A Cure for Amelia’s Allergies
Trying to figure out why a horse is perpetually itchy can be a frustrating, head-scratching, expensive experience. Our last-ditch effort before jumping to allergy shots for Amelia was the elimination diet. Cutting out all of the things she is potentially allergic to in her feed regimen seemed to make a difference, but once bug season rolled around this spring there weren’t really any better…
Asha gets started!
The first of the mamas from last year is on her way to get started! Asha moved down to Nick Donohue’s training barn at the end of May. We had only been able to do a little bit of groundwork before she left Safe Harbor so Nick would be starting pretty much from the beginning. Asha was troubled about the flag and would need some time to prepare before saddling and riding could happen.…
Luna: First Saddling
We currently have two horses in training with Nick Donahue at Silver Spade Ranch. Today Luna was saddled for the first time, and allowed to move out in the round pen and become accustomed to this new sensation. Nick says he’s happy with how she did! We’re so excited to see this big mare take some big steps down a different path than the one she started out on! She’s got SO much more to offer…
Stormy: Worth the Wait
Stormy’s story is truly a fairy tale! She came to SAFE scared and hurt, with little to look forward to. Today she lives like a princess, and although her “little girl” is a proper grown up, the love between these two is absolute magic. Thank you to Leigh for sharing Stormy’s story with us, and for giving this sweet girl the life she always deserved! “It’s been just over a year exactly since I…
Who’s Your Fave? It’s Stella!
Recently we asked our volunteers if they had a favorite among the SAFE horses, and if so, what it is that they love about them? The answers we received gave such wonderful insight into who our horses are and what they mean to us, so we wanted to share these words. After all, who knows these horses better than the people who care for them each and every day? “Stella is such an amazing horse. She…
July Volunteers of the Month: Chase Wilson and Marcy Kubbs
Cue the fireworks!! Blast the trumpets! We have two amazingly dedicated volunteers to celebrate! People like Chase Wilson and Marcy Kubbs make SAFE’s mission possible. These steadfast volunteers provide service on chore shifts, at events, and go above and beyond for SAFE. We could not do this without them. Chase’s Shift Lead, Sam, relates that Chase is a reliable hard worker, good with the…
2019 Q2 Impact Statement
New Horses Intake Date: April 4, 2019 Cyrus (Animal Control seizure) Intake Date: April 23, 2019 Millie and Boss Hoss(owner surrender) Placed Horses Justin Gunnar Nashville Euthanized Horses Boss Hoss
Joel Conner Clinic Update: Sienna
Sienna was set to be in the clinic with Joel but we had a little setback the day before he came out. It had been a very busy week with outreach cases and Sienna was not able to be worked as much as normal. I jumped on her for a quick ride the day before the clinic and during the warm up she became troubled and I fell off. Unfortunately, I was not in the right head space to be riding this green…
Local Eagle Scout Goes Above and Beyond for SAFE
Zeke Almond, a 2019 graduate of Woodinville High School, completed his Eagle Scout Project on June 23rd, 2019 at SAFE. Zeke designed and built a storage shelter to house tools and equipment near the quarantine area of our facility. Zeke is a member of troop 525 and has lived in Woodinville with his family since 2016. The Almond family donated the materials to make this project happen. Zeke built…
Who’s Your Fave? It’s Renee!
Recently we asked our volunteers if they had a favorite among the SAFE horses, and if so, what it is that they love about them? The answers we received gave such wonderful insight into who our horses are and what they mean to us, so we wanted to share these words. After all, who knows these horses better than the people who care for them each and every day? “Renee is a picture of the Quarter…
Piper Wears a Saddle!
Our baby Piper is growing up! She is just a bit older than two now so we’re introducing her to some groundwork. She attended her first Horsemanship Clinic at Safe Harbor last week. She did very well with all the other horses around us. We worked in the last hour of the class and then Joel helped me get the saddle on her. She was a star for all of these new experiences! A few issues came up with…
Amelia Finds a Friend
Joel Conner Clinic Update: Amelia
Amelia has been moving along steadily in her training with horsemanship volunteer Phoebe. They have been able to take thing slow and at a comfortable pace for Amelia who has had some trust issues from her past life. A few weeks prior to the clinic, Phoebe was able to sit in the saddle and Amelia did very well for a little stroll around the round pen. She was relaxed and cooperative with Phoebe…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Millie
What a superstar Millie was during the recent Joel Conner Horsemanship Clinic at SAFE! The first day she took the lay of the land. It was her first time in an area with so many other horses and she was interested in meeting them all. She did well focusing on me and listening but there were moments of quiet nickers when a new friend came near. We worked on getting more comfortable with the flag…
Photo and Training Update: Sienna
We had a chance to have photographer Alessia Rauseo visit Safe Harbor and take some beautiful photos of our sweet Sienna. Sienna has recently come home from Nick Donohue’s training barn and she’s doing very well. She is still fairly green but she is accepting me as a new rider. She still needs more miles and experiences before she will be ready for the public but things are progressing well. A…
Alumni Update: Aiden
Congratulations to Cooper (Aiden) and his girl Maeve who had a fabulous day at the 4H qualifying show this past weekend. The pair won blues in English and Western Pleasure and took Grand Reserve in bareback equitation! Cooper and Maeve, we are SO PROUD OF YOU!!
