Alumni Update: Billy
We recently checked in on Billy and as you can see from the photos, he is doing well and is a happy, curious little guy.
Alumni Update: Angel & Renee
Best friends Angel and Renee continue to enjoy retirement together. Renee is the boss mare in their herd of pasture mates. These two have found a comfortable, peaceful home with Carla.
Alumni Update: Sebastian (Sparky)
Sebastian, now known as Sparky, is having a happy retirement in the herd at Carla’s. Sadly, Alumni Camille, Sparky’s best SAFE buddy, passed on in September 2023. But he enjoys the friendship with SAFE Alums Angel and Renee who are also part of Carla’s herd.
Esme’s Abscess
Pop Quiz: your horse, who was sound as a music note yesterday, walks out of her stall with a major head bob the next morning. Do you: A. PANIC! Something serious must be wrong, and the vet needs to come out immediately! B. Treat it like an abscess — soak the foot in…
Alumni Update: Lucy
Alumni volunteer Lisa G recently contacted Diane and has this update on Lucy. Diane and Lucy made the move to Colorado in early 2023 and, after some adjustment to the new environment, soil, etc, they are both thriving! Diane has found an amazing community there, from…
Alumni Update: Irene (Honey) & Khianna (Kiki)
SAFE recently checked in with Irene (now Honey) and Khianna (now Kiki). Both horses are well taken care of and well loved! Photo is of Stanalee, Kiki and Honey
Ciara’s Crossroads
We talk a lot about ‘time’ here at SAFE, the time it takes for a horse to reach certain milestones (varied), the time we give them to get there (endless, for the most part). But to frame this in a linear style is not always the most accurate. Yes, the paths some…
Alumni Update: George
We received an update on George from Ana. Doesn’t he look amazing all grown up?! “George and I got to sneak in our first after-work ride of the year. The sunshine is coming and we need to work off some winter chub with our pony friends!”
Alumni Update: Gunnar
Gunner is a very happy boy and is well taken care of and looked after by his adopter, Carrie, who loves him to pieces.
Alumni Update: Zoe
Zoe is doing really well and is very bonded to the other horses in her herd. She enjoys going on rides on the many trails accessible from her family’s property.
Addie is Adopted!
With the sound of a trailer door shutting, another Graham horse is out the door. Addie has found her family! Madison and Nicole came to SAFE looking for a horse who could also participate with Madison in her Washington High School Equestrian Team (WASHET) events.…
Theo’s First Saddling
Theo wore a saddle for the first time at the end of February. It seems like just a handful of days before that, Theo was having his first groundwork sessions… and that’s because he was. The forward progress of this sweet guy has been swift and easy, making him…
Aries Seeks New Home
We are helping to get the word out regarding the rehoming of one of our alumni: Aries. Aries was adopted back in 2021, but due to family circumstances, is currently looking for a new home. Aries had been a riding horse before she came to SAFE, and though she’d had…
Alumni Update: Cassidy
Cassidy continues living her life to the fullest with her adopter Brianna
Transformations
Gradual change can be difficult to see, especially when what you have in front of you is almost impossibly different than what once was. Below is a quick before and after of a few SAFE horses, and their nearly unbelievable transformations over the years at SAFE.…
Thanks for the Work Party, Bishop Blanchet!
Though it may technically still be winter, property maintenance is a year-round job! Last Friday was our inaugural work party of 2024, where we partnered with Bishop Blanchet High School for their first annual Staff & Faculty Day of Service. We had 14 members of…
Alumni Update: Gabby & Caramel (Cara)
Alumni volunteer Candi K. recently went out to visit alumni Gabby and Cara and provided this lovely update: “Imagine yourself on 20 acres surrounded by the beauty of the Northwest and views as far the eye can see with a picture-perfect red barn and matching farmhouse…
Covering Ground(work) with Lance
Wearing a saddle for the first time is not an overnight process. For a horse like Lance, who came to SAFE last May as an unhalterable stallion, that process might be a little longer. But with no timelines in place, Lance is being given all the preparation he needs for…
Blanche’s First Saddling
Blanche has been an ‘easy’ horse from day one. The fact that she allowed us to halter and lead her with some quality right out of the gate put her in a higher percentile than the majority of our intakes. But because we didn’t know a lot about Blanche’s past, we had no…
Champagne is Adopted!
