Welcoming Cooper
About two weeks back, a couple in the Maple Valley area awoke in the middle of the night to find that there was a loose horse in their yard, sidled up to the pen beside their own horses. In the morning, they took to local Facebook pages, “is this your horse?” Though his body was in decent condition, his long tangled mane and standoffishness told a story of a horse who was reluctant to be caught.…
Bijou Goes to Foster
Over the hills and across the pass, to R&B Ranch Bijou goes! Longtime SAFE volunteer Blair recently purchased a beautiful property in sunny Ellensburg, and wanted to take in one of our companion horses to winter alongside her herd. She had previously seen Bijou and developed a bit of a horse crush, so in visiting with her again in making her decision as to who would be a good fit, the choice…
Week in Review: October 20 — 27
Another week: done. This was a busy one, but aren’t they all? We had Joel Conner here for our last clinic of 2024, picked up a new horse (more on him later), and had all the things going on that normally go on here at SAFE.
Seven Year Sienna
To know her is to love her. The ‘her’ in question is Sienna of course, but if you had to make an educated (or even uneducated) guess, it’s likely you would have reached that conclusion on your own, for Sienna is tremendously easy to love. Something about Sienna makes her seem much bigger than her 15 hands. True, she is big boned, but it goes beyond that, an internal magnitude, like the…
A is for Artie
A is for Artie, and also for Asking ourselves how this Awesome guy hasn’t been snatched up yet? This 11 year old Yakima Reservation Horse stands at an Admirable 13.3, but don’t let his status as a short king have you writing him off — he is a stout and hearty dude! Artie remains calm cool collected in the face of new situations and environments, and we think this Adventurous guy would make for…
Week in Review: October 14 — 18
Last week at SAFE! Some highlights are featured in the video below: Las
Alumni Update: Bridget
A SAFE alumni volunteer provided this update on Bridget after a recent visit. Bridgit is so sweet. She followed us everywhere and wants to be patted and be the center of attention. Her pasture buddy is Oreo, a mini horse. Oreo prefers not to be patted but be seen from a distance. Both horses looked great and are very well cared for. She and Oreo do everything together. Kristina’s plate is very…
Tiva Marie
Tiva’s middle name is Louise. Or Marie, depending on the day and who you ask. Both roll off the tongue, and neither are serious, their function purely decorative. Typically a middle name is invoked when the subject is misbehaving (i.e., ‘Tiva Marie, don’t you look so nasty at that other horse!’) but in Tiva’s case, it is typically cooed, applied like a pet, as her instances of being simply…
Alumni Update: Jollie (Libby)
Libby, formerly Jollie, has a very good life. She has a mare friend and both are happy and healthy. Their pasture is lovely, Mike has made a pasture paradise for them allowing for them to get exercise and have managed grazing of green grass. He hand walks Libby in nearby trails but has not ridden her out yet. Mike feels that she has turned a corner recently and is more calm and closer to…
Sweet Zuri
From where she lounges in her shelter, Zuri hears the rattle of the gate chain as it un-clips to let you in. She greets you with a nicker, perhaps wondering if you’ve brought her a mash, or a flake of hay, or a hand capable of a scratch on the neck. Zuri is like one of those motion-activated decorations — if you walk within a certain radius of her, it’s likely she will call out to you with a…
Week in Review: October 7 — 11
What happened last week? A lot, as per usual. Theo got on his first pair of shoes, and a whole bunch of other horses had their hooves trimmed as well. We had the last of our pop-up tack sales, and the minis went to not one but two events! Many horses got their usual work — on the ground and in the saddle — and a whole bunch of our herd practiced loading on and off the trailer with quality.…
Riding Wren
Wren is nice on the ground and nice under saddle, a great mare all around. Here is a recent clip of her going under saddle — check it out!
Alumni Update: Echo
Brittany and Echo are doing great! Brittany owns a boarding/training facility where Echo resides. Echo is not only the pleasure riding horse for her daughter, Addison, she is now being used as a lesson horse for the business. Echo has come a long way in her training and is now a favorite trail and lesson horse! The students love her! When Echo is not being a lesson horse, she gets to go with…
Week in Review: October 1 — 4
Another week is in the books. Last week we shepherded in October with a jam-packed schedule. Some of the highlights from last week’s 40-odd hours: New horses Oreo, Ranger, and Mabel had their second visit with the vet, this time for dentals and some more thorough exams. All three of SAFE’s regular farriers were out, and a total of 12 horses had their hooves trimmed. Mahina had her vaccine…
October Volunteer of the Month: Nancy Knight
Congratulations to Nancy Knight, our October Volunteer of the Month! For the past two years, Nancy has been an invaluable member of the SAFE community, consistently dedicating her Friday and Saturday evenings to ensure our horses receive the care and attention they deserve, no matter the weather or time of day. Rain, snow, or shine, Nancy faithfully shows up for her PM chore shifts, keeping…
Nova’s Hoof Trim
One of the first warning signs that something was different about Nova back before her spay was her sudden inability to have her hooves trimmed. She had been seeing the farrier every 6 weeks for years, but one day she could not handle the touch of a familiar hand on her hind leg — anywhere behind her withers, really. Even the lightest of touches would cause her to squeal and kick and become…
Alumni Update: Opal (Bella)
At 18 years old, Bella (formerly Opal) is beginning to show her age with a few health issues, but overall, she is healthy and well cared for by Lys. The two like to go on trail rides and Bella enjoys hanging out with her paddock mate, a Friesian mare.
