Q1 Report Card: Veronica
Beginning this year, we have developed and implemented a horse ‘report card’ to be able to chart how a horse is progressing with their training, be it on the ground or under saddle. The intention is to check in with each member of the herd on a quarterly basis in an…
Chip & Dale Seek New Home Together
Chip and Dale, a pair of bonded and extremely huggable senior miniature horses in Snohomish, WA, seek a new home! They are a package deal and come ready to snooze in the sun, get all the scritches, and occasionally have their floofy manes braided. These two came to…
Alumni Update: Tabitha (Willa)
October 2023 Update from Alyssa: I don’t take a lot of pictures or post on FB often, but I’ve been wanting to give an update on the amazing, kind, brave, incomparable miss Willa (formerly known as Tabitha/Tabbi), who came home with me from SAFE almost 5 years ago.…
Alumni Update: Dolly (Rose)
We recently checked in with Dolly’s (now Rose) adopter, Angela. Rose is a very happy, healthy horse. Angela has a busy schedule but still makes time a couple of days a week to groom and ride Rose at the barn. On occasional weekends, a friend of Angela’s rides Rose,…
Volunteer Education: No Hoof No Horse
If you polled our volunteers and asked them what initially drew them to SAFE, the surface level answer would likely be uniform across the board: a love of horses. No shock or surprise there. But digging deeper, the answer would become nuanced between individuals. Some…
Alumni Update: Leonardo
Leo is enjoying life on a 9‑acre ranch with horses, goats, sheep, chickens, dogs and cats. Leo hangs with three other horses in a very large pasture/dry lot. He is an easy-keeper and is on a feeding program that is working well to keep him from being a chunky monkey.…
2023 Volunteer of the Year: Joan Yankis
We’ll say it again and again, volunteers are the heart and soul of SAFE; without them we couldn’t do all that we do, for horses! In 2023 we had over 180 active volunteers who came together and shared their time, skills and hearts, all to better the lives of horses.…
Theo’s First Trim
This golden boy deserves a star to match his pretty coat for how well he did for his first trim this week! Given his gentle personality and sweet nature, we weren’t too worried, but having your legs handled can be a bit of a challenge for even some of our more…
Edward’s Flexion Tests
Have you been wondering what to expect from a soundness evaluation? Wonder no more — Edward is here to demonstrate some of the things that may be asked of your horse at a pre-purchase exam or lameness evaluation. Some good boxes to check before the appointment date…
Harrisa, Blanketed
With this recent snap in cold weather, we are doing our very best to keep the horses warm and happy. Extra feedings, steaming sweet waters and hot mashes, blankets with fill — we set our herd up with these things and more to help them combat the cold. Harissa is…
Sandy Jupiter
It seems an inevitability of horses and horse ownership (or stewardship) that there will come a time when your horse suffers from the most base of afflictions: a stomachache. We can talk about how cruel it is that the design of horses is such that their digestive…
Alumni Update: Rae
Our Alumni team recently checked in with Rae’s adopter Christina. Here’s what Christina had to share: I think Rae is still settling in nicely. Oddly enough, she has been stretching her “Boss Mare” muscle a bit which has been both hilarious and aggravating, depending…
Alumni Update: Bubbles (Bella)
SAFE recently checked in with Bubbles’ (now Bella) adopter Mary. Bella is doing great and follows Mary around like a duckling. She has become best buddies with her pasture mate and Mary’s other horse, Jax. This lucky girl receives regular visits from the chiropractor…
Blanche’s Glamour Shots
Sweet Blanche has been settling in at SAFE nicely, having a nice mellow (and quite mild!) winter. She and Dorothy love to kick up their heels in the arena together, and when she’s not hanging with her buddy, Blanche is always eager to greet you at the gate or the hay…
Introducing Champagne and Theo!
