Just a few of our equines from the start in 2016
Four Mules from Cranberry Auction...
Now known as Chief, Zane, RIley, and Joy.
Chief (aged 12) was sold as a riding and driving mule. He has not been driven since being here on the farm, but he has been tested under saddle. The consensus is this boy has not previously spent any time undersaddle! The first time he was tried out, he tacked up beautifully, but after that it quickly became obvious that he had no clue and was dangerous as a result. So he has gone back to the basics to build a solid foundation. Riley (aged 9) came to us untrusting of humans and and fearful of everything. incredibly dangerous in the beginning, he would strike out if he felt threatened in any way. In the months that RIley has been with us, he is learning that we can be trusted, allowing us to stand beside his food pan as he eats. Zane (aged 4) also came to use full of fear. He is slowly beginning to come around, allowing our daughter to to scratch and rub his face and neck when she is able to consistently work with him. He has really taught us a lot about the unique personality of mules. Our sweet hinny, Joy (aged 6) was described as a companion animal and spent her previous life in a field. As a result, she is learning from the ground up. Of the four, she is the only one who shows no sign of abuse. She loves attention, and kisses, and grooming, but is also quick to show her displeasure is she doesn't like something. She is in ground work, has been saddled, and is working on sacking out as she tends to be a bit spooky. This sweet girl arrived with the worst case of strangles we have ever seen, but she came through it like a champ!
Chief (aged 12) was sold as a riding and driving mule. He has not been driven since being here on the farm, but he has been tested under saddle. The consensus is this boy has not previously spent any time undersaddle! The first time he was tried out, he tacked up beautifully, but after that it quickly became obvious that he had no clue and was dangerous as a result. So he has gone back to the basics to build a solid foundation. Riley (aged 9) came to us untrusting of humans and and fearful of everything. incredibly dangerous in the beginning, he would strike out if he felt threatened in any way. In the months that RIley has been with us, he is learning that we can be trusted, allowing us to stand beside his food pan as he eats. Zane (aged 4) also came to use full of fear. He is slowly beginning to come around, allowing our daughter to to scratch and rub his face and neck when she is able to consistently work with him. He has really taught us a lot about the unique personality of mules. Our sweet hinny, Joy (aged 6) was described as a companion animal and spent her previous life in a field. As a result, she is learning from the ground up. Of the four, she is the only one who shows no sign of abuse. She loves attention, and kisses, and grooming, but is also quick to show her displeasure is she doesn't like something. She is in ground work, has been saddled, and is working on sacking out as she tends to be a bit spooky. This sweet girl arrived with the worst case of strangles we have ever seen, but she came through it like a champ!
Foreclosure Thoroughbred...
Now known as Triton.
Triton (16.2 TB) came as a neglect case, starved, from a family going through foreclosure. He was sweet and loving beyond belief. He came to the farm and immediately bonded to my husband. Triton followed him everywhere he could possibly go. He is deft hot like a lot of TB's and has absolutely no brakes, but the husband uses him on the trail and he seems to love the life he is living. He has found his home and will remain on the farm.
Triton (16.2 TB) came as a neglect case, starved, from a family going through foreclosure. He was sweet and loving beyond belief. He came to the farm and immediately bonded to my husband. Triton followed him everywhere he could possibly go. He is deft hot like a lot of TB's and has absolutely no brakes, but the husband uses him on the trail and he seems to love the life he is living. He has found his home and will remain on the farm.
Troubled Morgan...
Now known as Luna.
Luna (aged 7) was a Craigslist intercept. She had been beaten so badly, that when you would reach up to remove a lead line or her halter she was immediately in the air striking out in fear. Now she is coming along well in her ground work, and has been bridled and saddled, and has even had some weight on her a few times. She is still nervous, but is by no means the same horse who showed up that first day. An elegant mover with the potential for dressage, she is a precious girl who deserves someone of her own she can trust.
Luna (aged 7) was a Craigslist intercept. She had been beaten so badly, that when you would reach up to remove a lead line or her halter she was immediately in the air striking out in fear. Now she is coming along well in her ground work, and has been bridled and saddled, and has even had some weight on her a few times. She is still nervous, but is by no means the same horse who showed up that first day. An elegant mover with the potential for dressage, she is a precious girl who deserves someone of her own she can trust.
Picked Up Free to Good Home...
Now known as Little Joe.
His intake pictures don't show how truly skinny he was when he arrived on our farm. Another Craigslist find, labeled "free to good home," he was picked up out of a back yard mud hole. His previous owners had no clue that he was underfed, needed wormed, needed his feet trimmed, or even that he was a stallion. We are currently improving his health, including putting on some weight. He is also working on manners, as he can be pushy and food aggressive.
His intake pictures don't show how truly skinny he was when he arrived on our farm. Another Craigslist find, labeled "free to good home," he was picked up out of a back yard mud hole. His previous owners had no clue that he was underfed, needed wormed, needed his feet trimmed, or even that he was a stallion. We are currently improving his health, including putting on some weight. He is also working on manners, as he can be pushy and food aggressive.
Unwanted Camp Ponies...
Now known as Pippin and Raider.
These ponies had long lives in the mountains of North Carolina carrying boys every summer. That is until they were past the age of usefulness, when the camp gave them away "free to good home." After making their way through several owners, we intercepted and brought them to retire on our farm at the ages of 27 and 30. The pictures below were taken two days before Pippin, the smaller of the two, was euthanized. When she arrived, we took note of Pippin's arthritic condition and treated her with bute to keep her as pain free as possible. She was able to do the occasional lesson in our beginner program, but it became quickly apparent that something more was going on with her. Pippin was beginning to lose control of her hind end, and upon examination by the vet who determined the cause to be neurological, we made the tough decision to lay her to rest. Because she and Raider were bonded, we made the decision to keep Raider with her throughout the process to allow him to understand and forgive us. Raider's adjustment period without his best friend has been difficult. At times he doesn't eat, but we are working through it with him. He continues to be a great companion pony as he is permanently retired.
