Savanna

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

Its about time i started one of these for my horse.

SAVANNA


So Savannah is said to be an american saddlebred, but she has a G with a bar on top and bottom, and i researched it and that branding is said to come from a quarter horse and paint place. Any who, she is 14.1 hh, chestnut in color, with four white socks, and a white face. & i love her.

When she got sold to me i was told she was a beginners horse, has tons of training. I have been having major mounting problems with her, she twists, spooks, and bolts when someone is trying to mount.

I got in contact with her first owner in NL three days ago. Which is Mel.
Mel said she was the best horse she ever had, never had any problems with her ever, used to come home everyday from school, mount her alone and ride, she never spooked ever. Mel couldn't believe what i was telling her, so she came down to the barn with me and Megan Kennedy to see for her own eyes.

Me and Megan got her ready, saddled her up, we actually used Mel's old saddle that she always used on Savannah to see if that made a difference. Well Megan was trying to bridle her she got spooked, the bit didn't hit her teeth, almost fell to the ground while in cross ties. So we ended up bridling her after that without a fuss.
We brought her outside, and she started running in circles around Megan (Megan had her to hold Sav still) Megan walked her out, and everything was fine and dandy, I fooled around with the saddle, hitting it, and putting my weight in the stirrups, when she did try to get away we backed her up, until she was still, then i tried to mount, she moved a few times, but after a few times of being backed up she didn't move.

I hopped on her, boy that was the best feeling ever. Getting on my own horse that i had since November. : )

We stood still for a few minutes until i was comfortable enough to move, Megan was leading me just in case Sav spooked.

Then... she flipped, she bolted and reared, when she reared i had to push my self off of her or else she would have landed on me. I didn't have my reins tight either. Then she took off with her reins and her lead line hanging down, we caught her, she didn't hurt herself. After that Megan lounged her, i was in to much pain too. When she settled down i had her next to me, talking to Mel, and my friend Jono who came along that day with me. Mel was in front of me and Savannah, and Jono was off to the side, we weren't moving just standing still talking, when she leaped towards Mel, and hit her.

Mel was so upset that her old horse is like that, im upset that i got "lied" too.

So now Me, Megan, and Calvin are all trying to get her back to her Normal state, and Krista too if she wants to help.
We will be lounging her everyday for at least 30 mins, with saddle on, taking her for walks, fiddling around with the saddle & stuff like that.

And im okay, just a little bruised up, and Mel is okay too, and Savannah of course is fine.
I will try to update this as much as i can.

If anyone has any tips you can PM me or just comment here.
Anything will be appreciated.
I just want the well trained horse i thought i bought. Which i know she can be.
And this doesn't mean i don't like my horse anymore, i love her, she's my world.


Thank you, Alecia & Savannah.

[Krista]

OMG ! i didn't know she was this bad... jennifer didn't have this many problems with her until her feet got bad and jennifer stopped riding her... just keep using her and making her work, get her used to the fact that she has to be ridden again and work cause she's not used to doing anything anymore... and jennifer used to let her get away with everything, when sav did something bad jennifer would laugh and let her be, so sav has developed bad habits but they are all correctable especially since she wasn't always like this... keep doing what you said you guys would do, making her work, and don't be afraid of her ! make her learn she HAS to listen to you ! i'm off next sunday if you'd like me to come down... hope you're okay and try not to keep sav's freak outs on your mind when around her, as hard as that is... she'll come around again with time

[katlyn]

thats not, good, hope you guys get along/better. : )

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

Yeah, we do get along katlyn, just she's not used to being worked with under saddle. =) She has perfect barn and ground manner while a saddle isn't on her.

"jennifer used to let her get away with everything, when sav did something bad jennifer would laugh and let her be" Calvin & Mel were thinking that, Mel is super upset that Sav has gotten like that, she said if she knew it would have got this bad she wouldn't have sold her because Sav was the perfect horse.
Krista you can come down and help on Sunday. I just needs to let you know when i will be there and if there will be any paintballing going on. And Thank You Krista. : )

[katlyn]

Oh, i ment like get along as in riding wise hope she doesn't spoook etc.

[jewelsmith28]

Take your time! I cannot stress this enough. After our accident, Sab developed some pretty bad habits from the same thing. She got away with everything. When I started riding again, I started riding my coaches horse, and I found this helped me get my confidence back. Then my coach got on Sab and did some training with her, just letting her know her bad habits wern't going to be tolerated and she wouldn't get away with them. Maybe someone with more experience with this kind of thing can hop on her for you? Show her she has to work and her nastiness won't be tolerated?

[Krista]

alecia i'm off on thursday as well if that'd be better for you... msg me here or on facebook and let me know... i know sav from when jennifer owned her and i know how good she was when jennifer first bought her, so i know what she can do... i'd love to be able to help get her back to the old sav !... it's just going to take time, patience, sweat, and lots of work but you'll get there !

[jessicab]

PM'ing you...

