SAFE Horses
SAFE News and Updates
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…
The Power of Positive Energy on Horses, by Marty Abdo
My name is Marty Abdo and I am a Friday morning shift volunteer. One of my several passions in life is a therapy method called Reiki. I have a business offering Reiki long distance to people and animals in need of relaxation, pain relief and emotional balance. I was introduced to Reiki over 20 years ago, while I was completing massage school. Years later I received my Reiki Masters certificate…
Choosing a Path for Cyrus: Lameness Exam
After Cyrus returned from training, we began to notice a slight lameness under saddle. Dr. Lewis from Rainland came out a few weeks ago to do a lameness exam which was inconclusive. She told us that he would be a candidate for the lameness locator to help get to the root of the problem. We then scheduled an appointment for a lameness exam with the lameness locator, and Dr. Fleck came out last…
SAFE Alumni Update: Rico
We had a great visit with Rico recently. He is living the good life with his adopter, Barbara. She really loves him, and takes immaculate care of her friend. She takes him for walks every day, and he is very sound and healthy. This is the type of adoption we dream of for a companion horse like Rico.
Joel Conner Clinic Update: Amelia
SAFE Volunteer Sarah V shared her experience at the recent Joel Conner clinic: I had the pleasure of working with Amelia in the June Joel Conner clinic. This lovely little mare has changed so much since we first worked together in the September clinic that Joel didn’t even recognize her! In September we spent nearly the whole clinic trying to get some life into her, but now now she has lots of…
SAFE Alumni Update: Lucy
from Diane: Thought you might like to see a recent photo of my little cutie Lucy while we wait for the virus to ease when you can see her in person.She is such a spunky and loving little lady! Thanks for the work you do! Diane and Lucy
SAFE Alumni Update: Tilly
Here’s an update on Tilly, who is now known as Emmy! The family that adopted Emmy planned to let her retire at their home when their daughter Anna went to college. Anna had only been at the University of Idaho for one month when she found a barn to work at in Pullman. She was able to bring Emmy over to that barn. She uses her to teach riding lessons to hunt seat/equitation kids. They tell us,…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: George!
It isn’t often that we get young, unstarted horses at SAFE, but we have four fillies and colts coming two or three within the next year. With the support of Joel Conner, SAFE has a solid, progressive plan to ensure the successful start of our youngsters. George’s journey toward becoming a riding partner began in June with the first saddling. To prepare for the saddle, I got George into the round…
A Gift from Wind
We have some sad news to share with you. We lost our dear friend Wind unexpectedly last week. She was found deceased in her pasture at her foster home. We can’t know what happened, but we do know a few things. First off, there does not appear to have been a struggle. There was no sign of thrashing or any injuries. It looks like she passed peacefully. We also know that she appeared happy and…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Remy
Clinic report from Phoebe T: Remy is such a nice mover! He is smart as a whip, and very responsive to a good feel. He needs more work to become comfortable having the rope thrown around his feet and having the flag over his back. He requires a confident leader whom he can respect, but I think he would scale mountains for the right human. I really like this athletic thoroughbred!
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Alder
Clinic report from Kaya M: Alder, yet again, was an all-star in the clinic! Joel started out the weekend riding him as he had some time off right after training due to sickness. By the end of the weekend, five different people had ridden him, being flagged around the round pen. Alder is the greenest horse I’ve ever ridden at SAFE, so I had a lot to learn about how to help him figure things out.…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Beauty
Clinic report from Jane M: I had the distinct pleasure of working with Beauty, a 20+ year old Arabian mare, in the Joel Connor Clinic this past week. I spent five days in a row doing groundwork for an hour under Joel’s supervision. It’s impossible to know what abuse this sweet mare endured before she came to SAFE, but her extreme reaction (head thrown up, ears pinned, eyes wild, teeth often…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Anderson
Clinic report from Kaya M: Even though this was my fourth clinic riding Anderson, I think we made more positive changes together than the past three combined! I had a huge learning moment myself that gave me more confidence and control and gave Anderson a better expression: fully releasing in the canter. It sounds simple and obvious, but I didn’t even realize before that I wasn’t doing this.…
Joel Conner Clinic Update: Stella
Written by SAFE volunteer Sue C: I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with Stella for 4 days at the recent Joel Conner clinic. Stella has been well trained by Casey, which helped so much since I was the one learning the mechanics of how to ask for moving forward on a circle, hind quarters and front quarters. After some directional fits and starts on my part the first day, we had some…
July Volunteer of the Month: David Livingstone
How and when did you first get involved with horses? Do you have one now you want to tell us about? I always lived just a few miles from horses while I was growing up, but I never interacted with them. Since none of my friends were involved in horsemanship it never crossed my mind. My mom would talk about riding when she was younger and tell stories about an uncle of hers who caught and trained…
2020 Q2 Impact Statement
New Horses No new intakes Placed Horses Mina Euthanized Horses Valor Wind (deceased) Fall City 40 Horses 28 horses seized 21 horses placed