We welcomed two new faces to our herd this week, Theo and Champagne! As they both arrived at SAFE early in January 2024, they are our little babies ‘New Year.’ The name is quite fitting, for while not technically babies, they are likely both under 4 – close enough.…
Artie Loves Sweet Water
What drink comes to mind when you are asked to conjure up the most refreshing, thirst-quenching beverage? Is it a gallon bucket of water with a handful of senior and a little bit of salt? No? Well you must not be a horse then! We give ‘sweet water’ to our horses in a…
Domino’s Electric Pedicure
Every 6 weeks, our horses get pedicures. They are accustomed to the nip of the clippers and the shhhk shhhk of the rasp as it passes over the growth of their hooves, trimming them down to a healthy length. Some try silly little maneuvers on occasion, pulling their…
Lancelot’s Buddies
A stallion’s life is often a lonely one. Most of the time, aside from instances of unregulated group turnout, a stallion is kept apart from a herd. When we first met Lance back in May, he was separated from the other horses on the property, tucked away in a back…
Roy and Mirana’s Arena Time
When we close our pastures for the winter, we switch instead to arena turnout for those horses not in a larger herd paddock. While there may not be grass to much on, the arena has its own list of pleasures, including soft dry sand and a wide open space to run amok in.…
Playful Veronica
Horses are, for the most part, rather boring to watch most of the time (c’mon horse people, you know that objectively, it’s true). When they are not eating, be it at a hay box or with their heads dipped out on pasture, they are usually just standing around.…
Itches From Above
Nova Nova Nova, no longer a baby and, indeed, making that known. I’ve spoken before about Nova’s hormonal struggles, the willingness and sweetness that can flip on a dime to something unpredictable and sometimes dangerous. She is a horse who wants attention and…
The Saga of Harissa’s Swollen Face
Imagine, for a moment, a slightly better than worst-case scenario that might occur at a horse rescue. Your mind probably jumps to something medical, right? Nothing life-ending (that would be more on the worst-worst-case scenario side) but something dramatic enough…
Alumni Update: Rae
December 2023 Check your surroundings… the holiday shenanigans may sneak up on you when you least expect it — just ask Rae!
The Night Before Christmas: A SAFE Story
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the barn, not a creature was stirring, because horses do not keep the same Gregorian calendar that us humans do, and therefore are primarily governed by their biological rhythms. And actually, I take that back, they…
Pippin Is Adopted!
When Pippin arrived at Sarah’s to foster back at the beginning of the year, she was a small, sickly thing. Her overall affect was flat, and despite her youth, she did not behave in the way that a young horse should. The curious, playful personality that typically…
Brunch with the Gals
Ciara joined one of the mare herds recently, making new friends with Fancy, Frosting, Bijou, and Inula (who was already a known quantity to her, being her daughter and all). Ciara is a good herdmate in that she is the opposite of meddlesome. In fact, at the first sign…
Training Update: Violet
After a relatively uneventful first ride here at SAFE, Violet has been going well under saddle for the past few months. She had been started in her youth, but because a good deal of time had passed and we knew little about what that start looked like, we took things…
Training Update: Jupiter
Getting to know Jupiter has been a pleasurable experience. Beginning his training journey here was not starting from scratch — he had some experience being saddled and ridden in the past — and while that doesn’t always mean that things will be easy (often it means…
Cozy Montana
Who’s that chill guy with his head out his stall window? Could it be Montana? Indeed it could, and it is! This fuzzy, fluffy head spends the majority of its time (when not eating, of course) lazily draped outside into the barn aisle, watching the evening’s proceedings…
Autumn Beginning to Settle
If this image had a sound, it would be a ferocious snort. Even from a respectful distance, Autumn remains incredibly wary. It is clear that this girl has some serious trust issues, and while we knew she would need time, we always wish we could fast forward to the part…
Jacob on Equioxx
Handsome Jacob is, as the kids are saying these days, ‘built different.’ StayHipp.com defines this term as a description of a person or thing that is on another level. While this isn’t exactly untrue of Jacob, I meant it more in the literal, physical sense. Jacob is…
Working with Barb: A Reflection
Barb is a little bay lightning bolt, electricity on four fuzzy legs. I see Barb every day, but it was not until spending a few concentrated hours with her over the course of a few days that I was reminded how much personality lives in that petite body. Some might call…
Poppy for Adoption
If Poppy arrived at SAFE as a flower, it was as the first little green tendrils that come poking up through the dirt. Poppy was the shy little shadow to her near-twin Moshi, evasive about being caught and touchy about being handled. She had a bit more trouble to work…
Arrow Thrives at Foster
Over the hill and through the woods, Arrow is living his very best life at his foster home. He has a vista of rolling hills to look out at from where his shelter sits, friends to share his hay with, and plenty of cozy places to nap in. Nap time is a sacred time for…
Dorothy’s Family Tree
Dorothy has no white markings. Her coat is comprised of a spectrum of browns, ones that Pantone labels as ‘shaved chocolate’ and ‘molé’ and ‘ganache’ — rich, chocolatey adjectives. However, if you were to curl up her top lip, you would find the mark that humans have…
Cookie and Harper are Adopted!
