SAFE Horses
SAFE News and Updates
Meet Freya and Nyx!
Two new friends arrived at our farm last week. Freya is a 30+ yr old Morgan type mare and Nyx is a very large BLM Mustang. Sadly their owner was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was struggling to care for them. The two horses had very overgrown hooves and about a month ago, a farrier trimmed them way too short, causing them both a great deal of pain and discomfort. We have them in a paddock…
More than Just a Mom
Sundae continues to be a great mom for her foal, Coco. She remains attentive to Coco but no longer gets panicky when her baby ventures a little distance away, which is good because Coco is pretty independent. She is well behaved for grooming, though exhibits typical pony behavior with the farrier – good at times, but also a bit cheeky. Coco will be weaned at 6 months, and then Sundae will be…
Frosting’s First Farrier Visit
Frosting is currently at foster with Fancy’s adopter, one of SAFE’s volunteer riders. While Frosting is fostered, SAFE will continue to pay for her veterinary and farrier care. Frosting had her first visit with the farrier and was a brave little mustang throughout the process, although she gave the farrier and her handler a good run for their money. Frosting needs continued work on having her…
Diagnosing Merry’s Lameness
Merry was ready for a possible adoption this last March, but a pre-purchase vet examination turned up a mysterious lameness on this four year old mare. We have spent the last few months having multiple vet visits trying to get to the root of the problem for this promising mare. For our first attempt, our vet at Rainland Farm Equine Clinic used their Lameness Locator to pinpoint the problem. On a…
Minnie’s Growing Up
Minnie came to SAFE in January 2021 as a 6‑month-old filly with her mother, Checkers. We recently weaned Minnie from her mother, but we were sure to give her an Auntie to comfort her. Aunt Teddi now shares a paddock with Minnie and the two get daily grass turnout together. You will always find Minnie right next to Teddi, being her shadow, as they make their way around the large grass field. When…
Everyone is Domino’s Friend
Domino arrived at SAFE after living alone for a few years. His happy nickers on his arrival made it clear he was glad to be around other horses. He is a sweet 25-year-old gelding whose future will be that of a companion or perhaps a lead line horse walking on trails. He enjoys human contact, and is quick to approach the fence if he sees staff or volunteers coming to visit him. Domino has two…
Barb Has Opinions
Barb had a few weeks off from work after having been ridden for about a month. She is just three years old, so it’s age-appropriate for her to have a break from being ridden. Barb is a champ at accepting a fly mask. Personality-wise, Barb is opinionated and can become petulant when told “No”. She appears to be moving up in status in the filly herd and taking over the lead filly status from…
Beautiful Veronica
We are working on preparing Veronica to be saddled. She has calmed so much compared to the fearful horse, distrustful of humans, that arrived at SAFE in early 2020. It has been wonderful to watch her transition. She recently worked in the Joel Connor clinic with Candi in June. Veronica can still be tricky to catch in her large paddock, so they focused a lot on catching and releasing. Veronica…
Training Update: Sienna
At the end of 2020, Sienna was having several difficulties in training. She would get tight and panicky when she felt a rider’s legs on her sides and things on her back such as a saddle. She did panic bucking. The good news is that she is much improved since then, and during a recent clinic at SAFE, trainer Joel Conner said that Sienna was the highlight of his training visit. All our effort and…
Billy is Adopted!
Billy is adopted! He has found a loving family in Bridle Trails with Jane and Harry, their daughter Anne and granddaughter, Marin. He even has a girlfriend, Vinnie, a Warmblood trail horse. Billy had a rough past life. We believe he was used as a bucking horse for kids, which had to have been somewhat traumatic. When he came to SAFE, he was nervous around people and extremely scared of the lead…
Aries meets Buck Brannaman
Our volunteer rider, Candi, rode Aries in the Buck Brannaman Clinic in Ellensburg in June and here’s what Candi had to say. “In July, the SAFE horsemanship team had the opportunity to attend the Buck Brannaman clinic in Ellensburg. In preparation for the clinic, I spent several weeks getting to know Aries through groundwork and riding. Loading, hauling and unloading after the journey to…
George at Buck Brannaman
George had his first trip off the SAFE property since his rescue in 2019, as one of five SAFE horses who traveled to Ellensburg for the Buck Brannaman clinic in early July. Buck’s Foundations class is a great experience for a young horse like George, and we’re extremely happy that he was given this opportunity. George did well on the trailer ride and settled into his paddock at clinic with…
Video Update: George
Check out this training video update of Joel Connor working with George. The video was taken during our Joel Connor Clinic in June 2021.
New Horse: Echo
Echo was dropped off by Animal Control a few weeks ago. When she first arrived, she was very unsure of being caught. What will these humans ask of me!? she seemed to say. Once haltered, the staff started loving on her, brushing and giving her scratches. She quickly learned this is good stuff and leaned into Terry, who was brushing and she started grooming Kaya, who was scratching her head. This…
Video Update: Kayla
Kayla is ready to find her perfect match. We are looking for an intermediate rider who can support her as she continues to develop her riding skills. Please check out our most recent video of Terry riding her.
