SAFE Horses
SAFE News and Updates
SAFE Mini Horse Ambassadors Doing Their Thing
Penned by Best Buddy to Shasta and Sunny The SAFE mini horse ambassadors, Shasta and Sunny D, recently were invited to visit the Fairwinds-Redmond Retirement Community, along with their SAFE Volunteer handlers, Jackie L and Debbie M. One of the many things they enjoyed about their visit was the short trailer ride from SAFE Harbor Stables to Fairwinds-Redmond as it is located on Avondale Road,…
A Post About Tiva
The June Open House is in full swing. The forecast said rain, but the weather has held for the event, allowing our tour groups to meander leisurely around the property without worry of whether or not they remembered to re-waterproof their raincoats. At paddock #17, a smaller group has congregated – here for the open house, yes, but also to visit with a particular resident: Tiva. These are the…
Halter-Starting the Halter-Started
We have no shortage of chestnut mares at SAFE. It’s our most popular color, in fact, with no fewer than 10 in our care currently. Deja Vu is aptly named, then, being a chestnut mare herself. Walking by her paddock, you may ask yourself, ‘have I seen this horse before?’ But after spending a bit of time with her, you’d come to the realization that she, like all the rest, is an individual, not to…
Sugar is Adopted!
It’s hard to resist something sweet for long, and true to form, Sugar came and went from SAFE about as fast as you can say ‘isn’t he just the sweetest thing!’ That’s right, little Sugar has been adopted! Sugar, now known as “Au Poni Kopa’a” (Ko) which means “the sugar I need” or, “to put sugar on it” in Hawaiian, has gone to live at The Way Forward youth ranch, where he will help empower…
Alumni Update: Trey
Trey is getting to live an amazing life with his barn buddies and with Eve and Stephen. He had been ridden and shown in dressage but is now retired and gets groundwork, grooming and good loving from both Eve and Stephen. He has a dark spot on his nose they call his button and they have a button boop game they play with him. He has personality and energy and plays and runs with his pasture pals…
Stay Copper, Ponyboy
In his slicked-out summer coat, Edward is comparable to a new penny: copper in color, and a 3.5 on the Mohs hardness scale of mineral hardness (that’s pretty soft, just like our Ed). But the comparison to our lowest denomination coin ends there — for Edward is worth far more than a cent. This handsome fella, unlike a car, appreciates in value with each ride. Edward’s education under saddle has…
Pepper is Adopted!
We loved Pepper at SAFE, but it was hard not to walk by her stall or paddock and ask, ‘you’re still here?’ Pepper was one adoptable little pony! But good things come to those who wait, and indeed, when the wonderful folks at Sammamish Animal Sanctuary came knocking, Pepper answered. They had a two-fold desire, you see. One of their horse residents had just passed, leaving her equine BFF lonely…
What to Say About Beautiful Bijou?
If you pay very close attention to the SAFE website, then you already know that Bijou went out on trial for adoption, and that she ended up coming back to SAFE. We have an automatic 30-day trial with every adoption for a reason. We want to be sure that the placement of a SAFE horse is going to work out. The horse that you meet here in the familiar setting of Safe Harbor Stables may be a…
Alumni Update: Nashville
We recently checked in with Nashville and her adopter Anna. Nashville enjoys hanging out with her friends Supri and Colbert. She has been seeing a vet regularly for her arthritis and thin soles of her feet. She is now doing much better with new pads which are helping her be more balanced and have visibly reduced the arthritic swelling in her right knee. The vet cleared her to be ponied when Anna…
Trixie Settling In
Standing in her noble shelter, peering over the edge with just the top half of her face above the wall, Trixie resembles a hippo floating beneath the surface of the water. But unlike hippos, one of the most dangerous land mammals, Trixie is sweet sweet sweet. We could tell she was a nice mare when we first met her, and the few weeks she has been at SAFE has only solidified that truth for us. She…
Alumni Update: Jill
A SAFE Alumni volunteer recently checked in with Jill and her adopter Anna. Anna states Jill is growing up beautifully. She credits SAFE for that and adds that each time Jill encounters something she is troubled about, she returns to a calm state of mind quicker and becomes more and more willing. Jill likes trail riding and seems to enjoy going to new places.
Nova’s Saturday Scratches
Trudy M, our stupendous Saturday barn staff, has been spending some time grooming Nova during the past few months while she has been in recovery from her spay earlier this year. We have given Nova some time off, and while her expectations for work have been low, she has still been getting her itches scratched with Trudy’s help. Here is what Trudy has to say about Nova and their time together:…
SAFE at Buck
Buck Brannaman is headed to Washington for the next two weekends, and the SAFE horses will be joining him at his clinics in Spanaway and Ellensburg. This is a great opportunity for the horses to get experience off-property while furthering their education with a phenomenal horseman. Come see: Esme, 2015 Yakima Reservation mare, at Spanaway and Ellensburg Jupiter, 2017 AQHA gelding, at Spanaway…
Alumni Update: Jewel and Tilt (Korra)
Jewel is doing well and living a pretty leisurely life right now. She enjoys her feeding schedule (four times per day). Her favorite thing to do is trail riding, which is on hold right now as Julie works through a saddling issue with her. Tilt (Korra) also likes her leisurely life and same feeding schedule as Jewel. Her favorite thing is eating. Julie is training Korra in the round pen and looks…
Alumni Update: Kai
SAFE recently checked in with Kai and his adopter, Barb. Kai has mostly had the winter to hang out with his herd mates, but Barb is looking forward to trail riding this summer. Kai is as handsome and sweet as ever and he is clearly adored by Barb!
