Gals Being Pals
Nova and Harissa have been sharing a fence line for a while now, but recently became officially introduced out in their grass backyard. Neither of these girls are a stranger to herd dynamics, so there was very little fanfare as they established the hierarchy (Harissa…
Alumni Update: Tilt (Korra)
Tilt (now Korra) recently celebrated her birthday and adoption day! Adopter Julie wrote: Fourth of July is far more important here in Santa Fe. Happy birthday and adoption day to Korra (Tilt)!! One of the sweetest souls I’ve had the privilege to meet.
Welcome, Mahina!
Meet Mahina (pronounced muh-hee-na), which means “moon” in Hawaiian. She’s a striking mare with exceptionally long legs, almost jet black in color, adorned with a white star, two matching white ankle socks on her hind legs, and a white front right pastern. Based on…
Alumni Update: Kelly
SAFE Volunteers, Debbie M and Anne H, had the pleasure of visiting with Kelly and her extended family during a recent alumni check at her Steven’s Animal Sanctuary home in Enumclaw, WA. This is what Debbie had to say about Kelly and their visit: “I never saw Miss…
Theo is Growing!
The little mark we made on the proverbial wall above Theo’s wither back in January is no longer accurate. He has officially graduated from a 13-hand horse to a 14-hand horse. Sure, maybe he just went from 13.3 to 14.0, but an inch is an inch. Plus, his high little…
SAFE Mini Horse Ambassadors Doing Their Thing
Penned by Best Buddy to Shasta and Sunny The SAFE mini horse ambassadors, Shasta and Sunny D, recently were invited to visit the Fairwinds-Redmond Retirement Community, along with their SAFE Volunteer handlers, Jackie L and Debbie M. One of the many things they…
A Post About Tiva
The June Open House is in full swing. The forecast said rain, but the weather has held for the event, allowing our tour groups to meander leisurely around the property without worry of whether or not they remembered to re-waterproof their raincoats. At paddock #17, a…
Halter-Starting the Halter-Started
We have no shortage of chestnut mares at SAFE. It’s our most popular color, in fact, with no fewer than 10 in our care currently. Deja Vu is aptly named, then, being a chestnut mare herself. Walking by her paddock, you may ask yourself, ‘have I seen this horse…
Sugar is Adopted!
It’s hard to resist something sweet for long, and true to form, Sugar came and went from SAFE about as fast as you can say ‘isn’t he just the sweetest thing!’ That’s right, little Sugar has been adopted! Sugar, now known as “Au Poni Kopa’a” (Ko) which means “the sugar…
Alumni Update: Trey
Trey is getting to live an amazing life with his barn buddies and with Eve and Stephen. He had been ridden and shown in dressage but is now retired and gets groundwork, grooming and good loving from both Eve and Stephen. He has a dark spot on his nose they call his…
Stay Copper, Ponyboy
In his slicked-out summer coat, Edward is comparable to a new penny: copper in color, and a 3.5 on the Mohs hardness scale of mineral hardness (that’s pretty soft, just like our Ed). But the comparison to our lowest denomination coin ends there — for Edward is worth…
Pepper is Adopted!
We loved Pepper at SAFE, but it was hard not to walk by her stall or paddock and ask, ‘you’re still here?’ Pepper was one adoptable little pony! But good things come to those who wait, and indeed, when the wonderful folks at Sammamish Animal Sanctuary came knocking,…
What to Say About Beautiful Bijou?
