First Photos of Pippi
photos by Jessica Farren Photography
Asha is getting close!
Last night we were 67.2% sure that Asha would have her foal. Turns out she did not, but now we are 92% sure that tonight is the night! Here’s what Foal Watch 2018 looks like at Safe Harbor Stables, as we prepare for our first foal in TEN YEARS (click slides to advance):
Getting to know Pyrrha
Pyrrha a bit of a mystery. We have had a few conversations around the barn as to what breed she might be but nothing really fits. But no matter what type of horse she is, this mare is strong as a brick house! She’s most likely been around the block and seen many people and horses come and go in her many years. We still are uncertain her age but given her swayed back and body condition, she’s…
Justin Makes Steady Progress
Justin is doing very well in preparation to become a riding horse. We have spent a great deal of time strengthening him and getting him balanced to hold the weight of a rider. He initially had trouble transferring his weight off of his forehand and over his hocks. He would get stuck with his front feet when asked to yield in the front or when backing up. This “vapor lock” would panic him and…
A Showing for Roscoe
A few days ago, we had a potential adopter come out to meet Roscoe. Roxanne is looking for her next equine partner and on the advice of a friend, she decided to check out SAFE. After reviewing her application and talking to her over the phone, it sounded like a few of our horses could be matches for her needs. Being a responsible horse owner, Roxanne knows the importance of not rushing into a…
Anderson Goes to Oregon
Anderson traveled to Oregon this past weekend to the lovely Northwood Stables for a clinic with Joel Conner. It was an opportunity to see how well he would work in a new place, around different horses. I am happy to report that Andy was brilliant! There was absolutely no bad behavior or changes in his temperament being in an unfamiliar place. He did well traveling both down and back, and stayed…
Orion Shines in Training!
We had a call from Nick Donohue today with a great training report on Orion. He told us that he has been able to have a few other riders work Orion and each was very successful. He also said that he used Orion this week as a “support” horse for a troubled horse as they rode them outside together. WOW! Our sweet boy is just roughly 45 days under saddle and is already able to be used to help do a…
Adventures with Anderson
This summer, we had the opportunity to take Anderson for a 3 day camping trip to Cle Elum WA. He was an awesome boy for this new experience and did a fantastic job dealing with everything that was asked of him. We took the horses out every day for up to 5 hours of riding, grazed in a field for lunch and climbed very steep hills, passing hikers and dogs along the way. Probably the most…
Checking in with Star
Our new guy Star is settling in well to the day-to-day routine at Safe Harbor. We have not pushed him too hard, given his age, but we have assessed him for soundness and temperament. For the most part, he is easy to handle and can be safely lead and groomed, bur he does tend to be on the “pushy” side. His behavior makes us think he may have been a late cut stallion, which explains some of his…
Stella is Ready for a Home
Stella has had a busy summer! She is going beautifully in all gaits and has been on a few adventures with Horsemanship Volunteer Casey. This year was the first time Stella competed at the SAFE Benefit Horse Show at Donida Farm. She was an absolute star for everything. She trailered, bathed, and was ridden at the show with absolutely no issues! And she took home several blue ribbons, winning…
Valor is Back on Track
Valor is now being ridden and worked by our experienced Horsemanship volunteer, Casey. She has ridden him a handful of times now and reports that he is sound and moving along well with the work. We would like to give Valor a few more weeks of regular rising before showing him to potential adopters but we are setting up visits with him now to any applicants that are interested. Valor is a gentle…
New Video: Bowie
https://youtu.be/10bKzLt9JrU
Checking in with Angel
Volunteer Kaya M. has been getting to know Angel and is her special friend. Kaya has a very kind, positive attitude that is helping this frightened old mare open up to a new friendship. Here is what Kaya had to say about her interactions with Angel: Angel has been a fun and unique challenge for me so far. I’ve only recently started working with her and she has already taught me so much! I’ve…
Nashville’s First Trail Ride
Nashville has been going really well under saddle, and yesterday she went out for her first ever trail ride! She was a little unsure in the beginning but quickly settled with her friend Roscoe out front and Bowie bringing up the rear. We tried her in the lead and also in the rear of the group and she was content in all three positions. Going uphill was a little hard for her because she is out of…
Handsome Remy!
Remy is settling in to a vastly different life at Safe Harbor Stables. He’s no longer a stallion, so he’s feeling the ebbing of his hormones and starting to look at other horses as potential friends. He’s getting accustomed to being waited on hand and foot by SAFE volunteers, having all his needs taken care of, like regular meals and clean, fresh water. He’s had his hooves trimmed by…
Glory and Fancy, Growing up!