Alumni Update: Whiskey
Whiskey’s adopter reached out to us recently via the SAFE Alumni Facebook group and shared this great picture of the pair on the trail. Therese says that Whiskey is still going strong at age 24, and that they’ve had some great adventures in the high country together. They take it a little bit easier nowadays, but are still having fun out in nature on the trails.
Teddi’s Big Day!
On June 10th, Teddi loaded like a pro into our horse trailer and went for a smooth 5 hour drive to Washington State University. After months of anticipation and preparation, the day had finally come to have the long-awaited surgery to fuse her pastern joint and eliminate the pain of her arthritis. Scheduling conflicts caused us to have to…
New Video for Zoe!
Zoe has been home from training for a few weeks . She has matured so much with her riding and is ready to meet prospective adopters. I have enjoyed getting to ride her and figuring our who will be suitable for her at this point in her education. We have had a few adopters come out to ride her. Unfortunately, she was too green for them to adopt her. Zoe is accepting a lot more pressure from a…
Training Update: Sienna
This horse is helping me be a better rider, horseman, and hopefully, a better human being. Her try inspires me to work harder to be the partner she needs to guide her through this journey to adoption. Where she is today is light years from when we first met. Her transformation takes my breath away. A true testament to rescue done right and the power of horsemanship. I promise to keep striving to…
Goodbye, Boss Hoss
At the heart of the work that SAFE does is one simple goal: putting a stop to equine suffering. It’s something we have done for every horse we’ve encountered over the years. We’ve removed horses from situations of dire neglect and shown them that there are good people in the world who want only the best for them. And no matter how long our time together ends up being, each horse we save is given…
Glory has been adopted!
We are thrilled to announce that Glory is officially adopted to Melissa N! Matching our horses with the perfect adopter is a big part of our work at SAFE. We are very lucky to have so many wonderful horses but they all have their stories and are at different places in their training. Glory was preparing to have a rider this spring; we had completed all the prep work and she was ready for the…
Nashville has been adopted!
Finally, we can shout it from the roof tops: Nashville has found a HOME!! This very well-minded mare met a wonderful family and they accepted her for who she is and what she had to offer. Over the last few months this mare had met a few families but nothing came to fruition. When Anna and her husband Tim came across the state to meet Nashville they both fell in love and this deserving mare was a…
Justin has been adopted!
Justin has found an outstanding home with Kim! They are a great pair and Justin has a new brother named Linus. They are all doing well and loving the pasture together! Kim had many OTTB and when she met Justin, she saw in him characteristics of her old partners. His gentle ground manner and thoughtful nature were a big part of why she fell in love with him. She took her time getting to know him…
First Bath for Millie
Now that summer is here, Terry has the opportunity to teach Millie another new skill: getting used to the hose.
New Photos of Fancy
Vibrant Valor and the Case of the Sticky Stifles
(Valor photo by Sundee Rickey) Unfortunately for Valor, his mother, Nashville, did not bless him with strong stifles. Since his arrival at SAFE we have worked to help cure him of his locking stifles (upward fixation of the patella), a condition that can cause a horse’s hind leg to appear to get stuck in place and unable to flex. He has gone through specific rehab programs designed to help him…
June Volunteers of the Month: Beck Wren and Monique Goodrich
Superstars in the outside world often lead flashy lives and are immediately identified by their flair or outspokenness. At our barn, being a superstar is a more modest gig. SAFE superstars are here every week, rain or shine. They blend in to the rhythm of life here, doing chores with a smile and not calling attention to themselves. This is why we try to shine the spotlight on our dedicated…
Teddi’s Surgery Fund
It was a little more than a year ago that we met Teddi. She came to SAFE as part of a large Animal Control seizure situation involving six neglected horses, and it was clear from the start that Teddi had had a pretty rough go of it. Her eyes were full of sadness. She seemed to believe that no one would ever love her, or treat her with kindness. Thankfully we were able to change Teddi’s mind…
New Video and Update: Kat
We have taken things slow with Kat since she returned to SAFE. First we needed to get her dental updated and put her on a weight gaining plan. She was not getting enough calories before coming back to Safe Harbor so Melinda, our Herd Health Manager, set up a plan to slowly introduce more food and calories for Kat. It took a few months to get to her ideal weight and we then were able to start…
