Riding Out with Artie
Artie has spent a great amount of time under saddle recently, and while he has been on the occasional traipse around the property, he had yet to explore the big wide world… until now! We at SAFE are lucky enough to be situated beside a park, which means we essentially have backyard access to horse trails. With the weather how it is, dry and hot, we do our best to make it out for trail walks as…
July Volunteer of the Month: Amy Quackenbush
Congratulations to our July Volunteer of the Month, Amy! It’s a joy to have Amy at the barn, she always greets you with a smile and her passion for SAFE is infectious. She started out on the Thursday AM team, but quickly started filling in on her other “day off” because she loves being at SAFE. Amy helps with events, comes early to help the Barn Staff when needed, loves baking (No, she did not…
Jax in Rehab
Picture this: a Rocky-style montage of Jax during his rehab. Instead of running stairs, he’s going over trot poles, elevating his back to relieve pressure off his spine. He’s getting strapped into the saddle for the first time in over a month. He’s emerging victorious from his diagnosis, this initial battle won. Kissing spines is not something that is ever completely remedied, but with proper…
Picasso is adopted
Our sweet Picasso moved to his forever home on May 24th, marking another Graham horse out our door and onto his happy ending. He has a lovely new stall and paddock set up, a great new owner Sen and supporting trainer KC (who adopted Eevie, the smallest of the Fall City 40 mares). He has really turned out to be one of the best geldings. Thanks to Kaya M and Lexee N for tag teaming his restart and…
2023 Q2 Impact Statement
New Horses Intake Date: April 20, 2023 Rojo (Owner Surrender) Intake Date: May 6, 2023 Ciara (Owner Surrender) Harissa (Owner Surrender) Inula (Owner Surrender) Lancelot (Owner Surrender) Meadow (Owner Surrender) Mirana (Owner Surrender) Wren (Owner Surrender) Intake Date: May 11, 2023 Arrow (Owner Surrender) Placed Horses Evie Irene Rae Kelly Quincy Picasso Euthanized Horses…
Evie is Adopted!
Evie, the striking snowflake Appaloosa mare who came to SAFE as part of the Graham 27, has found a home Emily, who has adopted from SAFE before (the late, great Beauty, as well as sweet, blind Bliss) came back to us looking for another riding partner to add to her herd, and was drawn to Evie. Despite having only been with us a handful of months, Evie was doing well under saddle. Her main issue…
Bodywork with Roy
We are so lucky here at SAFE to have a robust and multi-talented group of volunteers who dedicate their time and talents to help us take the best possible care of our horses. One example of this is, Natalie, a certified practitioner of the Masterson Method bodywork technique, recently performing a session with Roy. Roy is a boy who has been through a great lot in his life, especially recently,…
Grass Time for Lacey and Domino
If our horses had to pick a favorite season, it would likely be summer. The ground has dried up enough that they can stay outside 24/7 (although there are certainly those who miss a padded stall for nighttime snoozing), and the long and mostly warm days mean plenty of opportunities for naps in the sun. But perhaps the best reason of all is the opening of our grass pastures for a season of…
Bijou at the June Joel Conner Clinic
At the most recent Joel Conner clinic, Kaya M worked alongside Bijou in the morning groundwork session, and had the following to say about their time spent together: “Bijou is such a sweet mare, it was a pleasure to spend some time with her in the groundwork class! While Bijou is naturally very kind and enjoys pets and attention, she does have a few braces that can turn her sweet face sour.…
June Joel Conner Clinic Report: Brandy
At the recent Joel Conner Clinic, Carrie S worked with Brandy in the morning groundwork session, and had the following to say about her experience: “I participated in the ground work class at the June Joel Conner Horsemanship Clinic and had the wonderful opportunity to work with Brandy Snap. First of all, let’s just celebrate the fact that a 29 year old horse (that’s about 85 in horse years)…
Summer Open House and Tack Sale
Join us for our summer Open House and Tack Sale, Saturday, June 24th from noon-3PM! Take a tour of the farm, meet the horses, learn about volunteer opportunities, and the many ways you can be involved with helping rescue horses. You can also shop our huge tack sale, buy SAFE merchandise, and more. All proceeds support the horses in SAFE’s care and our community outreach programs. It’s a family…
Henry at the June Joel Conner Clinic
At our recent Joel Conner clinic, volunteer Sue C worked with Henry in the groundwork session. Here’s what she had to say about their time together: “I had the fine fortune of having Henry as my groundwork partner for the June 2023 Joel Conner Clinic. He is a lovely 11 year old Arab gelding, who came to SAFE in November 2022. He is a bit anxious and fearful of the unknown lurking around each…
Sparky Living the Good Life
Who’s that hiding under those luscious locks? None other than Sparky, of course! Our good friend Candi recently visited Sparky at his loving foster home, and found him to be just as cute as ever. But words aren’t always to be believed, so we had her take some photos as proof. Sparky is truly living the dream life at Jackie’s ‘slacker camp.’ We miss his sweet hee-haws and kind little eyes here at…
Convergint Social Responsibility Day
Oh June 9th, we were the lucky recipients of a massive work party with 130 hardworking, dedicated people from Convergint! We can’t thank them all enough for how much they helped out our property! Convergint supplied all the lumber and paint and even rented a scissor lift to help us get our home in great shape! The work they got done in just one day will save us weeks of volunteer effort that can…
Trail Horse Declan
Some horses jump fences that tower a horse-height above them. Some run races at breakneck speeds. Some move cattle out on the open range. And others are destined more a more leisurely life, filled with lots of paddock naps and some very casual walks in the park. This lifestyle is the one Declan is destined for. Since his lameness eval and subsequent joint injection, Declan has been taking…
Rae is Adopted!
