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Appys Are Love




When I was a teenager I participated in two programs. One was the Supervised Occupational Experience (SOE) project through Future Farmers of America (FFA), the other was through the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). Both projects totaled up the hours that were spend riding, and/or the hours spent caring for horses.

I have been curious as to how many hourse I spend with Federal Agent (Fed for short)or any other horses for that matter.

Federal Agent (pictured above) is a 19 year old (as of 2005) adopted BLM mustang. He has kind of an interesting history. This is what I have gleaned from talking to others who were familiar with him.

I am guessing he was captured at a young age, I think 3-4, and someone who didn't know much about horses adopted him. At some point he was gelded, and they did a pretty poor job of it, leading me to believe that he may be proud cut (meaning that he can act like a stallion, he just can't procreate). I assume at this point they didn't know what to do with a wild horse, so they had someone mess up his brand and let him go. The reason they did this is because legaly you cannot sell a BLM horse with in the first year of owning him. BLM horses and burros are branded on the neck with the location the were caught, the aprox year of birth, and a serial number. The botched brand was so that he could not be traced back to the original owners.

A rancher found the wild horse on his land, and didn't want it, so Federal was sold to the people I bought him from. He was a handfull for them as well. I can only guess that he was allowed to have his own way and worst of all to run home. Now the running home thing is a realy sticking point, I have been working with Federal on this for 9 years, and at times we still have issues with it.

The family I bouth Federal from, the H's, had two horses. One was for their daughter to ride in Gymkhana's and to run for Rodeo Queen on. The other horse was Federal. Now I have no idea why they bought him, but Mr. H rode him. Being a man Mr. H didn't mind when Federal acted up, he would fall off just about evertime he rode Federal. This just taught Federal one thing... humans like it on the ground, and he was going to help you there. So apparently Mrs. H got on Federal, and he dumped her good enough that she demanded that Federal be sold.

So I step in, I think I was about 19 when I got him. I paid for him with my own money, though I really wasn't interested in him. My parents convinced me to buy the crazy beast, after Shade one of my horses at the time had gone lame.

I guess Fed and I hit it off because I picked up all his feet, and Mr. H said that he must like me because he wouldn't let any of the other prospective buyers handle his feet.

So we spent about an hour trying to get Fed in to the horse trailer, which is an open stock trailer with NO roof. We got him home and the first thing I did was ride him 3 miles to a Gymkhana on the following Saturday. Remember I said Federal learned that people liked it on the ground and he was going to send you there. Well his MO was to do a teeth jaring, 180 degree turn at warp speed, thus dumping just about everyone. Not me though... however I don't think my teeth will ever quite be the same again. Those first few days must have been damn confusing to him when he couldn't do anything to make me fall off.

I have spent alot of time with him, using Natural Horsemanship tecniques. He has greatly improved from the nearly non-ride-able horse I bought. He is now a solid citizen, and I really think he is a great horse. I just wish he was younger, I really don't want to have to get another horse. Being a mustang, he will probably go on forever... Gods willing.


Fionnabhair is a five year old BLM mustang.



So since one LJ wasn't enough for my blog obsession I made this one as well! If you want to know about non-horse related stuff in my life go to skullarix.

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