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,…
Wren’s First Saddle
For many of the horses who come to SAFE who are in need of a start or a restart, we spent a great deal of time preparing them for their first saddling and their first rides. But due to the variation in personalities and past histories, the speed at which we are able to hit these milestones varies. Wren came to SAFE in May, and little was known about what had been done with her. From our initial…
Introducing Pippin
Horses contain multitudes: they can be regal, majestic, brave, goofy, beautiful… the list goes on. But I would argue that most full-size horses don’t usually conjure the word ‘cute.’ Mini horses, on the other hand, are the epitome of ‘cute.’ And if there is an even stronger version of that word, I would argue that Pippin would be the definition. Pippin, or Pip as she is colloquially known, is…
Alumni Update: Otto
A note from Gabby, Otto’s adopter: Thank you SAFE, for everything you did for Mr. Otto-matic. He has blossomed even more over the last 5 months! Growing up even more. His feed program is free fed by net — quality orchard grass, 3 quarts of soaked beet pulp and 3 quarts alfalfa pellets once a day with one cup of fresh ground flax, magnesium, GutX by 100XEquine and equerrys economy blend. Otto…
Tiva, All Cinched Up!
Tiva has been working hard this summer, if not to fit into a bikini, then for something infinitely better: a saddle. There had been talk of Tiva meeting a saddle from the beginning. Even in those earliest days when she was a wild creature, pinning her ears and cowering in fear, we held a vision of her in tack, small in the back of our minds, but no less clear for it. Over the last year and a…
September Clinic Report: Bandit
Kirsten AL has been working with Bandit for some months, and worked alongside her in the September Joel Conner Clinic. Below, she reflects on the experience of the three days spent together and what she and Ms. Bandit learned: “Day 1 question – How to decrease cranky ears? My thought was to slowly and with small gentle steps reward the slightest improvement of cranky ears with a big release. I…
Run Free, Big Girl
Heaven welcomed a new angel yesterday morning. It is with a heavy heart we share the loss of SAFE alumni Camille. She was living happily with her adoptive family of humans and horses until the end. Her condition and comfort had declined to the point that it was time to let her go. Her old arthritic joints could not carry her big heart anymore. Her family and herd miss her, but the little gelding…
Moshi, Ready for Adoption!
Moshi is one of three Graham horses left at SAFE, and one of two currently available for adoption (Addie being the other, with Poppy still in her early days under saddle). While only started earlier this year, Moshi has made great progress as a riding horse, and is ready to start meeting adopters looking for a sweet little pony with a lot of spunk. Indeed, Moshi is still a green horse, and…
Mirana’s Scrape
When we play ‘musical horses’ at SAFE, shifting paddock assignments around for one reason or another, we make two variations on the traditional rules of the game. The first is that everyone ends up with a spot at the end, and the second is that we typically don’t play music while we shuffle around. So while the lack of a chair pulled out from under them, literally or figuratively, might lead you…
