SAFE Horses
SAFE News and Updates
Domino Makes Progress
Domino is a very healthy senior horse! He has good teeth and does well on grass and hay with the normal vitamin supplement used for SAFE horses. For paddock buddies, he does best paired with a submissive gelding. He forms a strong connection with mares, to the point of being herd bound. He demonstrates some separation anxiety but manages with the support of the person working with him. His…
Daisy on the Upswing
Daisy, our one-eyed beauty, has gained weight since her arrival at SAFE. Her initial weight of 780 pounds has increased to 807 pounds. She’s looking quite a bit better these days, which is very nice to see. Daisy gets nervous about being moved outside her paddock, but is comfortable and happy in her familiar surroundings. She had no problems handling her recent farrier trim, and similarly did…
Cameron’s Rehab Progress
Cameron has settled into SAFE well. We were initially concerned about Cameron’s colon function, and after several weeks of close monitoring now have a feel for his typical manure production. He gets an all-mash diet of Haystack and senior grain which he eats with gusto. His weight has increased from 945 pounds to 988 pounds, and he is slowly starting to fill out. Cameron saw the vet recently for…
Aubrey Update
Aubrey returned to SAFE without having had dental work in about 3 years. She has been seen by our vet and had much needed dental work to reduce the sharp points on her teeth. Aubrey’s ideal adoptive situation would be a home where there is a steady herd of retired horses. She does best with the 24/7 company of at least one other horse. From her race track years in confinement, she has developed…
Arigato’s Recovery Continues
Arigato came to SAFE with very overgrown hooves and some apparent lameness in her right hind. We have been working with her to gentle her enough to safely sedate her for X‑rays. She has a bulge about one inch below the coronet band. There is a possibility that this is a benign tumor known as a keratoma, but this will need to be confirmed through the X‑rays. The only way to treat a keratoma is by…
Now What’s New with Lacey?
Our sweet little problem child Lacey has been making some great progress as of late. In an effort to obtain some positive behavior changes, we’ve started her back on Regumate for hormone balance so that she doesn’t go into season. On Regumate, Lacey seems more content with her life, showing happy (forward) ears and more nickering to people and other horses. At the rate with which changes have…
Aunt Teddi
There should come a time in every young horse’s life when the proverbial cord is cut, and access to their mother’s milk is stopped. It’s not as harsh as it sounds: after around 4 months, a foal needs more than just milk to meet its nutritional needs, and as long as they are eating hay and grain, milk just becomes that extra, unneeded slice of cake at the end of their meal: a nice treat, but no…
Barb is Ready for Adoption!
As Barb has matured, she’s started to look somewhat different from the other Fall City horses. She has longer legs and a more refined look, but remains a bit roly-poly. Kaya has been working with Barb to help her stay focused in larger spaces so that she can be ridden outside the round pen. Barb did great on a recent trail ride through the park adjacent to SAFE. Barb has had 5 months of light…
Alumni Update: Annie
We recently received an update from Annie’s adopter! Annie has entered into the world of Competitive Mounted Orienteering (CMO), which is best described as a mounted treasure hunt. Riders utilize compasses and maps while riding out on a specific course, hunting for hidden objective stations. Over the past season for CMO, Annie placed mostly 2nd and 3rd, really proving herself as a reliable trail…
Alumni Update: Cosmo
We recently received an update from Cosmo’s adopter. Cosmo, now known as Theo, is living his best retired life alongside his gelding friend. We also asked his adopter a handful of questions about this handsome boy, and here’s what she had to say: What is your horse’s favorite treat? He loves food…so pretty much anything! What is your horse’s most winning characteristic? He’s super sweet and…
Alumni Update: Jewel
We recently received an update from Jewel’s adopter, who tells us that Jewel is quite the character and that she is very well loved! We had the pleasure of seeing Jewel at our September Joel Conner horsemanship clinic, which is always a treat. We also asked Jewel’s adopter a handful of questions about Jewel, and here’s what she had to say: What is your horse’s favorite treat? She loves all kinds…
Nyx’s Origins
Nyx’s freeze brand, a hallmark of all BLM horses, is not just pure ornamentation. It actually acts as a unique identifier, and grants a bit of a window into his background. It tells us that he was born in 2006, and that he came from a herd in Oregon. Further investigation tells us that he is from the Beatys Butte herd management area, a dry, desert landscape around 65 miles east of Lakeview,…
Meet Montana and Darla
Say hello to our two newest arrivals, Darla and Montana! Darla is about 10 years old, and Montana is a 5 year old gelding. Both were surrendered to SAFE by their owner, an elderly man who suffered a stroke and could no longer care for them. His family was able to successfully rehome his other horses, but Darla and Montana are both untrained and were at a greater risk of falling into bad…
Caramel is Adopted!
Caramel is adopted! We have tears of joy with the news that Caramel’s foster mom, Trisha, said Caramel has a permanent home with her family! What an amazing gift this is for SAFE and Caramel. We know she will be forever loved, cared for and accepted for the smart, sensitive mare she is and will always be treated with love and respect. Cara and her Fall City 40 sister, Hazel, have truly found…
Lucca is Adopted!
