liberty work with tack on and Annie is becoming an old pro at
stopping at the panel I ask her to stop at, from a trot. She is very eager
to please and such a good girl! We did more practicing picking up and
holding her feet including her back ones — Daphne did a practice session
with Annie on Tuesday and she was a star, letting Daphne hold her back legs
forward with Daphne underneath her! Annie is also learning how to stand
still for other people than me — she had a good old sniff of Daphne. I
think she is getting the idea that maybe most people are good — she really
liked Daphne’s horse cookies : ) . Unfortunately she started to get nibbly
with my hands so the cookies were withdrawn… I think she responds better
to lots of praise, verbal and rubbing her neck and forehead.

Annie is my hero! Thanks again for entrusting her to me. We are having a
great time together : ) .

Fantastic update on Annie from her foster mom, Julie!

I just wanted to give you an update on how Annie is doing. I have started
her under saddle and have put three rides on her. I have bridled her and
have ridden her with a snaffle. She is halter broke and leads safely. She
will put her head in the halter herself and no longer tosses it when being
haltered. She will move away from pressure when haltered and when not
haltered. She will also back up when the leadrope is squeezed and when
light pressure is put on her nose. She “lunges” both directions and will
move her haunches and shoulders out of the way when asked. I have picked up
all four feet several times. I have been working on her food aggression
issues and head-shyness and she is progressing well with both.

I can saddle her in the round pen without a halter on and she will stand
while being saddled. So far she has worn a western saddle, thick wool felt
pad, and breast collar. I have taught her how to bump up to the side of the
round pen and stand there while being mounted — this will translate to
standing by a mounting block.

I have tested her to see if she is a pull-back candidate and she doesn’t
seem to be, although I don’t want to say that she NEVER will pull back.
Today we worked on her giving to halter pressure when the lead rope is
looped around her back end and she did pretty well. I have worked on
de-spooking her to the leadrope being dragged all over her body and around
her legs. I have also pretty much desensitized her to the flag to the point
where it is difficult to get her to move away from it : ) . We are now
working on desensitizing to a burlap feed bag and a plastic tarp.

I can now consistently get Annie from a paddock or pasture — she will come
to me or stand until I get to her and will let me halter her. We also did
quite alot of practicing getting in and out of my trailer and have it down
to less than 30 seconds and without any treats!

Under saddle we are working on moving away from pressure, moving her
hindquarters away both directions, direct rein and weight aids, standing
still, and halting. I wouldn’t say that she is green broke but we are
getting there!

Annie is good with other horses, both mares and with Cassidy my older
gelding. She is a smart girl and focuses well. She is still nervous and
suspicious of people who she doesn’t know, but is much better than when she
first arrived.

Let me know if there is anything else that you would like me to do with her
and I’d be more than happy to, if I can. I started her in a western saddle
because that is how I (now) start all horses, but it should be no problem to
change her to English when she is more balanced and steady. Western saddles
have a bigger pommel to hold onto and lots of cool rigging to bang and slap
around — great for desensitizing!

Thanks for giving me the chance to work with her. We are having a great
time together : ) .

Annie’s first ride, as blogged by Monica Bretherton in her Horsebytes column:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/horsebytes/archives/140910.asp

Annie received her vaccination boosters, a dental float, and a trim on Friday. She was very good for her front feet, but still required some sedation for her back feet, although Daphne was able to handle her back feet a bit better without sedation.

Annie is also reportedly doing VERY well at Julie’s and is responding well to the groundwork. While we will continue to have her in training and may eventually have her started under saddle, Annie is going to be moved to the “Available” section of our bulletin board! Congratulations to Annie for being the first of the Elledge horses that is being offered for adoption! They have all made tremendous progress and it actually makes me tear up that we have gotten this far.

As has been mentioned previously, only 5 of the Elledge horses were actually surrendered to us by the county and will SAFE be able to adopt out. The others will be held until the resolution of the trial (which, I am not even sure has a trial date set yet). The other four horses include Kokomo, Phoenix, Sinatra, and Hope (and her colt). They will be made available in the coming weeks/months.

Annie’s adoption fee will be set initially at $500. This is subject to change if SAFE provides additional professional training for her.

