SAFE Horses
SAFE News and Updates
A Virtual Visit with Bowie
In lieu of in-person site visits, we’ve been conducting virtual follow ups with adopted SAFE horses. A SAFE volunteer spoke by phone with Pat, who adopted Bowie. Pat had this to say about her handsome horse: “He is so very happy. If you remember, this is the horse that was lame when we took him home. I firmly said I was not bringing home a lame horse and then fell in love and brought him home…
Checking in with Gunnar
In lieu of in-person site visits, we’ve been conducting virtual follow ups with adopted SAFE horses. A SAFE volunteer spoke by phone with Carrie, who adopted Gunnar as a companion for her riding horse, Bryce. Gunnar can’t be ridden but he still gets to show off the groundwork skills he learned at SAFE with Carrie on a regular basis. His health is good, apart from an ongoing battle with scratches…
Adoption Announcement: Cassidy!
With happy tears, we watched Cassidy load up and head to her new home. Her adopter Bri is simply amazing. This is a true love story. Bri visited SAFE last fall and met Cassidy but recognized there was some important foundation work to be done before Cassidy would be ready as a riding partner. Bri came back this summer and proved open and willing to meet Cassidy where she was and support her…
Adoption Announcement: Remy
We are thrilled to report Remy is home and settling in well. Adopter and SAFE Wednesday AM volunteer, Jessica, has bonded with Remy over the last few weeks. They had a ton of great changes and the pair is ready for their next chapter to begin. Remy is going to be Jessica’s groundwork partner and companion to her riding horse Soldier. Jessica has set up a great support team for her and her equine…
Adoptions: Current Status and Quick Guide to Some Frequently Ask Questions
Here are a few answers to frequently asked questions we get at SAFE about adoptions: 9/18/2020: Due to the smoke inhalation from wildfires our horses have recently experienced in the Pacific Northwest, we have currently CLOSED all riding horse visits and adoptions. We hope all our horses have an easy recovery but need to give them the time required to heal before working them. Our vets recommend…
In Memory: Buddy
I’m sorry to have to tell everyone that we lost Buddy last week. He was discovered down at night check by our volunteer with his hind legs caught under the fence. He got himself up while she went to call for help, but he was in a lot of distress. He was covered in sweat, and very unsteady on his feet. When he threw himself back down and started rolling from side to side, it was clear that we…
Poor Air Quality: All Riding Horses Adoptions on Hold
Well, this was not the end of summer we were hoping for! Wildfires in Washington and Oregon have severely compromised the air quality in our area, so we’ve made the following decisions regarding our horses: All riding adoptions are on hold. No showing, no visits, and no riding horses are being worked now and for at least 2 weeks AFTER air quality is back to “good”. We can then resume showing…
A Visit with Atticus
We had a chance to catch up with our old pal Atticus recently! This 30 year old Arabian gelding is living the life of Riley, and is much loved by his adoptive family. He doesn’t have many teeth left, so he maintains his rugged figure by eating wet mashes twice a day. He’s still very active and enjoys a romp in the paddock from time to time. It’s great to see him looking so healthy and happy!!
Happy 2nd Birthday, Pippi!
Happy Birthday to our little homegrown angel Pippi, who turns 2 years old today! Two years ago today, this gorgeous filly was born right here at Safe Harbor Stables. Her momma, Asha, came to us from an animal control seizure, and no one had the slightest idea she was pregnant until she recovered from starvation and kept on gaining weight! Asha kept us on our toes for…
September Volunteer of the Month: Pam Lloyd
How and when did you first get involved with horses? Do you have one now you want to tell us about? As a preschooler, my mother enrolled me in dance class where I met my best childhood friend. Instead of dancing, we obsessed over horses. But her parents were relentless and installed a ballet barre–in their house! When we just loped around it, they gave in and took us to riding lessons. We took…
Callista Intake Photos
Callista, Welcome!
Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the SAFE herd. Callista is a super sweet mare who has seen better days. We don’t have a whole lot of history on her but what we do know is that she needs some TLC. She appears to be about 30 years old and has a body condition score of 2/9. Dr. Renner from Rainland Farm Equine came out when she arrived to make sure she was stable and to check on a…
Welcome Boone!
This handsome little fella is another new addition to the SAFE family. Believe it or not, he’s already pending adoption! Boone is an 18 year old strawberry roan mini horse. He’s one of a group of four mini horses that were seized by animal control in March 2020. SAFE didn’t have space for new horses at that time, but we were able to line up a great adopter who took them all in. As they got…
Angel and Renee: A Lifetime of Safety
There is one thing that keeps us all motivated and inspired at SAFE and that is hope. Each time we meet a new horse and bring them into the herd, we have hope that we will be able to give them all that they need to heal from their past physical and emotional neglect. When we came into Angel and Renee’s lives, all we knew for certain was from here on out, they would always be protected and loved.…
Millie is Adopted!