We are breaking out the bubbly, because little Champagne has been adopted! Champagne arrived at SAFE as a very nervous little stallion who was averse to being caught or handled. During his time at SAFE, we spent daily time with him, working to teach him that people…
American Trucks Positive Payload Program
We love our truck. It is every much a working member of our barn as the living, breathing individuals who give their time for the horses. It has picked many a horse up from deplorable conditions and helped transport them to their new lives. It has shepherded many…
Volunteer Education: Horse Health
This past Saturday, our volunteers braved the cold to attend a Horse Health class, taught by former SAFE staff member Melinda Couvillion. It was a terrific presentation, and the volunteers who attended learned some very interesting facts about horses (did you know…
Alumni Update: Nashville
Here’s a March 1st update from Anna, Nashville’s adopter. Well, I haven’t updated on Nashville lately so here she is, sneaking past me and making a mess in the hay while I clean stalls. Guess I’ll clean that up next:) She has been on stall rest for a couple of weeks…
Lacey in the Sunshine
Have you seen a cute red mare recently? Even if the answer is ‘yes,’ it’s never a bad time to see another. When the sun is out at SAFE, Lacey never misses an opportunity to find the most optimal spot for a sunbathe. When the light hits her just right, she looks like a…
Jupiter’s Soundness Evaluation
Jupiter’s great red spot, as it were, is a slight hitch in his step that we first noticed when restarting him under saddle. In our efforts to better represent our riding horses as we move them into the ‘adoptable’ category, we had our vets out to evaluate Jupiter’s…
Artie Shaw, Friend to Many
If SAFE had class superlatives, Artie would definitely win ‘friends with everyone.’ He is the horse that most other horses (at least if they’re geldings) first meet, and for good reason. Artie’s mellow demeanor around other horses helps introduce even the most…
Theo’s First Groundwork Session
We speak a lot about time here at SAFE — specifically as it relates to giving a horse the hours, weeks, months, years they needs to gain. Gain weight, gain confidence, gain the skills and tools they need to be successful going forward in life, be it as a companion or…
Rest in Peace, Scotty
It is never easy to announce the passing of one of our horses, and harder still when the passing is so unexpected. Scotty left this earth last week, following a sudden and painful colic. This was his third colic in five months, in addition to the ulcers we had been…
Introducing “Safe at Home” Community Assistance
For the past 19 years, SAFE has helped hundreds of horses and their owners through our Community Outreach Program. This safety net program was created to provide short-term assistance to horse owners struggling to care for their animals, with the ultimate goal of…
Alumni Update: Mason
Mason is looking great and loves his home with adopter Lori M. Mason is great at groundwork and knows what to do, so he has a job as a groundwork trainer for new volunteers at Lori’s barn.
Frosting’s Trick
What better way to jumpstart your weekend than to watch Frosting exhibit her new trick? No smoke and mirrors — just a smart little mare who learned she could get scratches in exchange for curling her lip, and with that knowledge, is ready to do so on command. You…
Inula, Teacher and Student
Inula’s ringbone will keep her from being a riding horse, but it doesn’t mean that she can’t develop and hone her skills on the ground. While she is still young and relatively new to everything, Inula has been a fast learner. Our first impressions of Inula, when she…
Groundwork with Blanche
Blanche has begun her foray into our training program, where she is proving to be a quick study. Based on how she is for the handling we’ve done so far (tremendously reasonable and very sweet), it maybe shouldn’t have come as such a surprise that she would be…
Reseeding, Thanks to Nature’s Seed
Will you be reseeding your pastures this spring? SAFE will, thanks to a generous donation from Nature’s Seed, who are providing us with many bags of their Pacific Northwest Horse Forage Seed! Visit Nature’s Seed’s page for lots of tips for successful reseeding!…
An Update on Roy
After playing in the arena with Mirana this weekend, the next day, Roy was more sore on his feet than he has been in a while. He has been out of glue-on shoes since early January, and has been mostly sound since then (a few off steps here and there, but nothing…
Field Trip to Bridle Trails
Winter Washington weather (say that five times fast) does not often conjure visions of sunshine and blue skies. But every so often, the metaphorical stars align to grace us with a January or February day that feels more akin to early summer. Such was the luck…
Declan is Adopted!
