Alumni Update: Jewel
November 2023 From Julie: So yesterday (November 29th) I realized I made a huge, sad blunder. November 4th is Jewel’s adoption day and the day we celebrate her birthday. I’ve never forgotten it — until now. Almost a month late! I felt so bad. I apologized and tried to make it up to her with treats. Jewel is now 12.
Alumni Update: Jewel
We received an update from Jewel’s adopter, Julie: Some of you may remember the trials and tribulations I’ve had with Jewel over the past year. Last summer she was so scared of being saddled it took months to work our way back. After a half dozen rides, we had a relapse. After months of more work we’ve been riding again. Today, (10/07/23) we had a good workout in the round pen followed by a…
Journeying With Montana
A horse’s progress is not always linear — in fact, it is often not. There are hills and valleys in horsemanship, and as living creatures with their own autonomy, it is only fair that we meet the horse where they are at each time we interact with them. Montana is a special guy. He has always been sensitive, and while he has let down a tremendous amount, this by no way means he is not still…
Getting to Know Violet
In getting to know Violet, we found two things to be true: she was in desperate need of a diet, and she was dull. Luckily, neither fact was without remedy. Over the last month, we have helped Violet shed a few lbs, and have already begun to see the true shape of the horse under all that extra adipose. Her body condition score might also be contributing to fact number two — it can’t feel…
Declan, One Year Later
There are no timelines when it comes to our horses. We promise them that no matter how long it takes, we will be there for them to rehabilitate them into the horse they were always meant to be. This week marks the year anniversary of when we met Declan. Many wonderful things have happened in his life since then. Hours of care, patience, hard work, and empowerment. Declan was restarted under…
Autumn is Here
On the direct heels of Tanis’ passing several weeks ago, we received a call regarding a horse in need — another roan mare. It felt, admittedly, a bit like kismet. We know that Autumn’s story starts with an Animal Control seizure. She was one of group of 44 horses taken from a hoarder in Lewis County. This was a horrific situation that involved dead horses, as well as mares and stallions…
Alumni Update: Nyx
Nyx and Lyndsay went camping at Long Beach in June with some friends.
Scotty’s Buddies
Scotty arrived at SAFE with his half-sibling Violet, the two of them essentially attached at the hip. In order to foster new and healthy relationships (and mitigate the herdboundness that existed in each of them), we made a point of introducing them to new friends once they were off their quarantine. Scotty popped over into our ‘boys herd’ (we are a mare-heavy organization, and thus only have…
Darla is Adopted!
Dearest darling Darla has been adopted! During the summer, long time horse owner Monne came to SAFE looking for an equine partner and met Darla. The two of them took their time getting to know one another, with Monne coming out to visit and ride Darla a number of times before tying the knot, so to speak. Darla came to SAFE as a very sensitive mare, and while that is not something that goes away…
Rest in Peace, Alumni Moon
The Alumni community mourns the loss of another big girl today (10/26/23). Four years ago, this past August, Moon left to live with Beth Ann and her amazing herd in Oregon. Moon had the best life and enjoyed many good days with her family. Sadly, the time came when her hooves couldn’t hold her to this world any longer. Beth wrote us this morning: “Today when I walked out Moon just patiently…
Alumni Update: Sampson
Photos of Sampson from October 2023
Alumni Update: Jessel
Jessel and Alexandra on a glorious fall evening in North Dakota
Violet Coming Along
Since her arrival at SAFE, Lexee N has been working with Violet to help her find freedom in her feet and life in her movements. The last few times Joel visited us, he worked alongside Lexee and Violet, and Lexee has the following to say about this beautiful mare: “The lovely Violet has been a tough horse to get along with. She has a lot of resentment towards people and this reflects through her…
Snohomish Animal Control Training Days
Recently, we were happy to host two Snohomish county animal control officers here at SAFE for a day of training. Established in 2005, SAFE hasn’t taken a year off from equine rescue in almost two decades, and over those years, we have learned a thing or two about all that goes into both rescuing and rehabilitating horses. We are more than happy to share our knowledge with the folks who aid us in…
Gabby is Adopted!
Gabby was taken in by SAFE in April of 2022, where she went directly to foster with our dear friend Trisha, who had previously fostered (and then adopted!) Caramel. Well today, I bring you another tale of a foster fail: Gabby has found a permanent home with Trisha. The two of them have put in a tremendous amount of work together, building trust, and slowly but surely chipping away at the…
Alumni Update: Henry (James)
October 2023 Update on James’ weight gain progress at almost 3 months after adoption! The first photo shows him when he initially arrived, while the second photo showcases his current appearance. Notably, he has been successfully building muscle in his shoulders and has significantly reduced his rib visibility.