If you pay very close attention to the SAFE website, then you already know that Bijou went out on trial for adoption, and that she ended up coming back to SAFE. We have an automatic 30-day trial with every adoption for a reason. We want to be sure that the placement…
Alumni Update: Nashville
We recently checked in with Nashville and her adopter Anna. Nashville enjoys hanging out with her friends Supri and Colbert. She has been seeing a vet regularly for her arthritis and thin soles of her feet. She is now doing much better with new pads which are helping…
Trixie Settling In
Standing in her noble shelter, peering over the edge with just the top half of her face above the wall, Trixie resembles a hippo floating beneath the surface of the water. But unlike hippos, one of the most dangerous land mammals, Trixie is sweet sweet sweet. We could…
Alumni Update: Jill
A SAFE Alumni volunteer recently checked in with Jill and her adopter Anna. Anna states Jill is growing up beautifully. She credits SAFE for that and adds that each time Jill encounters something she is troubled about, she returns to a calm state of mind quicker and…
Nova’s Saturday Scratches
Trudy M, our stupendous Saturday barn staff, has been spending some time grooming Nova during the past few months while she has been in recovery from her spay earlier this year. We have given Nova some time off, and while her expectations for work have been low, she…
SAFE at Buck
Buck Brannaman is headed to Washington for the next two weekends, and the SAFE horses will be joining him at his clinics in Spanaway and Ellensburg. This is a great opportunity for the horses to get experience off-property while furthering their education with a…
Alumni Update: Jewel and Tilt (Korra)
Jewel is doing well and living a pretty leisurely life right now. She enjoys her feeding schedule (four times per day). Her favorite thing to do is trail riding, which is on hold right now as Julie works through a saddling issue with her. Tilt (Korra) also likes her…
Alumni Update: Kai
SAFE recently checked in with Kai and his adopter, Barb. Kai has mostly had the winter to hang out with his herd mates, but Barb is looking forward to trail riding this summer. Kai is as handsome and sweet as ever and he is clearly adored by Barb!
Alumni Update: Tabitha (Willa)
Tabitha, now called Willa, lives with Alyssa in a beautiful area with trails across the road that go for miles. They do a lot of trailing riding, but Willa tends to prefer loping the trails when possible. Recently, they attended a dressage clinic in Spokane.
Blanche is Adopted!
We interrupt your weekend to bring you good news: Blanche has been adopted! Blanche, now called Joule, headed out on a beautiful sunny day to join Elissa’s family, whose non-human members include a handful of Nigerian goats and new horse-brother, Watney. Elissa had…
Jupiter’s Masterson Session
Jupiter has been dealing with a sore back as of late, and in the midst of his rehabbing (he can do his carrot stretches in his sleep!) he had a visit with our good friend Natalie for a session of bodywork utilizing the Masterson Method. Jupiter was very responsive to…
Brandit Loves Grass
These two mares may be older in their years, but put them on pasture and they sure don’t act like it — these girls can rip! A necessary part of any turnout includes a good roll, and Brandy and Bandit, particularly the latter, prove how well-versed they are in the art…
SAFE Arena Grader Raffle
We Have a Winner! Congratulations to Trent N, who is the winner of the Land Pride arena harrow, donated by Issaquah Honda Kubota The Drawing was held on September 28 at the last Open House, and it was a ticket belonging to Trent N that was drawn from the bucket.…
Run Free, Bailey
Yesterday, as the sun shone overhead and a warm breeze blew, we said goodbye to Bailey. While she might not have been at SAFE for very long, she was well fed, well cared for, and well loved during her time with us. You’d be hard pressed to find a sweeter mare, and…
Getting it Done with Deloitte
Another day, another fun and successful Work Party! Last week, SAFE hosted Deloitte LLP as part of their 25th annual company wide Impact Day. We had nearly 40 people from their Seattle office come to the barn for the entire day. These folks were hungry for the work…
Taking Care of Winter
A little less than two weeks after she arrived at SAFE, Winter met with the vet and the farrier for the first time in years. When we’d first booked the appointments for her, we did so tentatively, unsure if she would be far enough along in her handling to be seen to.…
Safe at Home: Happy Geldings
SAFE’s reach extends beyond the 30 horses who we keep on-site in our care. Our Safe at Home Community Assistance Program is designed to provide short term assistance to horse owners struggling to care for their horses. The goal of this program is to partner with horse…
Alumni Update: Ajax (AJ)
Here is an updated photo of Ajax (AJ) with Nancy. AJ is living a happy, safe, healthy life, hanging out with best buddy Cheyenne.
Inula at Summer Camp!
