Staff Spotlight: Savanna Walker

We are thrilled to share with you an exciting update from our Equine & Livestock program! Equine specialist, Savanna Walker, was recently accepted to a three-week long internship program with the Monty Roberts Mustang & Transition Horse Program (MRTHP). This is a competitive program and we couldn’t be prouder of Savanna for earning this opportunity!

About Savanna

Savanna wasn’t initially a part of our equine team – she was hired to work in adoptions at our Russell H. Perry Animal Care Center. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our organization had to shuffle around staff to keep everyone socially distanced and safe, so many staff were reassigned to different departments or sites with open positions if they were willing. Savanna had a background with livestock and participated in Future Farmers of America (FFA) growing up, so she was a natural choice to transition to our Equine & Livestock team. Savanna is our resident chicken expert, and is able to gain the trust of even our most cantankerous birds. Since joining the team, Savanna has been learning the ins and outs of horse care and training from our trainers at Petrey Horsemanship. Savanna’s eagerness to learn has impressed all of us, and we are so excited for her to take this next step in her animal welfare education. Congratulations Savanna! 

About Monty Roberts

A master horseman and advocate for horses in transition, Monty Roberts is leading the equine training industry in non-violent methods of training. He specializes in force-free methods that focus on creating opportunities for horses to decide to be with, and work with, their human companions. Force-free training, while not ubiquitous, is more commonly accepted in canine training. Horses have been “trained” with whips, spurs, food deprivation, chains, hitting, jerking and other violent methods for centuries. Monty Roberts and other horse advocates are seeking to make this style of training a thing of the past, and move the industry toward a future of force-free equine training. 

A Force-Free Future

The SPCA of Texas is committed to fear-free and force-free training for all of our animals. The animals in our care come from all backgrounds, with the majority of them coming from cruelty or neglect situations. Building positive, effective relationships with animals is a priority for our Behavior and Animal Care teams, so staying up-to-date with the latest force-free training strategies and programs is vital to keeping our animals, staff and volunteers safe throughout the important work we do in behavioral rehabilitation. 

Horses at the SPCA of Texas

The SPCA of Texas is committed to helping horses in transition find their next home. To see all of our adoptable equines, visit spca.org/adopt.