A big happy ending for two little horses — minis Cookie and Harper have been adopted! Since early April, these two mares were in holding with us for Island County Animal Control at our dear friend and foster Sarah’s place, where they got back on their feet, so to…
Harissa’s Progress
For us, it begins in a muddy field. Harissa stands with her herd, four mares total, perhaps aunts or cousins or sisters, bound if not by blood then by the unfortunate nature of their circumstances. They squelch through the muck as they approach us, curious,…
Alumni Update: Henry (James)
James over the past month. He’s been making some friends at the barn.
Alumni Update: Rae
From Christina: Rae says pre-dinner/post-ride snacks hit different on these chilly fall days (especially when your friends aren’t invited to the buffet and are jealously thundering around their paddock!)
Guard Pony Lacey
Trudy, our wonderful Saturday barn staff, recounts an interaction that she and our sweet (and brave!) little Lacey had recently: “It’s arena turnout season… Where some of our sweetest pairs of horses get time playing together in the squishy sand footing. They get a…
Inula Learns to Pony
Just because you can’t (or shouldn’t) ride a horse doesn’t mean there isn’t a host of fun activities you can get up to with them! The basics are obvious — extended grooming sessions, hand walking and grazing, and the tried and true classic for any and all horse…
Giving Thanks at SAFE
There is always so much to be thankful for here at SAFE, but for this season of thanks giving, we went around and asked some of our herd to name one thing they were thankful for this year: Brandy, during a recent arena turnout session with BFF Bandit, took a moment to…
November Clinic Report: Bandit
Kirsten AL worked alongside Bandit in the November Joel Conner clinic, and said the following about this smart lady: “This sweet 26 year old has never heard the saying, ‘ you can’t teach an old dog…’ because she continues to not only learn but enjoys the…
Meet Blanche
Blanche, despite being named for a Golden Girl, is neither old nor golden. She is a 7‑year-old BLM mustang mare whose white freezebrand is the only part of her that isn’t black. This lovely lady came in alongside Dorothy, and despite not having known one another…
November Clinic Report: Tiva
The transformative nature of the horse never fails to astound me. I suppose that in working with Tiva over the last year, it has been a bit like not being able to see the forest for the trees. Not that her progress does not feel like progress, but looking back to…
Alumni Update: Dale
November 2023 Laura reports that Dale gets very, VERY furry for winter. With the new haircut, he resembles a mini baby bison!
November Clinic Report: Brandy
Carrie S worked alongside Brandy in the November Joel Conner clinic, and had the following to say about their time together: “I participated in the November Joel Conner clinic in the groundwork class with Miss Brandy Snap. This beautiful and kind mare has made…
Introducing Dorothy
We welcomed Dorothy and Blanche (the Golden Girls, despite their dark coloration) into our herd last week, two ladies both seized by Pierce County Animal Control (they met for the first time on the trailer ride to SAFE, but were fast friends). Dorothy is a 22 year old…
November Clinic Report: Inula
Inula is the type of horse you want to take home to mom, especially if mom is slightly afraid of horses. She has a sweetness about her that’s unmatched by most, a real gentleness that radiates out from her in a little horsey aura. Not to say that there isn’t always…
Alumni Update: Quincy
November 2023 Quincy is all tucked in for winter and doing great on pellet soup and soaked hay.
