Chip finds his forever home!

Chip has been a SAFE horse for a while…three years in fact…and we’ve had the opportunity to watch his transformation from a breeding stallion to the best and happiest gelding in the herd. And today we can happily announce that he has finally found his forever home! We couldn’t have dreamed up a better placement. Chip has a lovely 10 acre farm to roam, lots of good food to eat, a family with…

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Khianna: Training update

Khianna has shown progress in her training with volunteer Jolene.  The two are working diligently and their efforts are paying off.  Here is a little about Khianna’s personality from Jolene: “When Khianna first arrived, she was very fearful of most things; she was so tense and nervous that her skin even had wrinkles.   I had gently touched her where a girth would be and it startled her so much…

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Ben and Lisa Take a Lesson with Michael Sparling

Here is a lovely write up from Lisa G who is training Ben at Safe Harbor. He is gaining a lot of confidence from her steady and caring approach. I worked with Ben in a lesson with Michael Sparling the other night, and have a lot of things, big and small, to work on over the next couple of weeks. First and foremost is something that we have been focusing on, but need to up the game on a little,…

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Emmy, Sophie and Annabelle are turned out for the winter!

Emmy is getting a winter turnout with her new friends Sophie and Annabelle. Sophie and Annabelle have been at the farm for about a month now and welcomed Emmy into the herd. They are all getting along well and even the goats get to hang with the girls! We are hoping that some rest and time out will help Emmy make a full recovery and we will be taking a look at her soundness again in the late…

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Do You See the Family Resemblance?

This lovely young mare to the left is one of Dottie’s offspring, Dana. Doesn’t she look a lot like Dottie? Dana lives in Juneau, Alaska and a few months back, her owner was researching her lineage online and stumbled upon Doty Belle’s “Where Are They Now?” video on the Emerald Downs website, which led her to SAFE. Dana is about three years old and is in training to hopefully do three day…

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2015 Q4 Impact Statement

New Horses Intake Date: Dec 8, 2015 Anakin (owner surrender) Intake Date: Dec 28, 2015 Tess (Snohomish County Animal Control) Bean (Snohomish County Animal Control) Jessel (Snohomish County Animal Control) Placed Horses Chip Hickory Lola Maggie

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Anakin Update 12-28-2015

We had a little unwanted excitement just before Christmas. Up until Dec 23rd, Anakin had not tried laying down in his stall at Cedarbrook. He’d just graduated to free choice hay (as opposed to the small frequent meals he’d been getting up to that point) and he’d stopped trying to eat his bedding, so his stall was once again filled with fluffy shavings. It must have looked very inviting because…

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Bean Intake Photo — Sept 2015

Bean is one of three mares seized by animal control in Snohomish County after they were discovered hidden in a barn, locked in filthy stalls, and starving. Bean’s filly Jessel was one of the three. Bean was considerably underweight when she was seized. The horses were signed over to SAFE in late December, four months after their seizure. [gallery link=“file”…

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2015 Volunteer of the Year: Jeanne Stine

SAFE is about horses, but at the end of the day, it’s just as much about the people who make it all happen. The volunteers at SAFE are kind, generous, selfless individuals who give their hearts to our shared mission…and as often as we celebrate the horses, behind the scenes there are people supporting each other, helping each other, making friendships that will last a lifetime. To us, every…

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Anakin Update

Our boy continues to fight the good fight at Cedarbrook Vet Hospital where he is being cared for round-the-clock. His feed has been increased so that he now has soaked hay in front of him nearly 24 hours a day, which makes him VERY happy! He does have some swelling in his legs and abdomen that has us a bit worried…blood tests done last week show a decrease in his protein levels since his…

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Horse Collaborative: Anakin and the Anatomy of a Horse Rescue

Anakin and the Anatomy of a Horse Rescue From the racetrack, to the research lab, to death’s doorstep by Bonnie Hammond Published Dec 16, 2015 Link to the story online at HorseCollaborative.com Link to the story on Horse Collaborative’s Facebook Page For us, Anakin’s story began early Monday morning with an email asking for our help. It was from a woman in Winlock, Washington who wanted to know…

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Training update: Nala

Nala continues to do well under saddle. She is moving up to more trot and is looking sound! The volunteer riders are dedicated to her rehab work and they are enjoying getting to ride her. She is still bare foot and as long as that looks good we are going to see if how she does without shoes. So far she is looking strong and healthy! Keep up the good work baby girl!

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Scarlett is doing great!

