Brandit Loves Grass
These two mares may be older in their years, but put them on pasture and they sure don’t act like it — these girls can rip! A necessary part of any turnout includes a good roll, and Brandy and Bandit, particularly the latter, prove how well-versed they are in the art of the roll. Bandit’s roll includes a bit of eating, which we think is the best way to go about it!
SAFE Arena Grader Raffle
We Have a Winner! Congratulations to Trent N, who is the winner of the Land Pride arena harrow, donated by Issaquah Honda Kubota The Drawing was held on September 28 at the last Open House, and it was a ticket belonging to Trent N that was drawn from the bucket. Congratulations Trent, we hope you enjoy your new farm implement. And thank you again to our friends at Issaquah Honda Kubota for this…
Run Free, Bailey
Yesterday, as the sun shone overhead and a warm breeze blew, we said goodbye to Bailey. While she might not have been at SAFE for very long, she was well fed, well cared for, and well loved during her time with us. You’d be hard pressed to find a sweeter mare, and even with the visible pain she was in due to the rotation in her front hooves, she never lost her sunny disposition. Since her…
Getting it Done with Deloitte
Another day, another fun and successful Work Party! Last week, SAFE hosted Deloitte LLP as part of their 25th annual company wide Impact Day. We had nearly 40 people from their Seattle office come to the barn for the entire day. These folks were hungry for the work and chewed through the planned task list, even tackling extra projects that could be done without much pre-planning. The…
Taking Care of Winter
A little less than two weeks after she arrived at SAFE, Winter met with the vet and the farrier for the first time in years. When we’d first booked the appointments for her, we did so tentatively, unsure if she would be far enough along in her handling to be seen to. But Winter is a tremendously bright mare, and over the course of the week following her arrival, made huge strides. Each day,…
Safe at Home: Happy Geldings
SAFE’s reach extends beyond the 30 horses who we keep on-site in our care. Our Safe at Home Community Assistance Program is designed to provide short term assistance to horse owners struggling to care for their horses. The goal of this program is to partner with horse owners in our community to keep their horses in their homes and out of the rescue pipeline. Through this program, we are able to…
Alumni Update: Ajax (AJ)
Here is an updated photo of Ajax (AJ) with Nancy. AJ is living a happy, safe, healthy life, hanging out with best buddy Cheyenne.
Inula at Summer Camp!
Inula is doing great at foster, and settling in well with the rest of the herd! She had already been introduced to SAFE Alumni Finn (formerly Doolin), but this past week met foster mom Shannon’s horse-sized horses as well. Introductions went well, and the four of them enjoy grazing and play time during the day while remaining separated at night to avoid any potential shenanigans. Inula is very…
June Volunteer of the Month: Ellen Weisberg
Congratulations to Ellen Weisberg, our June Volunteer of the Month! Ellen has been helping care for the horses of SAFE for just shy of a year, and we couldn’t be more thankful that she is part of our community. Ellen started on our Thursday AM chore team, and not only did she add on another shift, she is leading the team as the Shift Lead on Monday mornings! We are so lucky that we get to see…
Alumni Update: Bliss and Evie
Bliss and Evie are doing great. This year Emily plans to ride Evie on trails with her daughter’s horses. Bliss is fine staying behind as the neighbor, who has three horses, keeps a watchful eye on her. Emily loves her girls and watching Bliss canter behind Evie, despite being blind, when called for dinner.
Remembering Roy
Last week, Roy passed peacefully over to join the rest of his herd. A year ago, Roy came to SAFE from a sad situation as part of a 7 horses seizure by Pierce County Animal Control. Two had to be euthanized on the property, one left the property but was euthanized at the vet hospital, and two others had to be euthanized after a period of time in holding with Animal Control. As such, Roy was a…
Alumni Update: George
SAFE Alumni volunteers, Candi K and Jackie L, recently visited George and his family. Here is an update from Candi. Imagine turning off a country road and setting your eyes upon an idyllic white farmhouse nestled amidst 6 acres of fragrant, sweet grass with the sights and sounds of your favorite farm animals. You will have arrived at Dr. Ana and Clint Kidder’s slice of paradise. Jackie and I had…
Winter in the Springtime
Winter came to SAFE in the springtime, though a recent onslaught of gloomy, rainy, chill in the forecast does conjure more January than June. That’s Washington for you. But Winter herself isn’t exactly wintry – pairing a horse coat color up with a season would certainly land palomino with summertime, yeah? She is all sandy-coat and bleach-blonde tresses, and even has a little dollop-of-sunscreen…
Back in the saddle with Barb
As you pass by her paddock, Barb nickers at the gate, a little bay siren enticing you closer. It is hard to divine what, exactly, she wants, once she has you. Likely to be let out and left to her own devices. Barb would make an excellent automatic lawn mower, if only someone would allow her to live out her dream. Barb was between riders for a bit, and had a bit of a vacation, but after a period…
Bailey’s Troubled Hooves
The horses who arrive at SAFE are rarely in good shape. But the amount of rehabilitation each horse requires is as varied as the horse themself. Bailey arrived as part of a four horse seizure from Pierce County Animal Control. We have spoken before about what an amazing job PCAC does at beginning the rehab process for the horses who come into their care, and this group was no different. They…
Alumni Update: Harley
Harley is living on a beautiful 40-acre property with other horses. Harley was gifted to Elouise for her birthday and the two are quite close, with Harley following Elouise around the property. Elouise has been doing junior level horse agility, and is 6th place in the U.S.
