Alumni Update: Cassidy
We recently checked in with Cassidy and her adopter, Bri. They are focusing on participating in the Ride to Rendezvous this May. They have done it in the past and Cassidy did great! Bri said she is so glad SAFE exists and she’s very happy to have Cassidy!
Adopting a Companion Horse from SAFE
If you look at the current population of horses at SAFE right now, eleven of them are what we call “companions” — older horses that can’t really be ridden anymore…but still need a safe, permanent home. Any of these horses would tell you that caring for a companion will enrich your life in ways you’ve never even thought of! Adopting a senior pet is the ultimate act of love; a clear example of…
Transformations 2025
It isn’t always easy to watch transformations as they occur. They don’t happen overnight, after all. But to juxtapose a horse when they first arrive at SAFE, and to see them now — well, it’s clear that these horses have made some massive changes, both inside and out. Here are just a few of the remarkable ‘before’ and ‘afters’ of some of our current herd (and one recent alum!)
Mabel’s Mouth
Back in September when she first arrived, we knew Mabel was unique. From her tiger striped legs to her multi-colored mane to her one cloudy eye, Mabel has things that made her special wherever you look. And at her dental, we would come to find out that those unique traits extended to the inside as well. You see, Mabel is missing one of her bottom molars. As a result, the tooth on the top…
Theo: SAFE’s Volunteer Valentine Sweetheart
In honor of Valentine’s day, we asked our volunteers to vote for their SAFE horse valentine, and to tell us why. While the majority of our herd has at least one heart in their corner, there was one stand out member who has clearly won over the bulk of our volunteer force. And that member is… Theo!
Eye-yi-yi!
Oh horses! Look away for a moment and they’ve found a new and inventive way to hurt themselves. Yesterday at turn-in time, Mirana showed us her cool new injury — a scrape just below her left eye. She was talented enough to avoid the eyeball itself, but regardless the injury was one that required vet attention. Luckily, our vet was on site for another emergency call (when it rains, it pours) so…
Week in Review: February 2 — 8
It snowed at SAFE last week, which meant more work for our humans, but also more fun for our horses. In an effort to keep the herd from getting stir crazy, we made sure to give them some extended arena turnout time, which they all seemed to enjoy.
Quirky Deja
Deja is what you might call, in layman’s terms, a silly goose. When she is in her space with her friend-sister-mother Cleopatra, aka, comfortable, she is a mellow sight — a mare who can nap for hours in the sunshine and who enjoys mutual grooming. But once removed from this bubble, she is on alert. Her eyes grow large, her ears prick forward, she looks for things to worry over. It is possible…
Mara’s Favorite: Zuri
Mara has recently started grooming Zuri, and here she talks about a few of the reasons why this mare is so special:
Alumni Update: Amira
We checked in with Amira’s adopter, Laura, earlier this month and this is what she had to share with us. Amira and I are doing wonderful. I think Amira is doing absolutely amazing as always. She is a steady, reliable partner. She lives with her best friend Jasmine, my husband’s mule. They are a great team and well matched. Thank you to all of you for all the hard work you do for all the…
Four New Faces
Last week, we welcomed four new members into our herd. All four come to us from Pierce County Animal Control, two pair out from two separate seizures. The first twosome were originally part of a trio, but sadly the third horse on the property had to be humanely euthanized due to the severity of its condition. A necropsy following the euthanasia revealed no fat on the horse. Clarissa, an older…
Alumni Update: Bubbles (Bella)
Mary and Bella are doing great! Bella has been in a training refresher for the month of January. The lessons have been going well, and she is learning to be more confident on the trails, where she holds her head lower and more relaxed. Bella has been doing great with arena work using obstacles to teach confidence. Mary enjoys trail riding with Bella and will have the opportunity to do a lot of…
February Volunteer of the Month: Val Thorkildsen
Congratulations to Val Thorkildsen, our February Volunteer of the Month! Val’s kindness, dedication, and unwavering positivity make her an invaluable part of our SAFE community. From the moment she joined us two years ago—with no prior horse experience—she has shown an incredible ability to connect with our horses in a way that is truly special. Her calm demeanor brings a sense of peace to even…
Liz’s Favorite: Sienna
Liz really likes Sienna, and here she talks about a few of the reasons why:
Alumni Update: Declan
Declan is doing great at the top of a “mountain” in Granite Falls. It is about 1100 feet elevation, cold and beautiful. He is hanging out with Sue’s (his adopter) other horse Cal and having a great time. Lovely 20 plus acre farm with plenty of action going on and plenty of roaming around room for the two horses! Sue has a sheep farm with wonderful livestock guardian dogs keeping tabs on…
Jacob In His Own Words
If Jacob were a human, we think his self-introduction might go something like this: “What’s up, my name’s Jacob, and I put the ‘nut’ in ‘chestnut.’ Ha-ha-ha, just kidding. I actually like to describe myself as a pretty chill dude. My fave hobbies include hanging out with my best bro Edward, taking naps in the sun (when it’s out), also with Edward, and playing with, you guessed it, Edward. We got…
Alumni Update: Montana
Montana’s adopter, Alycia, shared this update. I wanted to reach out with a Montana pic and update. I captured this photo as he ran up the pasture after his new bestie, Mikey. Montana has settled well into his routine here and is building warm relationships and confidence in the work he is doing. He is becoming more confident in approaching new people first at liberty and also leaning into the…
Ginni’s Favorite: Artie
Artie has been one of Ginni’s favorites for years, and here she talks about some of the reasons why.
