Carol at the SAFE office, entertaining Bodie the office kitten
Carol Olson has been volunteering with SAFE for over 3 years. She is a dedicated weekly chore volunteer, and every Wednesday morning you’ll find her tirelessly cleaning stalls, feeding horses, and helping with turnout. She also agreed to take on the role of a shift lead to help coordinate both new and current volunteers. Carol doesn’t stop at chores on Wednesdays, after those are done she heads next door to SAFE’s offices to help with the Herd Health database and in any other way that she is needed. Carol also volunteers for Special Events. She helps with Heart of the Horse, at Open Houses, at Work Parties, and more! She and her husband recently helped insulate our tack room and now it’s nice and warm this winter. We are so thankful and grateful to have Carol as a SAFE volunteer.
Here is more about Carol in her own words:
I was very lucky to have parents that spoiled me and I got a horse when I was 13. Her name was Mitzi and she was a Thoroughbred/Arabian and pregnant. The deal was I kept the mare and the foal stayed with the original owner. We lived in Juneau, Alaska at the time and riding conditions were pretty limited. I joined 4‑H and competed in shows and the State Fair, riding Western in barrel racing and pole bending. I took home a few ribbons but was never really good. When we moved down to the Olympic Peninsula here in Washington, it wasn’t convenient to join another club. As I got involved in High School activities, I realized Mitzi would have more fun getting lots of attention from a younger rider who would dote on her and I sold her to a 12 year old who had stars in her eyes. As an adult, I haven’t ridden except for a few trail rides with the husband and kids over the years.
I joined SAFE on their first day at the Woodinville barn in July, 2012. When I left corporate accounting in 2007, I knew I wanted to get involved in volunteering. My first opportunity came when my husband, Marty, and I joined the Parrot Heads of Puget Sound and I became the club’s treasurer. There we met Jeannette Parrett. I had already heard about SAFE’s work and it was serendipitous when I found out she was so involved. When she told me the organization was moving from Monroe and would be closer to my home, I asked to become a volunteer. What better way to get to spend time helping horses in desperate need without having the expense of horse ownership?
In February of this year, I began also helping in the SAFE office and I have loved that just as much. I’ve had fun doing prep work for the Heart of the Horse and the SAFE Show. I even got to work in the Show office this year and really learned a lot. In addition to supporting Bonnie in the office, I now have the privilege of doing database work for the Herd Health Committee.
There have been many favorites at the barn over the last three years, but I tend to fall for the big geldings like JR, Strider, and Kai. Although Ivy stole my heart with her gentleness and she looked a lot like my Mitzi. It is very gratifying working alongside so many giving people who truly love horses. Even the hardship cases are met with love and respect for the animal’s best outcome. Being part of such a caring organization is a blessing.