Week in Review: September 23 — 27
A lot goes on at SAFE each week, and not all of it is reported on in depth. But in an effort to give you a glimpse into what a typical week looks like, we are compiling just a few of the moments into a weekly summary video. Check out last week’s below:
Welcoming Oreo, Ranger, and Mabel!
SAFE welcomed three new faces this week, and what cute faces they are! Hailing from Pierce County, these escape artists came under Animal Control’s notice because they kept breaking out and getting loose. After multiple instances of this with no preventative measures being put in place, they were seized. A long, drawn-out case meant that these guys have been waiting in the wings for quite a…
Mahina Making Progress
As the days grow shorter, so does the list of Mahina’s ‘firsts’ here at SAFE. First time walking through the barn aisle, check. First time having her teeth floated, check. First (and second!) trims by the farrier, check and check. She has really shown herself to be a very reasonable girl in the face of new experiences, and we are loving time spent with this cool mare. Here’s a brief compilation…
Barbie Dream Horse
Barbie’s Dream Horse was named Prancer, and technically she was cremello. But it’s hard not to look at these beautiful pictures of Winter and not conjure up images of the toy you’d bring to show and tell. If one thing is true about Winter, it’s that she is calorically dense eye candy. Winter is seeing big changes here at SAFE too.…
Alumni Update: Mesquite
Mesquite shares a fence line, as well as turnout, with an Arab/QH cross. Mesquite gets four carefully measured feedings around the clock to maintain good gut health. He’s experienced a number of colic issues and this procedure is keeping colic at bay. Both Cory and Melissa trail ride out of the property, sometimes daily. They are building a covered arena so they can ride more when the weather is…
Adopt Edward!
Edward is more than ready to meet people who are ready to meet him. Could that be you?
WASART Presentation
As part of on-going educational opportunities for our SAFE volunteers and community, we have been offering presentations by various individuals and organizations throughout the year. Recently, we were pleased to have the Washington State Animal Response Team (WASART) join us. WASART is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that helps companion animals and livestock out of immediate…
August Joel Conner Clinic Report: Bijou
Carrie S worked alongside Bijou in the August Joel Conner Clinic, and said the following about the nine hours they spent together over the course of the weekend: “I had the privilege of working with Bijou for the first half of the August Joel Conner clinic. It was my first clinic with her and have only worked with her a handful of times prior. This mare!!! When you talk with someone who has…
Ain’t No Bugs on Me
Yesterday may have been Friday the 13th, but the creepy crawlies are still out. That’s right, it’s botfly season. These pests have it really figured out — they lay their eggs on the legs and sides of horses, places where they are likely to be ingested by the pass of a nose or a tongue as a horse itches. Then, the eggs have a nice warm place to incubate in the GI tract. By the time they exit the…
Zuri’s Before and After
Transformations are par for the course here at SAFE, but as they often happen so incrementally, it can be challenging to remember the ‘before.’ When Zuri was first seized by Animal Control back in March of this year, she was about as low on the body condition score chart as a horse can be. She had several health issues crop up following her intake, likely caused at least in part to deferred…
August Joel Conner Clinic Report: Sienna
Carrie S worked alongside Sienna in the August Joel Conner Clinic, and had the following reflections about her experience with this beautiful mare: “I had the privilege of working with Sienna in the August Joel Conner clinic. This kind and sensitive mare has made lovely progress in getting more life and responsiveness in some areas but has held out in other areas. These being the areas where I…
Alumni Update: Violet
Violet’s adopter, Lexee shared this update with us: On a beautiful August Sunday I took Violet on her first longer trail ride and man was she awesome! Lots of hills, walkers, dogs and bikes and she took them all in great stride. She even let some young kids pet her — which for Violet is a big deal. I’m really proud of this mare. One of the reasons I really wanted to adopt Violet was because of…
Trixie at Foster
It isn’t very often that we send horses out to foster, but every so often a circumstance will arise where it makes sense. When Rae’s adopter reached out about needing a companion for Rae, we were happy to find a match. At sleepaway camp (aka foster), alumna Rae is keeping her new chestnut friend very busy! The two of them have become inseparable, whether Trixie likes it or not. Despite having…