Getting to know Scotty
When we intake a horse who we know for a fact has had a riding background, we are equal parts hesitant and hopeful. There is a chance that what the horse has been taught will make for a relatively easy re-start — the mere fact they have been saddled before eliminates some speculation as to how that is going to go. Of course, there are always many variables that make it so that we always treat a…
Independent Inula
A few months back, we split up the Gig Harbor horses around the property — integrating them into herds, or otherwise facilitating a change of scenery from the paddock they’d been quarantining and living in up until that point. Mother and daughter, Ciara and Inula, were both involved in this separation, and at the time we had prepared ourselves to deal with the fallout of separating a pair who…
Ciara’s Saddling Journey
Ciara came to us as part of a larger seizure in Gig Harbor, alongside a tableau of horses who, aside from their lack of proper care and handling, were, as is the nature of all living creatures, of varied personalities. The ‘easiest’ of the bunch were Ciara’s daughter Inula, along with Wren, who were relatively uncomplicated as far as horses who haven’t had much quality handling go. Meadow and…
Say Hello to Jupiter
Animal Control seized Jupiter back in December of 2022, but his case was ongoing for so long that we were prevented from talking about him until very recently. He, much like the others who were a part of his seizure, was placed in a foster situation where SAFE supported him from afar. But when his foster reached out to us that she could no longer house him, we made plans to bring him here to the…
Goodbye, Tanis
Tanis, beloved SAFE horse, was laid to rest last week under a warm blue sky following a sudden and painful colic. As is the case with colics, they can escalate quickly from seemingly mild into devastating rather quickly. We first noticed something was amiss around turnout time, when after finishing her grain mash breakfast, Tanis was down in her stall. Horses lying down when there is food around…
Arrow Goes to Foster
As winter approaches, more horses find themselves in precarious situations. Older horses and hard keepers become more difficult to maintain away from pasture, and we tend to get an uptick in calls from Animal Control hoping to place horses with us along with owners looking for assistance as the weather changes. Being able to help with these requests is all dependent on our available space. Our…
Welcoming Harper and Cookie
Horses that come to us by way of Animal Control are often times kept quiet as the case moves through the legal system and all that that entails. Harper and Cookie are two such cases — these mares received shelter at SAFE months ago, but we have only been cleared to share their story now that their ownership has been officially transferred to us. There are actually three minis involved in this…
Alumni Update: Sundae (Neapolitan)
October 2023 Update from Cheryl: Neapolitan is sooo sweet! She follows me like a kitten, no longer chasing me like a shark!
Ready to Take Home: Pepper!
Sweet Pepper has been back at SAFE for a few months now, has received a restart under saddle, and is ready to start meeting adopters. Due to her confirmation, Pepper will never be a tremendous athlete, but she is sound for trails and light riding, which is exactly what she’s the very best at. We work on helping Pepper to become a get on and go type, and she is a pretty straightforward ride if…
Barbie Girl
We went from lush, green meadows to buzzed dry fields in a matter of a few weeks, and soon as the rain and mud approaches, we will seed our fields and lay them to rest until next year. But even after the grass is mostly gone, the fields and lanes stay open a bit longer to allow our horses a separate location to explore and stretch their legs a bit. Normally when we open Barb’s gate to the lane,…
Are you Team Edward?
If the answer is “yes!” then you’re in luck — this handsome guy is ready for his forever home! Edward has been under saddle since May of 2022, and has really proven himself to be a very responsible and reasonable guy. With regular work, he is soft and responsive, and a real sweetheart to boot. But time off is Edward’s Achilles heel. A week off at this point would be about at the top limit of…
October Volunteer of the Month: Jeanne Arredondo
Congratulations to our October Volunteer of the Month, Jeanne! We are extra lucky, and get to see Jeanne twice a week, as she is a Barn Assist on Wednesdays, and joins us for the AM chores on Thursdays; which she Co-Leads with another volunteer! Coming to the barn on a day when Jeanne will be there, always brings a smile to everyone’s face! Jeanne shows up each week with an upbeat, can-do…
2023 Q3 Impact Statement
New Horses Intake Date: August 21, 2023 Scotty (Owner Surrender) Violet (Owner Surrender) Intake Date: September 23, 2023 Cookie (Animal Control Seizure) Harper (Animal Control Seizure) Pippin (Animal Control Seizure) Jupiter (Animal Control Seizure) Placed Horses Jax Henry Zelly Darla
Poppy’s First Ride!
Poppy is a great example of how well-preparedness leads directly to a horse’s success. After a somewhat tumultuous first cinching, we realized that Poppy would need a bit more work to get her comfortable with the process, and stepped back a bit to better get her ready. After just a few days of stopping her by a hind foot, working more on tossing the saddle up, and continued work with the flag,…