Orbiting Planet Jupiter
There’s an old adage that begins, ‘boys go to Jupiter…’ followed by a statement that implies it is where one goes to lose intelligence. Jupiter, the horse, is grounded enough to not take offense from such slanderous statements (and the fact that he does not understand English probably also helps), but we are here in his defense to express how much that little rhyme does not apply. Jupiter is a…
Alumni Update: Flynn
Flynn is doing well! In his late 20s now, he is retired from riding and living with seven other horses. He was in a kid’s program but would lie down when ridden! Now he is happy just teaching kids how to groom, etc.
Alumni Update: Kat
Kat is doing well and lives with her buddy, a 21-year-old Mustang. Adopter Shar says that Kat is her usual sassy self. At 27 now, Kat is retired from riding but gets hand walked regularly and Shar does some basic groundwork with her whenever she can.
Welcoming Trixie to SAFE
Trixie was the fifth chestnut mare to join our herd in the span of a week (the other four being the Tennessee Walkers), but apart from the color of her coat and the blaze she shares with two of them, the similarities end there. Trixie is her own horse, after all, an should be introduced as such! This sweet mare came to us as an owner surrender, where she was living alongside a stallion with a…
Progressing with Poppy
Casey A has been riding and working Poppy for some months now, and speaks about her experience riding Poppy out in the big arena amongst other horses during the recent Joel Conner clinic: “Poppy has come a long way from the defensive, stoved up pony who would strike at people, and charge at other horses with ears pinned and teeth bared. That armor is being shed as she gains confidence in…
Alumni Update: Alder
Alder moved to Arizona with his family about two years ago. He is doing well and living the good life with a pal on two acres of grass. With Jill’s daughter, Halle, in school Alder hasn’t been ridden much. Jill is looking for a trainer to re-start him. There are plenty of opportunities to ride in their neighborhood. That’s what the plan is after Alder’s re-start.
Walkin’ Into SAFE: Zuri, Bailey, Cleopatra, Deja Vu
Four new mares Tennessee walked into SAFE last week: Zuri, Bailey, Cleopatra, and Deja Vu. Their story is one of neglect, as is so often the case with our new intakes, but as they were seized by out friends down at Pierce County Animal Control, they have been in very good hands since they were first rescued. The girls were all tremendously thin before they were taken, with body condition scores…
Roy Health Update
It is no secret that Roy has been dealing with various ailments since he first arrived at SAFE, all of which we have been managing, or doing our best to manage. Roy is a very special guy, with special needs, and we keep a close eye on him and give him what comforts we can while he is with us. Spring and Summer are typically times we look forward to, as these seasons usually portend warm weather…
Arrow is Adopted!
Arrow had a whirlwind beginning to his spring. For the last several months, he had been living his best life at a nearby foster location, napping and grazing to his heart’s content alongside his temporary playmates. But changing circumstances meant that he would need to return to SAFE, so we made arrangements to retrieve him. But in the midst of our musical paddocks and trailering logistics, a…
Alumni Update: Biscotti (Rowdy)
Biscotti’s (Rowdy) adopter, Tracy, reports Rowdy is the healthiest horse she has ever known, not once needing medical attention beyond his basic care. Tracy’s oldest daughter rides Rowdy as part of her high school equestrian team and 4H. Her younger daughter hopes to begin driving him. Rowdy lives with two other horses and also enjoys the company of a goat, pig and a dog.
Off-Roading with Veronica
Veronica has been making all kinds of strides recently, from venturing off-site to spending more and more time riding out in the big arena. But what she hasn’t quite done yet is go out on the trails. One of the first baby steps we take with the horses to gear them up for walks outside of the confines of an arena setting is to go for a ride around the property. It’s a great way to dip our toes in…
Alumni Update: Skye
Corrine and Skye are doing very well. Corrine moved to Ohio in 2018, however, she is only 2½ hours from her mom’s property in Pennsylvania where Skye resides. Corrine is able to visit her mom regularly and spend time with Skye. When Corrine is not visiting, Skye enjoys her pasture turn out with her pasture mates, another horse named Finn and a pony named Rue. These days, Corrine and Skye mostly…
Montana is Adopted!
Montana drew attention from the start. A paint horse with two blue eyes and a Medicine Hat coloration certainly stands out amongst the throng of bays and chestnuts, and at times we couldn’t help but feel like an overprotective father referencing a shotgun when suitors came calling. What are your intentions with our paint horse? Montana could have been on a trailer, adopted, practically from the…
Fabulous Facilities!
Aside from our herd of equines, there is another, non-sentient being that needs daily and routine maintenance: our property. There is always something that needs doing around the farm, with the projects ranging from quick and easy to big and complex. Luckily, we have a dedicated and multi-talented facilities team, able to conquer all manner of tasks and trials and keep a sunny, upbeat attitude…