Our nest at SAFE is never empty — when one leaves the coop, another one (or several!) are waiting in the wings to fill their spot. But for babies born at SAFE, the empty nest syndrome is perhaps a bit more acute. With Nova off at training, Rae was our last SAFE-born baby on the property. But like any young adult, she was ready for the next step. Rae had been to clinics both on and off property.…
Joel Conner Horsemanship June 2023 Clinic
Joel Conner will be at SAFE, Friday, June 16th — Sunday, June 18th, 2023!! Joel is a remarkable horseman and teacher whose dedication to classic vaquero horsemanship is unparalleled. Following the traditions of Ray Hunt, Tom and Bill Dorrance, and Buck Brannaman, Joel is passionate about teaching new students and experienced hands alike. Learn about building a responsive partnership with your…
Quincy is adopted again!
Quincy is adopted once again! He met a lovely family who drove all the way to meet him from Camano Island. Shenan, her mom Susan and daughter all came and spent the morning getting to know this special guy. Shenan was able to catch him with a little patience and we discussed the importance that he be handled daily for the first weeks he comes home. Even for a quick haltering he must be touched…
Darla and the Tarp
Our Darla is certainly not a one trick pony! This mare has come a loooooooong way (note how many ‘o’s I used, and know that I went conservative on the amount) from the anxious horse who first arrived at SAFE. She has become one solid riding horse with quite a few miles under her cinch in the round pen and in the arena. Fewer out on the trails, but even there she has proven to be steady. Darla…
Zelly, Companion Horse
Out of the horses who came from the Graham seizure, the ones we started under saddle all seemed to have some kind of soundness issue. Never have we done more lameness exams in such a short period of time. For some, it was just about being thin soled, and applying shoes fixed the issue. For others, there was a bit more going on under the hoof. But with the help of our vets and our farriers, we…
Kelly is Adopted!
Kelly was the last of the Graham horses to arrive at SAFE, but no less loved. Actually, she quickly cemented herself as a volunteer favorite (we all know size doesn’t matter, but it’s hard not to instantly love the really big and really small ones). It was really her gentle demeanor and kind eyes that drew people to Kelly. She had a sweetness about her that was undeniable. And a patience too —…
Barb’s Recent Daze
Oh little barb! What have you been up to? Well, for starters, she was turned out with a herd again — do you hear that sigh of relief? Finally, she said. Back in her old stomping grounds, living with other mares 24/7. Getting into trouble, of course. We have to watch Barb a little closer than some. We hear some squealing coming from the direction of the park and prick our ears, waiting for the…
Nova’s Training Looks
Our lady Nova has been off at training for the last little while, and while we miss her tall, dark, and handsome self, we couldn’t be happier that she is getting a quality education under the blue skies of Ellensburg. Nova will likely always be a mare who is her best self when in regular work, so her time at training has been excellent for her in so many ways. Under Dylan’s tutelage, she is…
June Volunteer of the Month: Brandi Reyna
Congratulations to our June Volunteer of the Month, Brandi! We are very lucky to have the talented Brandi as a volunteer on the Wednesday AM team. Her reliability and consistency held the team together when it experienced a lot of understandable absences last winter. She was always there, the rock on the team, making sure the horses were cared for, working longer shifts and also occasionally…
Handsome Jacob
If you’re looking for a photogenic horse, a horse who practically poses for you when you take out your camera, then look no further than Jacob. Well, ok, Jacob and Edward — they’re kind of a matched set, and the way they play off one another’s energies is second to none. Book them for your next gig requiring two chestnut geldings who really understand how to make line work in their favor, and…
Heroic Henry
Two weeks ago, we reported that Henry had regressed in his training a bit, becoming unfocused and exhibiting herd-bound behavior. A new routine was established for him: stand tied in the big covered arena while Jax gets worked, followed by some moving and flagging along the wall, followed by ground work with an emphasis on coming down from the trot to a relaxed walk, followed by trot poles, and…
Otto is Adopted!
Otto was born to the desert, raised alongside sun-warmed rocks and plump lizards in the wilds of Nevada. He was rounded up, tattooed, and, via some circumstances unknown to us, found his way to Washington. A boy of only three, some of his adult teeth still sitting unerupted, Otto experienced something most horses will be lucky enough never to even imagine: being seized by Animal Control. When…
A Bath for Moshi
Being a horse at SAFE means many things: you get fed three times a day (if not more), you always have fresh clean water, you get daily vitamins and minerals, you make new friends on two legs and four, and you learn a whole lot of things. We do our best to prepare our horses to be the most well-rounded equine citizens possible, which involves things like holding their feet up for the farrier and…
Tiva’s Journey, So Far
I’d written an article some months ago documenting Tiva’s journey with the intention of having a video to accompany it, showcasing the immense amount of progress she has made since she first stepped off that trailer over a year ago, snorting and scared. But as it has a habit of doing, time got away from me, and the visual accompaniment to Tiva’s tale was delayed. However, in the months between…
Summertime Bijou
As the days slide along and we begin to cruise into the summer months of long sun and warm weather, as the ground dries up and we ask ourselves ‘mud? What mud?,’ as we open our pastures and slowly introduce our herd to grass, the horses make the transition to living outside 24/7. For a horse like Bijou, who spent the time she was in her stall (and not nose down in her food) with her head hanging…