Inula’s Sunny Days
When you’re Inula, your main responsibilities in life are munching hay and grazing on the occasional blade of grass, imitating the horses at the Spanish Riding School and leaping with all four of your legs off the ground at once, and providing moral support to your foster sibling (and Alumni) Finn when the humans decide to play “can I put this on your head?” As is the case with all the horses…
Combating Brandy’s Thrush
As Carrie S says in this video, Brandy is a ‘yes’ girl. But that yes also translates to thrush, something Brandy is prone to especially in the wet winter months. Luckily, our friends over at Red Horse Products make some amazing thrush busting items that really help us get a handle on even the worst cases. Brandy sure appreciates them, as do we! Take a peek at how we help Brandy’s hooves:
Ranger’s Saddling at SAFE
If we were the betting types, we likely would have put money on the idea that Ranger had been saddled before. A gentle, older horse who doesn’t balk much at the flag touching him or get squirmy in the cinch area tells a story, wordless as it is. Yet even still, we dot our “i“s and cross our “t“s here, and Ranger has been running through our groundwork checklist from the beginning as though he…
Ciara at Foster
Sweet Ciara went off to foster this winter, at a lovely spot just down the road from SAFE. Her foster family had just lost their gelding, and were in need of a companion for their older mare. In the herd settings she had been tried with here, Ciara was an easy-going and deferential pasture mate, which made her a top choice for slotting into a new environment. Her kind personality translates to…
Winter’s Workout
We’re not body shaming, but when Winter arrived back in April 2024, she was in need of a diet. Being overweight as she was put Winter at risk for various health conditions, including laminitis, and so we cut her calories immediately upon intake. Now, nine months later, Winter is nearly half the horse she was before, physically, though mentally she has come a long way. Once afraid to be caught,…
Andy’s Favorite: Mahina
There are many reasons to love Mahina, and here Andy talks about a few of them.
Week in Review: January 5 — 11
A haiku for this week’s Week in Review: Weekend is over It is time to look back on What we did last week
Round-Up at Grange Supply
We want to give a huge thank you to Grange Supply, for their Round-up for SAFE fundraising campaign this holiday season! In November and December, Grange Supply customers had the opportunity to round up their purchase amount or make a donation supporting the horses at SAFE. This resulted in over $4000 in donations to our organization and we are so appreciative of their continued support…
Edward over Cavalettis
In the new year, Edward has made it his resolution to try new things. including popping over a few cavalettis under saddle. We think Edward looks quite striking in english tack, and he certainly doesn’t seem to have anything bad to say about it. Edward is just starting to work on his baby jump skills, but he seems to enjoy the work, and he sure is fun to watch.
One Smart Mare: Bandit
Bandit may be on the older side, but her mind is sharp as a tack. A recent anecdote to prove such as true: One of the last times I (Lily) haltered Bandit, it was to hold her for the veterinarian. This was already a demerit against my character, but made even worse based on the fact that the reason I was holding her was so that she could get a vaccine. We have already discussed Bandit’s lack of…
Meghan’s Favorite: Mirana
There are many reasons to love Mirana, and here Meghan talks about a few of them.
Free Forever, Autumn
We are deeply saddened to share the news that Autumn has passed away following a tragic accident in which she suffered a broken leg due to a kick. While such incidents are rare, they are an unfortunate risk when horses are turned out in herds. The team at Freedom Reigns is heartbroken, as are we. Their sanctuary provided Autumn with the incredible opportunity to live freely on her own terms,…