Shy Boy Quincy
Quincy’s current challenge is finding trust in people. Three months ago, Quincy didn’t like to be touched, but with patient work, his eyes have softened and now he even leans into being petted. He has received farrier care twice and was great for the farrier. We have moved Quincy’s paddock to the other side of the property. Our herd of fillies gets turned out to graze next right next to him.…
Love at First Sight
Ajax has found the perfect home! Nancy and Gary came to SAFE looking for a companion horse for their mare, Cheyenne. Her buddy had just passed away and left her very depressed. Nancy and Gary were quickly smitten with Ajax. Ajax came to us in April in rough shape with a body score of 3 and an old eye injury. He had been passed around home to home with no one caring except a family friend who was…
2021 Q2 Impact Statement
New Horses Intake Date: April 5, 2021 Aries (Owner Surrender) Lucca (Owner Surrender) Intake Date: April 8, 2021 Ajax (Owner Surrender) Intake Date: April 21, 2021 Coco (Born at SAFE) Intake Date: May 5, 2021 Domino (Owner Surrender) Placed Horses Razin Ajax Billy Fancy
July Volunteer of the Month: Renee Wass
Congratulations to our July Volunteer of the Month! I am lucky to have had the pleasure of working with Renee back when I used to work Mondays. It always lit up my day seeing her arrive at SAFE. Her positive attitude is infectious and she has a great sense of humor. Renee has always been willing to come in early to help with feeding or fill in as a Shift Lead on another team someone quit and I…
Training Update: Jasper
Sue had the opportunity to work with Jasper in the last Joel Connor Clinic in June. Here’s what she had to say: “I was fortunate to spend one day of the June 2021 Joel Conner clinic working with Jasper. I had been working with him on my own for several weeks, but was excited to have some guidance to see what I was doing right and wrong. Jasper came to SAFE extremely wary and without confidence.…
Training Update: Aries
Sue had the pleasure of riding Aries in our last Joel Connor Clinic in June. Here’s what she had to say: “I was given the unexpected opportunity to work with Aries for two days of the June 2021 Joel Conner clinic. This was my first chance to work with her, and also my first opportunity to ride a SAFE horse in the clinic. Aries is a sweet mare who wants to please. She braces on her shoulders, so…
Our Dear Abby
On a rainy Friday in June, our newest addition to the herd, Abby, arrived at SAFE. Abby is a sweet, easy going mare with wispy mane and kind eyes. Sadly, her owner passed away in a car accident and Pierce County Animal Control took her in when no other family members came to claim her. We originally thought this Quarter Horse type mare was in her 20s, but a dental appointment with our vet last…
Domo Arigato
Arigato, Ari for short, arrived on a busy Wednesday last week with matted hair, muddy and in desperate need of a hoof trim. Ari is a 4 year old, BLM Mustang from a herd in Salt River, Wyoming. Her previous owners got her from the Adoption Incentive Program in September 2020, but were never able to handle or gentle her. Ari lived at their home, standing in mud without proper care until her feet…
Two Months Old!
And she is such a big girl now! Coco spends all day outside in the pasture with her mama, and she is not at all afraid to take off by herself, running as fast as her legs can carry her! She’s brave and independent, but Sundae is always nearby when she needs reassurance, or a snack. Here are some informal photos of our little rugrat for you to enjoy!
A Lesson From Luke
Luke was an old draft cross gelding, living alone in a field in Snohomish. I say he was living alone because he really was: his owner had gone into assisted living, and there was no one left to care for him. The remaining members of his owner’s family lived about three hours away, and they knew nothing about horses. So they called SAFE and we drove out to meet Luke. He was a sad old guy with no…
Fancy is Adopted!
We are beyond thrilled, ecstatic, delighted, and overjoyed to announce that our long time volunteer Casey has adopted Fancy! This is a dream adoption come true! Casey started volunteering at SAFE back in 2012: cleaning stalls, leading a chore crew, and helping work horses. She was here before Terry! Not only has Casey been a huge part of helping our horses prepare for adoption, coming 4–5 times…
Pepper Has Been Saddled!
Pepper has achieved a training milestone: she wore a saddle for the first time! We’ll be spending plenty of time getting her comfortable with the saddle before we introduce a rider, but so far, so good! Because of an atrophied muscle in Pepper’s right hip and a somewhat crooked limb, Pepper will not be a vigorous riding horse but is expected to be suited as an easy-going riding horse. Pepper’s…
Mac Is Out Of The Barn
Mac just got the okay from the vet to come off of stall rest and move around some more! After 9 weeks, he has graduated from living in a stall 24/7 to getting a little sunshine in one of our rehab paddocks. Just like a lot of horses, Mac is a social guy and is happy to be outside of the barn surrounded by more friends as he goes about his day. He even got to stretch his legs with a brand new…
Foster for Frosting
Little Frosting is away at foster and is living her best life. When Casey, one of our volunteer riders, decided to adopt Fancy, she wanted to have a friend for Fancy and also continue to be part of the horsemanship program at SAFE, even though she recently moved farther away. So Casey decided to always foster a horse from SAFE and Frosting is the first lucky girl. Casey’s property is perfect for…
Our Growing Nova
Nova has started wearing a saddle! So far, it has only been a half dozen times because she is very sensitive and has a hard time with things above her head. She can be a bit over-reactive, so we are taking it slowly and giving her time. We are helping her even out by getting balance in her feet to feel more confident and secure. This will result in more confidence with a saddle and eventually…