Lucca is adopted by our very own Jane Millar! Jane has been a huge part of SAFE for many, many years and we could not be more over the moon that she found Lucca. As the Volunteer Manager for over 3 years, most long-term volunteers remember her as the first face of SAFE. Jane transitioned from a pretty big part time volunteer job to wanting to have more free time, try a few different roles at…
Pippi and Aries are Adopted!
Do you recognize the names Jane and Eric? They adopted Breve and Checkers back in July and now they’ve come back for two more horses, Aries and Pippi! That’s right, Jane and Eric now have their own tiny SAFE herd of four! Our very own Pippi, who was born to a rescue mare, Asha, at SAFE left for her new home just short of two weeks from her third birthday. When they decided to adopt Pippi they…
Alumni Update: Nadia
Leah, age 12, is still riding Nadia in 4H. Last year was mostly pleasure riding since all events were cancelled, but this year they’ve been getting back into competition. She rides Nadia both English and Western for Saddle Seat, Hunt Seat, Dressage, Stock Seat, Bareback, and Western Gaming (which is Nadia’s favorite). They’ve been doing qualifier events, and are signed up for the Thurston…
Pearl and Abby are Adopted!
Pearl and Abby are adopted together! We found them a loving family with Diana and Adam. The two get to live out their days as best friends with two humans who adore them. Their gorgeous property is up north in Everson Washington. When Kaya, our Barn and Facilities Manager, dropped the two off, she was so excited to see their beautiful home in person. She jokingly told Diana we would be bringing…
Artie is Adopted!
Artie is adopted and he lives with a SAFE Alumni pony, Ruckus! Jacquie was looking for a companion to live with Ruckus and turned to SAFE searching for a horse buddy. As the Volunteer Manager, I like to ask volunteers if they have a favorite horse at SAFE. Of course, many reply with “I like them all! BUT if I had to choose, it would be…” There is usually a horse or two that stands out to each…
Quincy is Adopted!
Quincy is adopted! Annemarie turned to SAFE looking for a friend for her horses, Nick and Ernie. On a sunny day in August they headed to Quincy’s new home. Annemarie said he arrived without breaking a sweat and unloaded like he’s been doing it his whole life. Quincy came to SAFE as part of a 7 pony seizure from Animal Control. The ponies had been living unhandled, hungry, with overgrown hooves,…
Veronica is Saddled
Over the past several months, Veronica has made great progress in her ground work with volunteer Candi. She is a sensitive mare who is eager to learn and please. These changes allowed for another milestone as she experienced her first saddling with Joel Conner in the October clinic/colt starting. Joel has years of experience working with challenging horses like Veronica. Even with preparation on…
October Volunteer of the Month: Melita Shpul
Congratulations to Melita Shpul on Volunteer of the Month! Melita started volunteering on the Thursday PM shift in January 2020. Not long after, she also started helping us with our fecal samples, checking for eggs and sand so we can properly treat our horses. You can often find Melita, before her shift, sitting at the microscope in the the bathroom looking closely at horse manure. We are lucky…
Merry Update
Merry’s diagnosis of left hind lameness with a sensitive proximal suspensory ligament means that SAFE must evaluate the course of action that offers her the best solution. Treatment of this chronic problem is most likely limited to a surgical procedure called a fasciotomy. This involves cutting the fibrous band of tissue wrapped around the suspensory ligament, which allows it to expand and…
A Summer of Progress for Veronica
Veronica has progressed well in her training. Although she is still a bit shy, she is doing much better about getting caught and haltered, and she will now come up to the fence to be petted and told how pretty she is. Veronica stands patiently while tied and is well-behaved for bathing and being fly sprayed. Earlier in the summer, she started with walking around with a lightly cinched saddle to…
Barb is a Riding Horse!
Kaya has been working with Barb since she arrived at SAFE. Here is what Kaya had to say about her: “Barb is turning out to be an all star riding horse! This sweet, charismatic, opinionated, intellegent pony keeps surprising me every ride. Barb was one of the most difficult groundwork horses I had ever worked with, but she has really turned that all around. She is now riding well on a loose rein,…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: George
In September, George and Terry participated in the riding section of the Joel Conner clinic at SAFE. This was George’s first riding clinic, with 3 hours of riding per day over 3 days, and with eight or nine other horses in the arena with him, which can be very distracting, especially for a young horse. George did very well with it all, and demonstrated a good work ethic with a good expression,…
Rae Riding Videos
No More Pointy Horses!
A wise horse named Honeycutt once said “A horse is a thing that is round, not a thing that is flat and pointy. How can someone look at a horse that is flat and pointy and think it is an okay horse? A pointy horse is probably sad and very, very hungry.” Edward, Cameron, and Daisy are pointy, and we’re asking you to join our campaign to make them round again! Because no horse should ever be…
The Return of Aubrey
Aubrey spent two years at SAFE before being adopted as a companion horse in 2018. Sadly, Aubrey’s adopter experienced a medical issue and could no longer care for Aubrey or her elderly gelding, Ro. Upset and unsure what to do, the adopter called SAFE for help. We talked about both horses, the time needed for her to recover and the difficulties caring for them as she herself was aging. Ro had…
Haltering Esme
Meet our new intake at SAFE, Esme. She is a 6 year old Yakima Reservation mare, who has not had a lot of past experience being lead. Esme is very friendly and interested in people, just a bit frightened by the halter. This is our third day working with her and things are going very well. We have been able to brush her, give her a lice dusting and she did great for a blood draw for the…