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

So just keeping updated, i lounged her a bunch of times. With no problems, next time Megan is over we will be saddling her up again for a take two at ridding.

I did have video's but i deleted them yesterday by mistake, now i have two videos up on my youtube now, which is posted in the picture section.


I'll try to keep you guys updated.

[sammycole]

Hey Alecia. I had some simalar issues with Dallas when i got him. He wasnt used for 2 years and was agressive. He did not want to be ridden and wanted to kill anybody who made him work lol. Shelly will testify to how bad he was haha. I did some join up exercises with him and you would not believe the differance it made. He is a completely differant horse. I no longer have any of the issues with him that i had previous to doing the join up. Mounting him now is a dream and he totally relies on me to let him know things arnt scary so he doesnt spook. Just a suggestion for you to try with Savanah. Good Luck

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

So i have been working with Savanna, and lounging her and just spending time with her. So has been very good.

Atempted number two. steptember 20th 2009

So today i went over and groomed her & bathed her and then groomed her again.
She was perfect to be bathed, i had my doubts on it because she hates anything wet, but she stood almost still.

Once Calvin was home i asked could he come out and help me get up on Savanna.
Before i actually got up on her i lounged her for about ten minutes just to warm her up.
Once i got on she was pretty calm, and Clavin had ahold of her so she couldn't do any freak outs, and he told me to hold on no matter what happens.
When we started talking she started bucking and trying to rear, but Calvin made her go in circles and made her stand for a tiny bit longer, after that she was fine, so calvin walked me around the track three times, he said she should be fine to take on my own, but i told him i was going to take it slow so i got off and called in a days work.
She was so excellent i was so happy.

Baby steps.
I have a few pictures from today on facebook and a video of her being lounged posted below.

Pictures: www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=156210&id=703320942&l=9bc806b79d
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd-nOgTSZbE

Theres more videos of her on my channel on youtube, check them out.

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

Went for a ride on her again last night.
She was perfect besides the fact it was dark and she kept on hearing things in woods and stopping.

Today i will be going over again, and hopefully having a good ride. : )

Im super happy.

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

So yesterday was my first ride alone on her, she was a doll.
We did lots of trotting and we loped a few times.
It feels great to be ridding my own horse : D

So first off my friend Laura Hulan from Bay Roberts area rode her, we was really good for her, so it boosted my confidence to get on myself, after she did three runs around the track i jumped on. We walked around at first while Jono and Laura followed me, and as soon we went for round two we did some trotting, we trotted around twice before i wanted to try to lope. We were coming around the turn behind the barn, and thats when i kissed at her, but her head was turning towards the barn and i couldn't pull her the other way, so i let her race up to the barn, then we went the other way round the track with some trotting and loping. Once I got off of her i walked her around the track once to cool her off, then i took her saddle off outside, and boy she was so sweaty. So i sweat scraped her then i let her outside after a groom, and of course she rolled.

She was perfect. She was really responsive with voice commands and squeezes.
There was lots of noises outside because calvins house and the house next door are getting face lifts, all the men that were working on the houses stopped what they were doing to watch. It was really good.

Also i lounged her before i got on and she was really good with the commands i was giving her. Still doesn't change directions but we are working on that.

Big thanks to Calvin for helping me with her. And leading her while i wasn't ready.

On another topic about Savana is picking out her feet, front ones are fine to pick out, the back ones i get a slam downs. But yesterday i kept on trying to get up her right hind when she slammed it down, and the last attempted she tried to put it down, there was no dirt in it so i keep it up for a little bit longer until she stopping moving around, then once she stopped i let it down and gave her a peppermint.

Thanks to everyone who reads this, and feel free to comment.
Pictures will be up of my next ride, which should be tomorrow. : )

[teezernbreeze]

I recently looked at your videos,

And When your lunging you are moving all over the place, and your horse seems to be hauling on you an awful lot. This is the horse being totally rude and she is not giving to the bite or respecting it.
When your lunging you should hardly move your horse should quietly move around you and there should be slack in the line, now not to much slack but enough that she's not hauling and your arm isn't extended. You should be relaxed and so should your horse.
Also she should not be let to stop and poop etc, she should learn to move forward even during pooping. although i wouldn't want to but horses are expected to

www.youtube.com/watch?v=V06_M1dpR50&feature=related
Heres a good example of a relaxed lunging session. It's not the best but i didn't have much time to browse the net.



Maybe this is something you should work on .

She is a lovely looking horse i must say, i hope things keep going well!

[Mellu]

You need to chill out a bit with the whip, when you want her to slow lower it. Would you want to stop running if someone was holding a whip straight up in the air behind you? When you are saying "whoa" you might wanna try a more drawn out sound. "Whooooaaaa".

My horse is a demon to lunge, Donna taught me to start on less line than you would normally use and walk in a circle with her as she moves, then slowly let it out and move less and less, as opposed to just expecting prancer to give when she can avoid it by turning in, or in sav's case trying to run away with you.

P.m. Ridersup, she's amazing at explaining how to lunge properly.