Inula is doing great at foster, and settling in well with the rest of the herd! She had already been introduced to SAFE Alumni Finn (formerly Doolin), but this past week met foster mom Shannon’s horse-sized horses as well. Introductions went well, and the four of them…
Alumni Update: Bliss and Evie
Bliss and Evie are doing great. This year Emily plans to ride Evie on trails with her daughter’s horses. Bliss is fine staying behind as the neighbor, who has three horses, keeps a watchful eye on her. Emily loves her girls and watching Bliss canter behind Evie,…
Remembering Roy
Last week, Roy passed peacefully over to join the rest of his herd. A year ago, Roy came to SAFE from a sad situation as part of a 7 horses seizure by Pierce County Animal Control. Two had to be euthanized on the property, one left the property but was euthanized at…
Alumni Update: George
SAFE Alumni volunteers, Candi K and Jackie L, recently visited George and his family. Here is an update from Candi. Imagine turning off a country road and setting your eyes upon an idyllic white farmhouse nestled amidst 6 acres of fragrant, sweet grass with the sights…
Winter in the Springtime
Winter came to SAFE in the springtime, though a recent onslaught of gloomy, rainy, chill in the forecast does conjure more January than June. That’s Washington for you. But Winter herself isn’t exactly wintry – pairing a horse coat color up with a season would…
Back in the saddle with Barb
As you pass by her paddock, Barb nickers at the gate, a little bay siren enticing you closer. It is hard to divine what, exactly, she wants, once she has you. Likely to be let out and left to her own devices. Barb would make an excellent automatic lawn mower, if only…
Bailey’s Troubled Hooves
The horses who arrive at SAFE are rarely in good shape. But the amount of rehabilitation each horse requires is as varied as the horse themself. Bailey arrived as part of a four horse seizure from Pierce County Animal Control. We have spoken before about what an…
Alumni Update: Harley
Harley is living on a beautiful 40-acre property with other horses. Harley was gifted to Elouise for her birthday and the two are quite close, with Harley following Elouise around the property. Elouise has been doing junior level horse agility, and is 6th place in the…
Orbiting Planet Jupiter
There’s an old adage that begins, ‘boys go to Jupiter…’ followed by a statement that implies it is where one goes to lose intelligence. Jupiter, the horse, is grounded enough to not take offense from such slanderous statements (and the fact that he does not…
Alumni Update: Flynn
Flynn is doing well! In his late 20s now, he is retired from riding and living with seven other horses. He was in a kid’s program but would lie down when ridden! Now he is happy just teaching kids how to groom, etc.
Alumni Update: Kat
Kat is doing well and lives with her buddy, a 21-year-old Mustang. Adopter Shar says that Kat is her usual sassy self. At 27 now, Kat is retired from riding but gets hand walked regularly and Shar does some basic groundwork with her whenever she can.
Welcoming Trixie to SAFE
Trixie was the fifth chestnut mare to join our herd in the span of a week (the other four being the Tennessee Walkers), but apart from the color of her coat and the blaze she shares with two of them, the similarities end there. Trixie is her own horse, after all, an…
Progressing with Poppy
Casey A has been riding and working Poppy for some months now, and speaks about her experience riding Poppy out in the big arena amongst other horses during the recent Joel Conner clinic: “Poppy has come a long way from the defensive, stoved up pony who would strike…
Alumni Update: Alder
Alder moved to Arizona with his family about two years ago. He is doing well and living the good life with a pal on two acres of grass. With Jill’s daughter, Halle, in school Alder hasn’t been ridden much. Jill is looking for a trainer to re-start him. There are…
Walkin’ Into SAFE: Zuri, Bailey, Cleopatra, Deja Vu
Four new mares Tennessee walked into SAFE last week: Zuri, Bailey, Cleopatra, and Deja Vu. Their story is one of neglect, as is so often the case with our new intakes, but as they were seized by out friends down at Pierce County Animal Control, they have been in very…
Roy Health Update
It is no secret that Roy has been dealing with various ailments since he first arrived at SAFE, all of which we have been managing, or doing our best to manage. Roy is a very special guy, with special needs, and we keep a close eye on him and give him what comforts we…
Arrow is Adopted!
Arrow had a whirlwind beginning to his spring. For the last several months, he had been living his best life at a nearby foster location, napping and grazing to his heart’s content alongside his temporary playmates. But changing circumstances meant that he would need…
Alumni Update: Biscotti (Rowdy)
Biscotti’s (Rowdy) adopter, Tracy, reports Rowdy is the healthiest horse she has ever known, not once needing medical attention beyond his basic care. Tracy’s oldest daughter rides Rowdy as part of her high school equestrian team and 4H. Her younger daughter hopes to…
Off-Roading with Veronica
Veronica has been making all kinds of strides recently, from venturing off-site to spending more and more time riding out in the big arena. But what she hasn’t quite done yet is go out on the trails. One of the first baby steps we take with the horses to gear them up…
Alumni Update: Skye
Corrine and Skye are doing very well. Corrine moved to Ohio in 2018, however, she is only 2½ hours from her mom’s property in Pennsylvania where Skye resides. Corrine is able to visit her mom regularly and spend time with Skye. When Corrine is not visiting, Skye…