Seriously, no one saw this coming! Miss Millie is adopted! Hollie contacted SAFE looking for a companion for her mare Maddie, who has some hearing loss. Maddie was all alone and needed a friend to help her feel relaxed and content. Millie was perfect! She had proven to SAFE, many times, that she simply loves every horse she has ever met. Hollie came to meet Millie the weekend we had our friend…
Training and Adoption Update: Cassidy
WOW! What a 2020 so far for Cassidy!! She came out of winter full speed ahead for her training. We had a great clinic with Joel Conner in March to get her confirmed as a riding horse and since then she has been steadily making progress. In June, Joel helped us again as she participated in her first small group clinic, riding in the big arena with other horses. Lots to get used to in there…
Buddy’s New Diagnosis
When Buddy first came to us, he was turned out in a gravel paddock and was experiencing some foot soreness. We try to let our horses go barefoot whenever possible, but we sometimes have residents who don’t do well on gravel due to thin, flat soles. Those horses get moved to dirt paddocks and then typically either get ridden in boots or they get metal shoes depending on the severity of their…
Banner Health Update
Banner is such a handsome, regal man! He has a ton of personality and definitely doesn’t act like a senior fellow. He can be a little pushy, but we are working on ground manners and he’s proving to be a very intelligent student who catches on quickly. Shortly after Banner arrived, we noticed that he was tender on his front feet. He was in a gravel paddock so it was difficult at first to tell if…
Alder July Training Video
Alder has done a great job during this first weeks of being a riding horse. This video was taken around the 15th ride. Since then, he’s been getting smoother transitions and a better trot for our volunteer rider. He is now available to meet prospective adopters who can continue his education and experiences as he matures as a riding partner. Fill out an application at www.safehorses.org/adopt…
Anderson meets Buck!
By Phoebe T.: At the start of the Buck Brannaman clinic in Ellensburg, Anderson behaved like a typical horse in new surroundings but that didn’t last long. He exhibited a calm demeanor (for an Arab), and remained attentive, interested, and responsive throughout the 3 days. Of course, that first day, Anderson, who has been flagged a thousand times by now, decided to get nervous when the flag…
A Message for Lacey
Oh Lacey…you sure are a conundrum! We love you just the way you are…but it would be a lot easier to find a home if you weren’t so hot and cold. The riding itself was never the biggest issue. I think even the random freakout bucking under saddle could be figured out… but having to test every single new person who comes along just might be an overreaction. Seriously sister, humans don’t eat…
Mina’s Adoption
Our big sweet mama mare Mina has found a lovely home with Elissa! This young mare has a ton of potential but finding the right fit for a green horse takes time. When Elissa came to meet Mina, everything lined up! She is a very capable rider who can help Mina bridge the gap between inexperienced riding horse to seasoned pro. SAFE is grateful that Elissa looked to a rescue for her next horse.…
Six Years a SAFE Horse
After SIX YEARS as a SAFE horse, we are thrilled to announce that Stella has found a HOME! Lisa came a long way to meet Stella and we are sure glad she did! This is a perfect match and we are so happy that Stella has found her family. It is always a great day when we introduce a horse to an adopter and you can just see all the pieces falling right into place. If the smile on Lisa’s face as she…
Looking for a Kids’ Horse? Look no further!
Amelia has turned out to be a phenomenal riding partner! Over the last month or so, she’s been ridden consistently in the round pen, the big arena, and out on the trails. She has really shown herself to be a steady, confident horse. She does have a hard time cantering, so we just stick to walking and trotting where she’s sound and comfortable. Amelia seems ready to be a kids’ horse,…
Training Update: Jollie
We are so happy to see the progress that Jollie has made in training. She is growing up very well and while still has a lot to learn, she is receiving an excellent foundation. One of the hard decisions SAFE has had to think about is that even through Jollie is now considered a riding horse, she still is not suitable for many of our adopters. The first months of riding and even the first year can…
August Volunteer of the Month: Sue Coulter
How and when did you first get involved with horses? Do you have one now you want to tell us about? I was obsessed with horses as a child, but we never had the money for me to ride, other than a few weeks at summer camp each year. I got involved in the hunter jumper world in my late 20s, when I had discretionary time and money. I bought my own horse when I was 30, an athletic Morgan who knew…
Alder on The Limelight Pet Project
This month, The Limelight Pet Project featured Alder in a spotlighted video as seen on Q13 News. Alder is an amazing guy and still looking for an adopter! Fill out an application if you’d like to meet him. While Limelight was here to see Alder, they took some great photos: Many thanks to The…
Sienna Riding Off Feel and Legs Only
One of the ways we are working to help Sienna build a solid foundation is to get her operating better off feel. 1st goal was to get her to stop at a point away from the gate. Helping search for this point, we made the wrong thing (leaving the spot) difficult by sending her forward, and the right thing (stopping at the point) easy, full relaxation and petting when she chose turn towards the stop…
Meet Jasper!
Jasper is a new addition to the herd here at SAFE. This striking Tennessee Walking Horse gelding was headed for the Game Farm in Sequim when a good samaritan stepped in to give him one more chance. Jasper has spent most of his life being passed from one home to the next, and thought no fault of his own, he’s become a challenging horse to deal with due to his lack of confidence and relaxation. He…
Amelia Gets to Graze!
Amelia has been doing very well recently and we have gone several months without seeing any colic symptoms from her. She is thriving on her diet of equine senior that she gets around the clock through her iFEED automatic feeder. After failed attempts to give her small amounts of hay to keep her entertained, we thought we’d try fresh grass since that is easier for her to chew and digest. We…