Alumni Update: Tabitha (Willa)
Tabitha, now called Willa, lives with Alyssa in a beautiful area with trails across the road that go for miles. They do a lot of trailing riding, but Willa tends to prefer loping the trails when possible. Recently, they attended a dressage clinic in Spokane.
Blanche is Adopted!
We interrupt your weekend to bring you good news: Blanche has been adopted! Blanche, now called Joule, headed out on a beautiful sunny day to join Elissa’s family, whose non-human members include a handful of Nigerian goats and new horse-brother, Watney. Elissa had previously adopted Mina, another SAFE horse, but after Mina’s unexpected passing last year, Elissa had been waiting patiently for…
Jupiter’s Masterson Session
Jupiter has been dealing with a sore back as of late, and in the midst of his rehabbing (he can do his carrot stretches in his sleep!) he had a visit with our good friend Natalie for a session of bodywork utilizing the Masterson Method. Jupiter was very responsive to the work, and had some great releases. Here is what Natalie had to say about their session: “Jupiter did very well, he seemed…
Brandit Loves Grass
These two mares may be older in their years, but put them on pasture and they sure don’t act like it — these girls can rip! A necessary part of any turnout includes a good roll, and Brandy and Bandit, particularly the latter, prove how well-versed they are in the art of the roll. Bandit’s roll includes a bit of eating, which we think is the best way to go about it!
SAFE Arena Grader Raffle
SAFE is holding a prize drawing for this brand new Land Pride AG1560 Series arena grader, donated to us by Issaquah Honda Kubota. 60″ wide, made from heavy-duty tube framing with adjustable S‑tine shanks. Five-position leveling bar to smooth the soil and a mesh roller to break clods and fluff the soil. Working depth 4″. For an 18–45 HP tractor. 3‑Point and Quick Hitch compatible (Cat I). Retail…
Run Free, Bailey
Yesterday, as the sun shone overhead and a warm breeze blew, we said goodbye to Bailey. While she might not have been at SAFE for very long, she was well fed, well cared for, and well loved during her time with us. You’d be hard pressed to find a sweeter mare, and even with the visible pain she was in due to the rotation in her front hooves, she never lost her sunny disposition. Since her…
Getting it Done with Deloitte
Another day, another fun and successful Work Party! Last week, SAFE hosted Deloitte LLP as part of their 25th annual company wide Impact Day. We had nearly 40 people from their Seattle office come to the barn for the entire day. These folks were hungry for the work and chewed through the planned task list, even tackling extra projects that could be done without much pre-planning. The…
Taking Care of Winter
A little less than two weeks after she arrived at SAFE, Winter met with the vet and the farrier for the first time in years. When we’d first booked the appointments for her, we did so tentatively, unsure if she would be far enough along in her handling to be seen to. But Winter is a tremendously bright mare, and over the course of the week following her arrival, made huge strides. Each day,…
Safe at Home: Happy Geldings
SAFE’s reach extends beyond the 30 horses who we keep on-site in our care. Our Safe at Home Community Assistance Program is designed to provide short term assistance to horse owners struggling to care for their horses. The goal of this program is to partner with horse owners in our community to keep their horses in their homes and out of the rescue pipeline. Through this program, we are able to…
Alumni Update: Ajax (AJ)
Here is an updated photo of Ajax (AJ) with Nancy. AJ is living a happy, safe, healthy life, hanging out with best buddy Cheyenne.
Inula at Summer Camp!
Inula is doing great at foster, and settling in well with the rest of the herd! She had already been introduced to SAFE Alumni Finn (formerly Doolin), but this past week met foster mom Shannon’s horse-sized horses as well. Introductions went well, and the four of them enjoy grazing and play time during the day while remaining separated at night to avoid any potential shenanigans. Inula is very…
June Volunteer of the Month: Ellen Weisberg
Congratulations to Ellen Weisberg, our June Volunteer of the Month! Ellen has been helping care for the horses of SAFE for just shy of a year, and we couldn’t be more thankful that she is part of our community. Ellen started on our Thursday AM chore team, and not only did she add on another shift, she is leading the team as the Shift Lead on Monday mornings! We are so lucky that we get to see…
Alumni Update: Bliss and Evie
Bliss and Evie are doing great. This year Emily plans to ride Evie on trails with her daughter’s horses. Bliss is fine staying behind as the neighbor, who has three horses, keeps a watchful eye on her. Emily loves her girls and watching Bliss canter behind Evie, despite being blind, when called for dinner.
Remembering Roy
Last week, Roy passed peacefully over to join the rest of his herd. A year ago, Roy came to SAFE from a sad situation as part of a 7 horses seizure by Pierce County Animal Control. Two had to be euthanized on the property, one left the property but was euthanized at the vet hospital, and two others had to be euthanized after a period of time in holding with Animal Control. As such, Roy was a…
Alumni Update: George
SAFE Alumni volunteers, Candi K and Jackie L, recently visited George and his family. Here is an update from Candi. Imagine turning off a country road and setting your eyes upon an idyllic white farmhouse nestled amidst 6 acres of fragrant, sweet grass with the sights and sounds of your favorite farm animals. You will have arrived at Dr. Ana and Clint Kidder’s slice of paradise. Jackie and I had…