The word ‘failure’ does not typically have positive connotations, but when placed in conjunction with the word ‘foster,’ it takes on a whole new meaning. When Sue called to let us know she was a failure (a foster failure, that is) we could not have been more…
Bijou Seeks a Valentine
This Valentine’s Day, Bijou is looking for love! And by love, we mean the forever home she deserves. We sat down with Bijou to talk about who she is with the hopes of finding her the perfect match! SAFE: Hi Bijou! We were hoping you could tell us about yourself.…
Jupiter in the Outdoor Arena
Jupiter falls under the somewhat rare category of horse we get in at SAFE, which is ‘previously ridden, relatively uncomplicated.’ Don’t get us wrong, there are ways in which Jupiter needs assistance both on the ground and under saddle, and there certainly exists a…
Q1 Report Card: Artie
Notes: Artie tends towards the dull side, but has a lot of try. He will work hard knowing a break is coming. Poll shyness — can be reactive to things in that area, especially if they are sudden. Has come a LONG way with this. Can be reactive to flag by his poll or in…
Frosting Gets Floated
One of the very best things about rescuing young horses is that we are able to shape so many of their formative experiences in a positive way. Frosting had her first dental this week, and was as good as gold. She had a few little sharp points, but nothing that would…
Wren’s Soundness Evaluation
The topography of a horse tells a story, albeit usually one in a language we only partially understand. Each scar, bump, and blemish they arrive with has a history attached. We can draw assumptions, make educated assessments based on professional opinions and our own…
Unicorns Get Ulcers Too
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that unicorns don’t get bellyaches. Scotty, our grey arab gelding, is short only the horn when it comes to resembling a mythical creature. His stately figure and long, flowing locks are something out of a story book. His personality,…
Poppy in the Arena
Each horse at SAFE has a different timeline when it comes to getting where they’re going — be it to live out their days as a companion or to wear a saddle and carry a rider — but for the most part, the milestones they complete and the skills they learn are…
Nova’s Spay
Nova’s journey from foal to adulthood has been a tumultuous one to say the least. She was a delightful and friendly girl for the first two years of her life…but then we started to see changes. Her heat cycles, which started out normal, became problematic. She began…
Theo is a Gelding!
Following a successful surgery this past Wednesday, Theo made the transformation from handsome stallion into arguably even more handsome gelding. The unseasonably warm weather made it a good day for the procedure, and the cushy footing in the arena made for a pretty…
Alumni Update: Rhythm
Rhythm truly appears to be Hillary’s heart horse. They have been together since Hillary was 14 years old. Rhythm is enjoying semi-retired life, having nice, long days in pasture with his 28-year-old pasture mate. Hillary is finishing up her college studies this spring…
Flagging Off Moshi
Last November, 16 horses came to SAFE as part of the Graham 27 seizure — now, a little over a year later, only two remain. Moshi is one of the two (the other being her near-doppelganger, Poppy). Neither of these cuties had experience under saddle, so they’ve spent…
Q1 Report Card: Esme
Health & Feeding: Has a little bit of extra padding at the moment, but as it is winter, will not drop down her food amount. With the introduction of grass in the spring, will lower hay to account for extra calories. Notes: Esme is a sensitive mare. Can still be…
Violet in the Outdoor Arena
Early on in her tenure at SAFE, we marked Violet as brave. Not long after first stepping off the trailer, she was already leading the way on walks across the property, supporting her decidedly more nervous half-brother, Scotty. Her energy was self-assured, even in the…
