SAFE Horses
SAFE News and Updates
February Volunteer of the Month: Jennifer Anderson
Redmond resident Jennifer Anderson has been named as the Save a Forgotten Equine’s February Volunteer of the Month. She was selected for this honor because of her infectious cheerfulness, her willingness to take on new assignments, including leadership of the morning crew, her work ethic and consistently positive attitude regardless of the weather, changes in farm protocols, or circumstances.…
Raven Goes on a Field Trip!
Our sweet Raven got to go on her first overnight sleepover last week. We have been trying to figure out her digestive issues and the next step was to have a gastroscopy performed to rule out stomach ulcers as a source of her intermittent colics. We had not had a colic episode in several weeks, but she has recently begun grinding her teeth, which can be a sign of ulcers. Raven loaded into the…
Ru: Young at Heart
Ruach is quite the character! He has had a number of years off and came to SAFE in October 2017 when his aging owner was no longer able to care for him. SAFE has recently restarted him and is conditioning him for light riding. He has a big lofty trot and canter. He is bit pushy on the ground and we are working on personal space. He is VERY kind hearted and is simply a very large playful OTTB who…
Fall in Love with Tasara
Tasara is a sweetheart! Her sensitive nature and forward energy make her an ideal horse for a rider with a light touch and calm personality. She was recently started at SAFE and is in full training. She has smooth gaits, she’s well behaved and she just loves people! At this time, she is considered a green horse and will require more miles under saddle before she’ll be suitable for a youth rider.…
Valencia, a Ray of Sunshine
Valencia is one of the most kind and gentle horses we currently have at SAFE. She loves getting groomed and spending time with people and other horses. She was recently restarted at SAFE after having quite a few years off due to an aging owner. She was a quiet restart, and she now goes forward without hesitation and shows no bad behavior while being worked. We continue to help strengthen her…
Belle Gives Us a Scare
Last Monday, after she had gotten settled into her stall for the evening, Belle gave the PM volunteers a scare. She suddenly became lethargic and had a large amount of discharge coming from her mouth and nostrils. It appeared as though she was experiencing an episode of choke. Choke in horses is different than when people choke. Rather than their airway getting blocked and being unable to…
Training Update: Renee
Renee is a stunning Quarter Horse mare. She is very wise and has a huge amount of try for her rider. She is sensitive and requires a skilled rider who is relaxed and can be a calming influence. Don’t let her age fool you, she has no idea she is 19 and has tons of life and go. She takes a little time getting to know her handler but once she trusts you she is a great ride. If you like a forward,…
Don’t be Fooled by Stella!
Stella is a forward and willing young mare with a lot of try and personality. She is currently in training and going well in her riding work. She stands nicely when tied, she’s good for the vet and farrier, and trailers with no problems. She’s is a good companion to other horses too. She needs more miles on the trails but is a confident girl on her walks around our property. Don’t let her little…
Thoughts about Prince
SAFE Barn Manager Lori has developed a very close relationship with Prince and worked with him for quite a while to help him prepare for the day he would be adopted. She shared these thoughts with us: I woke up this morning thinking about Prince and how far he has come. I remembered the first day Joel got on him. He ran and ran forever. Joel was amused at how much he just wanted to run and…
A Rescue Partnership: Saving Sienna and Koko
SAFE does the majority of its work in the public eye, sharing our stories, photos, videos, and updates with our supporters via our website and social media. But there are some rescue efforts that are done in private through our Community Outreach Program. Through this program, horse owners in need of help can apply for assistance with hay, vet care, gelding services, and euthanasia. Out of…
Sienna at NWESC
Here are photos of Sienna taken at NWESC at the beginning of her stay there. You can really see how awful her feet were in these photos. It was incredibly difficult for her to walk with feet this long. Here is an update from NWESC on Sienna’s progress: Sienna is doing really well with her handling and hoof…
Valor is a Riding Horse!
