Together Forever, Chip and Dale
This past week, we made the heartbreaking decision to help Chip and Dale cross over. These two sweet older gentlemen had both been having acute health challenges as of late, and despite our careful management, were declining, not improving. Chip was experiencing significant hoof pain due to the laminitic changes in both of his front hooves, and it was reaching the point where his bad days were…
Buck Brannaman Clinic Report: Edward
Kaya M has been working and riding Edward, and recently took him to attend the Buck Brannaman clinics in Spanaway and Ellensburg. Here’s what she has to say about the experience: “Eddie was a lucky guy recently! For two weekends in a row, he got to hang out with Buck Brannaman and learn a whole bunch. I’m so so proud of him and how much he really tried both weekends. Neither venue made it easy…
Poppy and Moshi and the Brush Cutter
Casey A, who has been working and riding Moshi and Poppy, has been helping them free up their feet and find peace. This is exemplified by a recent event featuring the brush cutter: “SAFE’s facilities team is a hard-working crew, and today’s big project was clearing the retention pond in preparation for Heart of the Horse using an industrial brush cutter. I happened to be riding Poppy in the…
Buck Brannaman Clinic Report: Tiva
To ask what it was like to have the opportunity to bring Tiva to her first off-site clinic – and a Buck Brannaman clinic at that – the simplest answer I could give you is that it was great. Sometimes, language fails. Tiva was as at home in the strange corral of Ellensburg’s rodeo arena as she was in her paddock back at SAFE. Glancing over at any given moment saw her standing comfortably, napping…
Alumni Program — Q2 Update
Our second quarter of SAFE alumni checks has come to a close. Q2 was extremely busy with 54 horses scheduled for their annual check, bringing our total number of horses checked on for the year up to 102! 43 horses were visited in person, with the remaining 11 horses getting their check-ins over the phone, either because of a far geographic location, or because they had been seen in person last…
Reflecting on Our Time with Buck Brannaman
As I sit here reflecting on the past two incredible weeks of learning from Buck Brannaman, I am filled with gratitude. To paraphrase Buck from the last day of the Ellensburg clinic, “In my life, I don’t know if I have been lucky, but I sure know that I have been blessed.” My fellow horsemanship volunteers and I all feel both lucky and blessed to have had the opportunity to stand in the same…
Gals Being Pals
Nova and Harissa have been sharing a fence line for a while now, but recently became officially introduced out in their grass backyard. Neither of these girls are a stranger to herd dynamics, so there was very little fanfare as they established the hierarchy (Harissa > Nova), and ever since have been two little peas in a pod. Nova finally has a reliable companion to itch her withers, and…
Alumni Update: Tilt (Korra)
Tilt (now Korra) recently celebrated her birthday and adoption day! Adopter Julie wrote: Fourth of July is far more important here in Santa Fe. Happy birthday and adoption day to Korra (Tilt)!! One of the sweetest souls I’ve had the privilege to meet.
Welcome, Mahina!
Meet Mahina (pronounced muh-hee-na), which means “moon” in Hawaiian. She’s a striking mare with exceptionally long legs, almost jet black in color, adorned with a white star, two matching white ankle socks on her hind legs, and a white front right pastern. Based on the photos of her teeth, she appears to be under ten years old, possibly between 7–8 years. Mahina is quite the fancy mover and…
July Volunteer of the Month: Miranda Cannon
Congratulations to Miranda Cannon, our July Volunteer of the Month! Since September 2021, Miranda has been dedicated to improving the lives of SAFE horses. Her kindness, dedication, and uplifting spirit are invaluable to her Friday morning team, and we are especially fortunate when her daughter joins in to help! Miranda’s contributions extend beyond her regular duties; she has also taken on the…
Alumni Update: Kelly
SAFE Volunteers, Debbie M and Anne H, had the pleasure of visiting with Kelly and her extended family during a recent alumni check at her Steven’s Animal Sanctuary home in Enumclaw, WA. This is what Debbie had to say about Kelly and their visit: “I never saw Miss Kelly look healthier or happier! Her eyes had a contented glow; her coat and weight were great; and no more nasty bug bites on those…
Theo is Growing!
The little mark we made on the proverbial wall above Theo’s wither back in January is no longer accurate. He has officially graduated from a 13-hand horse to a 14-hand horse. Sure, maybe he just went from 13.3 to 14.0, but an inch is an inch. Plus, his high little rump is indicative of more growth to come! No wonder he spends so much time laterally sprawled out on the ground – growing boys need…
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…