After some time off we are back to riding Scarlett. She has been such an amazing girl through everything. We had her flex tested a few weeks ago and got the all clear to start riding her again. She picked it back up like she hadn’t missed a beat. What an ANGEL! We are actively looking for her forever home. Her ideal adopters would be someone who is looking to love this mare into her senior…

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KOMO‑4: Snohomish horse near brink of death is now on road to recovery

Snohomish horse near brink of death is now on road to recovery By KOMO News Staff Aired on Dec 12, 2015 Click this link to view the video on the KOMO Website SNOHOMISH, Wash. — A local horse that’s near the brink of death is now on the long road to recovery in Snohomish. It’s pretty tough to look at Anakin, a 20-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. He’s painfully thin. His hips and all of his ribs…

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Behind the Scenes Photos from Anakin’s News Story

KOMO-TV reporter Steve McCarron and cameraperson Robin visited Anakin at Cedarbrook Vet Care today to film for the story that appeared on the evening news. Here are some behind the scenes photos of the shoot! click to enlarge and view as slideshow 

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Anakin’s Amazing Story

For us, Anakin’s story began early Monday morning, with an email asking for our help. It was from a woman in Winlock WA who wanted to know if SAFE had room to take in an emaciated Thoroughbred gelding. He had been rescued a few days earlier by her young boarder, and it had become clear to her that he was going to need much more than either of them would be able to provide or afford. While SAFE’s…

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November Volunteer of the Month: Tiffany Lindan!

Congratulations and thank you to our November volunteer of the Month, Tiffany! Tiffany has been volunteering with SAFE for almost 2 years. She started as a special events volunteer but quickly became much much more. Tiffany has been directly involved in coordinating events for SAFE. She has organized Open Houses at the barn, Fill the Trailer, procurement committee for Heart of the Horse, helped…

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Khianna: Training Update

Volunteer Rider Erika fills us in on her work with Khianna this past month: “Recently, I started working with Khianna, a sweet, beautiful mare. Though she is a bit wary of new things, and still thinks the flag might eat her, our time working together has helped her feel more secure.  It still takes five to ten minutes for her to feel comfortable, but once she’s calm, she connects very well.…

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Finn Gets a Photo Shoot

This fall Finn got a visit from one of his favorite volunteer friends Jessica. She took some beautiful photos of him and his foster mom Carrie. What a pretty boy he is! Thank you Jessica for visiting him and taking these pretty photos! You can see how much Carrie loves this boy! 

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A photography session with Marta and Shay

Recently, Jessica, a volunteer and foster committee member, spent the morning with Marta, Shay and their foster mom Eileen Carol.  Eileen also volunteers as SAFE’s Foster Coordinator.  I asked Jessica to tell me a little bit about her recent visit. Here are the kind words she had to say about the girls: “My visit with Marta and Shay was great.  What beautiful mares!  They are such great…

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Nala’s rehab…time for a saddle!

Nala has been great about both her stall rest and being hand walked.  After reviewing her progress with Dr. Devine at Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital, we decided it was time to start the next phase of Nala’s rehab plan. We began riding her for 20 minutes at the walk.  The added weight will increase the load on her hooves and help with the strengthening process.  We will increase her walking by five…

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October Volunteer of the Month: Marco!!

Let’s all celebrate our Volunteer of the Month for October, Marco S! Marco is another volunteer who doesn’t hold down a chore or feeding shift, but plays an important role as a member of the Safe Harbor facilities team. Marco has been helping make improvements at the barn for over 2 years! There are so many upgrades at SHS that are his doing. Marco has installed new lights both inside the barn…

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Stella: Training Update

Just for a little fun, I decided to work Stella in a Dressage saddle this week.  She did very well and was comfortable to sit the trot and canter in the English tack.  She is learning to keep a nice rhythm and cadence in her gaits.  When she gets troubled, it takes just a little re-balancing work to bring her into a soft gait.  Throughout her time under saddle, Stella has kept a positive and…

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Photo shoot with Dottie Belle!

Volunteer Jessica Farren recently visited Miss Dottie Belle at the Pacific Moon Equestrian Center.  She took absolutely gorgeous photos!  The fall colors are a stunning backdrop for this beautiful mare. Dottie has thrived under Karen Moore’s care.  We are so blessed to have Karen’s support and care of our sweet Dottie.  While she has been at Pacific Moon, Dottie has been living in a big pasture…

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Marta Update

Ms. Marta continues being her fancy “prancy” self.  Every morning, she puts on a show, arching her neck, snorting and trotting with her fabulous self-carriage.  She likes to remind us that her sire was the famous Probat and that many of her family members are National Champions. Unfortunately, Marta’s heritage does not protect her from bug bites.  This fall has been tougher than usual with its…

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Shay Update

Shay has struggled with periodic bouts of lameness over the years.  Recently, it went on long enough that we called out Dr. Fleck, from the Rainland Farm Equine Clinic, for an evaluation.  He reviewed earlier x‑rays of Shay’s rotated coffin bone and thought she just might need a set of front shoes.  He felt that this would stop her from walking on dropped soles, a problem which was causing her…

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