From wild to best friend: SAE success

By Maleah Redmann Athens FFA

I started my SAE this past summer after I received part of the Summer Enrichment grant from the Athens High School.

With the grant money, I purchased 6 foot tall panels and redid a section of a pole shed so it could house a horse. I was then approved by the Bureau of Land Management to adopt an untouched wild horse.

I adopted No. 9436, a gelding from Stewarts Creek, Wyo., at the Marshfield satellite adoption event put on by the BLM in June. By the end of the first day we had worked through his initial fear and he became confident enough to let me touch him almost everywhere, in addition to allowing me to remove the number tag around his neck, He soon earned himself the name Renegade. We worked together almost every day from June to August working on things like leading, loading, tying, desensitizing and tricks.

In August, we competed at the Athens fair and took first place in halter horses two years and younger and had the overall best costume. I also was awarded the Overall Best Horse Show Person for the second year in a row thanks to Ren.

Together we walked through the Athens parade, which was an amazing accomplishment on day No. 65.

In December, I was one of three students in the country awarded the Fieldale Farm Corp. Grant through the National FFA. This grant will assist me in my goal to adopt and train another mustang through the 2020 Youth Extreme Mustang Makeover in Lexington, Ky., to help raise awareness for the adoption of wild horses and burros by showcasing their trainability and versatility.

I will find out if I am selected for the program in February, and if selected, I will pick up my randomly assigned horse in March and have around 100 days to train it to the best of my ability before the competition in June.

For anyone looking to adopt a wild horse or burro, I strongly recommend it. There are multiple ways to bring home a mustang or burro from TIP trainers, EMM’s, Internet adoptions, satellite adoptions and facility events.

There are thousands of wild horses looking for homes, so why not give them an amazing one? Trust me, it’s worth it.