We are so pleased to announce that Valor is now officially a riding horse! Jolene did such a fantastic job preparing him for a rider that we decided we were comfortable doing the first rides here at Safe Harbor. She spent many hours “sacking him out” making sure there were no holes in the groundwork so that the first ride would be as smooth as possible. Here are a few photos and videos of the…
Trail and Training Update for Prince
Lori has committed a great deal of time to loving and training Prince while he has been at SAFE. He is doing so well under her supervision and has blossomed into both a confident trail horse but also a calm arena partner. This boy can do it all! Here is what Lori had to say about their work together: “Prince continues to amaze me. We went today on a ride along with Rosie and the two mini horses.…
Rosie Walks the Trails
Sweet Rosie is getting some exercise out on the trails with our wonderful volunteers. Here is a quick video of her out on the trail with her buddy Prince and the minis Sunny & Shasta. Rosie did great on the trails and even “ponied” off Prince when the volunteers needed to concentrate on getting themselves and the minis through the deeper water. Rosie is such a great horse! While she plays…
Ru Gets his Teeth Fixed
At the end of January, Dr. Fleck came out to sedate Ru and perform a dental procedure to take down excess tooth on his lower incisors. He has a mild underbite and, likely due to lack of dental care in his past, they had grown in a way in which they ended up being pushed out of their normal position. If the teeth were left as is, he would end up having trouble eating due to the abnormal occlusion…
Raven is Growing Up!
SAFE volunteer rider Casey has been working with Raven in preparation for our Colt Starting Clinic with Joel Conner on March 15–18th. Our goal is to make her first ride as uneventful as possible and for Raven to be as relaxed about a rider up top as she is with her handlers on the ground. Casey is putting many hours into introducing Raven to new things and supporting her through the process.…
New Glamor Shots: Valor
This boy is a rock star in the making! He has the looks, style, and swagger that will make anyone fall madly in love. He is going to be an amazing riding partner too!
Alumni Update: Ruby is Getting Started!
Ruby is so beautiful all grown up and wearing a saddle! Sophia and Matt have her in training near Portland, Oregon with a very skilled and kind trainer named Nick Donohue. Ruby is in great hands and Sophia is looking forward to working along side her to become a great riding team!
Photo Update: Sienna
Stormy Under Saddle
Our blind and beautiful mare Stormy never ceases to amaze. She approaches life with incredible bravery and capability. But it turns out that there is more to Stormy than just being a treasured pasture pet. Last week, Stormy allowed her trusted friend Melinda to place a saddle on her back and climb on. She accepted a rider as if it was the most normal thing in the world. She’s now proven herself…
Duchess Under Saddle
Duchess is back under saddle again. She and Jolene had a quiet first ride in the round pen and a lovely 2nd ride in arena this evening. Duchess is coming back after some years off and settling in nicely to the work. Her gentle disposition will make is suitable to many riders and we expect her to find a home quickly. She is ready to start meeting potential adopters now! Email adopt@safehorses.org…
January Volunteer of the Month: Marie Jainga
Lifelong Bellevue resident Marie Jainga has been named as the Save a Forgotten Equine’s January Volunteer of the Month. She was selected for this honor because of her tremendous work ethic, her unfailingly positive attitude and her willingness to take on extra responsibilities. Marie has always been an animal lover and has had animals since she was a little girl. Currently, her family is happy…
Lacey Video
thank you to Kino McFarland for this video and to rider Alicia for helping find the softer side of Lacey!
Stella Video
thank you to Kino McFarland for this video and to rider Casey A for guiding Stella on this journey!
Duchess Photos Jan 30, 2018
Duchess had another photoshoot with Jessica today, and modeled her saddle for good measure. Looking good, blondie!
15 Days at SAFE: Roscoe
After 15 days at SAFE, here is Roscoe. Photos by Jessica Farren.
15 Days at SAFE: Teddi
After 15 days at SAFE, here is Miss Teddi. Photos by Jessica Farren
Catching up with Prince
In the year that Prince has been with SAFE, he has grown into one of the barn favorites. This handsome fellow has been developing his arena skills and enjoying trail rides. Prince has a very important job helping the newer SAFE horses walk confidently out on the trails and in the new surroundings. We really aren’t sure why this boy hasn’t been adopted yet! Maybe this new video showing off all…
Zoe’s Leg
Zoe has been with us for a little over a month now, and her leg continues to look better all the time. We are relieved that a laceration that was so ugly to begin with has left her with no permanent lameness. When she originally came to us we were still at the point of cleaning the wound daily with betadine, but Dr. Devine saw her a few weeks ago and said she’s healed enough to where we can…
Ben bangs up his knee
Boys will be boys. In December, Ben played a little too rough in turnout and got himself a nice swift kick to the left knee by one of his buddies. His knee swelled to the size of a grapefruit and had a minor laceration. Our Barn Manager, Lori, put her equine bodyworker skills to use immediately and applied equi-tape to the knee to bring the inflammation down. Luckily the injury didn’t cause any…