These babies are growing up to be beautiful young mares! The two thin fillies covered in rain rot that we met in March who didn’t want to be approached or touched are gone. Casey and I have been laying the foundation for their first rides later this year. At the last Joel Conner clinic, he helped us saddle them for the first time and left us with lots of homework to keep getting them relaxed and…
Getting to know Amelia
One of our wonderful Horsemanship volunteers, Phoebe, has been taking time to get to know Amelia. She seems like an old soul with a rough past. Her eyes are still lost…not quite ready to relax into the feeling of comfort or peace. But hopefully with all the love and extra attention from Phoebe, we’ll start to see her open up and start trusting people again. here is what Phoebe had to say about…
Mommies to be…
Beautiful mares, full baby bellies and a late summer glow were a perfect setting for photographer Jessica Farren to capture this special time in their lives. All three were wonderful models and our herd health manager Melinda, their midwife, helped set the stage.
Progress for Zoe
Zoe has been doing very well over the last few months. We initially did quite a bit of groundwork, getting her more comfortable with the saddle and eventually a few light rides. She remained tight with the saddle and her very kinked up tail indicated that she needed more time to settle before accepting a rider. The goal when starting our horses is NOT to get on and “ride the buck out of them.”…
Tabitha is back from training
Tabitha has completed 30 days of training to restart her with Benjamin Hannan. She was ground worked at SAFE and Joel Conner put the first 3 rides on her. After seeing that she was a bit troubled with a rider, we felt it was best for her to go to Ben for a solid month of professional training before making her available for adoption. Throughout the month we consistently received good reports on…
Our New Partnership with Roam Consulting LLC
Leadership with Horses is a program of Roam Consulting LLC. They are a professional, credentialed team of coaches, facilitators, and experienced horse people, who get excited about helping their clients think, feel, and act differently to achieve and sustain excellence. They believe horses offer a powerful metaphor for what happens in the business world and love facilitating…
New Photos of Anderson
A Visit with Bridgit
Here are some beautiful photos of Bridgit and her adopter Kristina. Bridgit and her little buddy Oreo are best friends, enjoying a wonderful life together with their family! Thank you, as always, Jessica Farren for sharing your amazing talents with the SAFE horses and alumni. For updates on many of your favorite adopted…
Fancy’s 1st bath
Checking in with Renee
Kaya, one of our dedicated Horsemanship volunteers, has been giving Renee some much needed TLC. Here is what she had to say about her relationship with Renee: “Renee is super intelligent and very aware of her surroundings. She will constantly watch me while I walk around getting her ready to work and when we are doing groundwork she is very attentive and sensitive to my energy. We recently…
Checking in with Valor
Horsemanship Volunteer Kaya has been helping work with Valor. Here is what she had to say recently about this young gelding: “Valor has been doing so great lately! He tries so hard and continues to help me learn this style of horsemanship by calling me out on my mistakes and “asking questions” that I don’t know the answers to. Aside from actually working, Valor is such a goofball! While we were…
Training Update: Orion
Orion has been at Silver Spade Ranch with Nick Donohue for just over a month. He has already made some great changes and is proving to be not just another pretty face. After arriving and completing his two-week quarantine, he has been introduced to the gelding herd of around 18–20 horses! (Side note: much RESPECT to this facility and their quarantine protocols. We LOVE this type of proactive…
Getting to know Bowie
We have been pleasantly surprised to find out how much our friend Bowie knows already about being a riding horse! He has wonderful ground manners, stands nicely while being groomed and when working with the farrier or vet, trailers easily, bathes, and has settled into the daily routine at Safe Harbor without any issues. He clearly has been in boarding barn settings before, as he is quite…
Baby Time Approaches for Asha
Preparations have begun here at Safe Harbor Stables to welcome our three new foals into the world. Our three mothers-to-be became pregnant prior to their rescue, and while we are firmly on the side of responsible breeding to do our part in minimizing America’s homeless horse population, we really can’t wait to hear the pitter-patter of little foal feet in the barn aisle. We don’t like to see…
Training Update: Roscoe
Roscoe is a nice gelding with great ground manners. He has been a champ on the trails and has learned to work well in the arena and respond to directions from legs, seat, and reins. We’re pretty sure that Roscoe was ridden in his past but probably never anything more than “get on and go” on the trails. He is not a push button horse, but he is getting better about lining out and staying on the…