Just a quick note — Annie was FANTASTIC getting in the trailer today! It took us only 5 minutes or so and we didn’t have to use anything to get her in, just a little grain to encourage her. She was SUCH a good girl! She is now at Julie’s (with Cedar) to get some groundwork training.

Jaime, Allison and I stopped by to see Annie and Dutchess last Saturday. I was quite impressed with how beautiful Annie has become now that her health and weight have been restored. She is really stunning. She is friendly enough when she doesn’t feel stressed or threatened in any way, and she enjoyed the large handfuls of grass that Allison fed her.

We are going to attempt to send Annie for training within the next few weeks. She is scheduled for a float on June 6th and hopefully will be moved to a trainer shortly thereafter.

Annie finally got her back feet done with the help of a little sedation. It was a fine line between giving her enough sedation to keep her from kicking (apparantly, she was still hard to do) and not so much where she couldn’t stand. But they got it done. Phew! She also got her shots.

Our farrier tried again to get her back feet done — this is the 3rd or 4th time now she has worked with her and she is also an experienced trainer, but Annie is having none of it. She will let you brush her hind feet, but if you touch them with a bare hand, she will get very kicky and she’s not really getting much better. Not sure what we are going to do with her. Her foster home is able to manage her but not really work on this — we really need to get her into the hands of a trainer and someone that has time to spend with her.

Oh, Annie, Annie, Annie…

She’s a little hothead that is for sure. Had a brief visit with her today and while she is very sweet, curious and wanting attention, if you scare her (and she scares easily), her reaction is to pin her ears and act out aggressively. I scared her when I reached to unsnap her leadrope and that was how she reacted. She is a tough mare that is going to need a gentle but firm touch to bring her around.

Fortunately, she does NOT look pregnant.

We have identified Annie as:

139211 AD IDEM ‑CHESTNUT markings: STAR, STRIPE, CONNECTED SNIP, LEFT FRONT AND LEFT HIND PASTERNS HIGHER IN BACK, RIGHT HIND SOCK, WHITE.
by Kabuki ex a Supreme Heir mare, 2nd dam by Attache

Here is an update on Annie from Monica Bretherton on her blog, Horsebytes:

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/horsebytes/

Well let’s see.…Annie has had another training session with our trimmer, Daphne, working towards getting her hind feet done. She was able to pick up both back feet and hold them for a few seconds, so hopefully on the next session she will be able to trim those back feet. She is still pretty reactive with her hind feet and doing things like putting hind blanket straps on can be challenge, but she is getting better every day as she is starting to relax at her foster home. She had to be put in an adjacent, but separate, paddock from Dutchess as she was being aggressive to her at feeding time. Everyone is getting their 5‑day Panacur Powerpak, but Annie goes absolutely crazy if you even try to get near her with a syringe so hers has to be fed in grain (thankfully, she eats it!). But, when you are not doing something she doesn’t like, (like trying to worm her, or mess with her hind end), she is an absolute sweetheart that loves attention. She will come around, but she is just one that is very slow to trust people.

I’ll try to get some updated photos this week. 

Thought that I would add that one of the Sheriff’s at the seizure chose the name Annie for this red-headed gal after Annie Oakley, a woman from the wild west who kept up with the gun-totin’ cowboys of the era!

<Jaime’s comment>

That’s right, but after I discovered that she has a passion for oats, I started calling her Annie Oatley. 

Annie is a chestnut Saddlebred mare from the Carnation seizure, who SAFE has recently taken on after spending the last two weeks with Equine Aid. This young pretty mare is thin, but not nearly as bad as Hope or Willow. Her feet were in horrendous shape, the worst of the bunch. Annie was the one that gave us the most trouble loading on the day of the seizure, she was shutting down and then falling onto the ground. After a couple of hours we got her into the trailer using trucks to create a squeeze shoot. Since she has been with Equine Aid we have found that she’s really a very sweet mare, but she is sensitive and a bit high-strung, and combine that with being unhandled you have a mare that can be a handful at times. We had some trouble loading her again today but nothing as bad as the first time. She’s now in a foster home in Sultan with her buddy Dutchess. Pictures to come!