These ponies had long lives in the mountains of North Carolina carrying boys every summer. That is until they were past the age of usefulness, when the camp gave them away "free to good home." After making their way through several owners, we intercepted and brought them to retire on our farm at the ages of 27 and 30. The pictures below were taken two days before Pippin, the smaller of the two, was euthanized. When she arrived, we took note of Pippin's arthritic condition and treated her with bute to keep her as pain free as possible. She was able to do the occasional lesson in our beginner program, but it became quickly apparent that something more was going on with her. Pippin was beginning to lose control of her hind end, and upon examination by the vet who determined the cause to be neurological, we made the tough decision to lay her to rest. Because she and Raider were bonded, we made the decision to keep Raider with her throughout the process to allow him to understand and forgive us. Raider's adjustment period without his best friend has been difficult. At times he doesn't eat, but we are working through it with him. He continues to be a great companion pony as he is permanently retired.
Abused and homeless...
Now known as Lilly.
Lilly was rescued from an abusive situation and sent to us for training, when low and behold, the daughter fell in love! After showing "much interest" in Lilly, she was gifted the pony on her 18th birthday. Lilly is now used to promote the rescue, attending special events, and it's her attention grabbing coif that always steals the show. No worries, her dye is non-toxic!
Lilly was rescued from an abusive situation and sent to us for training, when low and behold, the daughter fell in love! After showing "much interest" in Lilly, she was gifted the pony on her 18th birthday. Lilly is now used to promote the rescue, attending special events, and it's her attention grabbing coif that always steals the show. No worries, her dye is non-toxic!
Tattooed but never raced Thoroughbred...
Now known as Sly Suspect.
Bought as a 2 year old for $7,000 in Florida, Sly Suspect was never raced. Sly was foaled in 2006 and is broke to ride. She has equine vagus nerve so she "faints" when you tighten the girth quickly. If her rider takes this into consideration, using a correctly fitting girth and cinches slowly, she is unaffected. Sly is currently at a sister farm in Pennsylvania waiting for her new family! Travel can be arranged.
Bought as a 2 year old for $7,000 in Florida, Sly Suspect was never raced. Sly was foaled in 2006 and is broke to ride. She has equine vagus nerve so she "faints" when you tighten the girth quickly. If her rider takes this into consideration, using a correctly fitting girth and cinches slowly, she is unaffected. Sly is currently at a sister farm in Pennsylvania waiting for her new family! Travel can be arranged.
Blind and dumped at horse sale
Snowball came to our attention through a group that was net working horses at a feedlot in Madison, NC. Once it was explained that Snowball had his bail fully paid but his original home had fallen through and he was standing at the feedlot confined in a stall for at least two weeks there was no choice but to give this poor soul a safe landing. Fortunately, FF&F had a new foster home not far from this paticular feedlot and we were able to pick him up within 24 hours of learning his story. On October 4,2022 Snowball received his freedom ride away from uncertainty and to a peaceful farm waiting for his arrival. Snowball was seen by the vet and it was determined that he not only was blind but had squamous cell carcinoma surrounding his right eye. A biopsy was performed and the test results came back positive. The extremely sad and difficult decision was made to humanely euthanize Snowball after much discussion and weighing options. Snowball's foster home has already fallen in love with him and his extremely kind and gentle demeanor so Snowball spent the remainder of his days receiving treats, alfalfa hay, grain and lots of hugs. The once insecure and traumatized horse that was dumped at horse sale in western NC and run through only to be purchased by a kill buyer was able to find peace in his final days.
Saved from a kill buyer by a kind person who then fell on hard times
Letty and her daughter came to the attention of FF&F in December 2022 when their owner reached out to one of our board members asking for help after they lost their job and their future looked uncertain. Willow is the adorable paint pony daughter of Letty that is four years old and had minimal training. After many conversations between FF&F it was decided to move both Letty and Willow to a foster home where we could help with these two and allow their owner peace of mind. Willow already had a home offer and Letty needed medical attention for large growths on her head behind her right ear. We worked to slowly separate the mother and daughter duo that had never been separated except a few months during weaning, and incorporated new equines into their turn out spaces to make separation as easy as possible. Sadly it was determined that the growths on Letty's head presented far to many problems to allow her to live a healthy and pain free life so the decision was made to humanely euthanize Letty. This decision was a very difficult one to make. Willow moved to her new home and fit right in.
Letty was run through a local horse sale and purchased by a horse trader that planned on selling her to a kill buyer. Letty was purchased from the horse trader for $200 before he could sell her to the kill buyer by a young person that had fallen in love with her and wanted to save her life. This person not only saved Letty from a horrific future but unknowingly saved her foal. Willow's birth came as a giant surprise!
Letty was run through a local horse sale and purchased by a horse trader that planned on selling her to a kill buyer. Letty was purchased from the horse trader for $200 before he could sell her to the kill buyer by a young person that had fallen in love with her and wanted to save her life. This person not only saved Letty from a horrific future but unknowingly saved her foal. Willow's birth came as a giant surprise!
Willow's story with our rescue continues
Willow went to a fabulous home but as her new owner recovers continues recovering from some health issues they wished for Willow to have better ground manners. When they reached out to FF&F we excitedly agreed to take Willow back to her original foster home and put bit more "polish" on this adorable pony. Willow is doing amazing and is a very quick learner. The sky is the limit with this young horse!!!