Inula and Finn (Doolin), Foster Friends!
Inula is having the time of her life at her summer foster home, and has been smoothly introduced to foster brother (and alumni!) Finn. The two of them are getting along swimmingly, and it’s clear that where she is, love and grass abound. Inula is one lucky girl! Even though she is at foster, Inula is still available for adoption. This little sweetie is really showcasing how good of a pasture…
Alumni Update: Hickory (Listo)
Hickory (Listo) and his adopter Fran moved near the Washington coast the end of 2023. They live in a community which has a co-op community barn where Listo resides with 2 ponies and other horses. Fran is currently not riding while recovering from an injury but intends to get back in the saddle soon. Listo receives regular grooming and turn out for exercise and occasionally Fran takes him for…
Frosting for You
In her fourth year, Frosting is really proving herself as a solid little horse. Because of her age, her miles under saddle are on the lower side, but we have been making each one count. This mare has received a great start here at SAFE, and is ready for someone else to continue her journey under saddle. She walks trots lopes on a loose rein, and is getting better and better at going up and down…
May Joel Conner Clinic Report: Sienna
Carrie S worked with Sienna during the May Joel Conner clinic, and has the following to say about their experience: “I had the privilege of working with Sienna in the groundwork class at the Joel Conner Clinic on May 3–5 2024. I could easily just say ditto to everything that Sue C said about Sienna in her previous clinic reports. Sienna is a lovely and generous mare who has been an incredibly…
Ferrari for Sale
The title is a bit misleading, but Veronica and a sports car do have quite a bit in common: flashy, sensitive, and one heck of a ride. With each ride a tune-up, Veronica gets better and better under saddle. On a loose rein, Veronica is going beautifully walk trot lope, and she is spending more and more time in a soft feel these days. Veronica has been off property now, and has participated in…
From Green to Gold
To watch her go under saddle, it’s hard to imagine that Blanche was only started a few months back, that she only has several handfuls of rides on her. Blanche is a very special type of horse, one who is relatively uncomplicated, as far as green horses go, and who has a monumental amount of try. This past weekend, Blanche experienced a lot of ‘firsts,’ all of which she took in stride, as has…
Happy Birthday, Shasta!
Though a lady never reveals her age, we would be remiss if we did not celebrate Shasta on this, her 24th birthday. It has been thirteen years since Shasta and her son Sunny D arrived at SAFE, which means that over half her life has seen her being properly loved and looked after. But this was not always the case. Back in 2011, Sunny, Shasta, and another mini horse were in dire straights, being…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Jacob
Ben H worked a bit with our guy Jacob at the May Joel Conner clinic, and has the following to say about their time together: “My time with Jacob was 3 days at a Joel Conner clinic this spring of 2024. When I first went to catch him, he was reluctant to be caught and lead on the end of a Halter rope. Within a minute of catching him and rubbing his neck, he started to follow my lead. We headed…
May Volunteer of the Month: Vanessa Bassett
Congratulations to our May Volunteer of the Month, Vanessa Bassett! Vanessa began volunteering at SAFE in October 2022, just as the cold, rainy, and muddy season started. Since then, she has been a ray of sunshine on cloudy days here at the farm. Vanessa is a kind-hearted individual with an immense passion for helping others. She is always eager to lend a hand wherever needed and demonstrates a…
No Cavities for Sugar
How do you float the teeth of a mini horse? Creatively. The concept is the same with all horses: support the head in order to keep the mouth open and file down the teeth. But when you’re just shy of 9 hands high, your support needs to match your size. Luckily, our vets at Rainland Farm are very creative, and bring the necessary tools for the job. You say hoof stand, we say chin rest fit for a…
Mirana is Amazing!
Meghan N has been working with Mirana for some time now, and has been helping her gain confidence and transform into the sweet mare who was hiding beneath her nervous exterior. Here is what Meghan says about their time spent together: “It has been such a privilege to watch this mare’s journey since coming to SAFE! Upon arrival Mirana was rather untrusting of people, she needed to be with her…
Violet is Adopted!
April showers bring May flowers, and they also bring adoptions. We are very pleased to say that SAFE’s resident flower, Violet, has been adopted to none other than long-term volunteer Lexee N! Lexee had been patiently awaiting her prince (or princess) charming to come through our gates to be a buddy to her horse, Duke. When Violet stepped off the trailer, sound, self-assured and beautiful to…
Alumni Program — Q1 Update
SAFE’s Mission Statement is more than just words. It contains the promises that we have made to the horses we serve. We promise a lifetime of safety, which is provided through the SAFE Alumni Program. But as you might be able to imagine, there is a lot that goes in to keeping up with our 160+ living alumni. Thanks to the hard work of our brilliant Alumni team, we have already accomplished a…
Alumni Update: Otto
Otto is spending time growing up and doing groundwork with Gabby. Gabby is planning to haul him to a few play days this year for exposure. Otto enjoys hanging out with his BFF, Zeus, an Appy gelding and all the other animals on this happy farm — goats, cats, rabbits, ducks and chickens.
A Spoonful of Sugar
We welcomed a new member to our herd this week: Sugar, who at 8.2 hands is certainly close to the size of a sugar cube! This mini horse was originally part of the seizure of horses that brought us such familiar faces as Jupiter and Theo. Sugar was in rough shape when he was first pulled from his neglectful situation at the end of 2022. He was also still a stallion (perhaps father to SAFE Alums…
Volunteer Education: Animal Control Class
As part of our continuing education series for volunteers, this past weekend we were lucky enough to be able to host Officer Brian Boman from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Animal Control Department. Brian has over 20 years of experience in Animal Control, and is a certified Animal Cruelty Investigator and a Nationally Certified Equine Abuse Investigator, just to name a few of his many credentials.…
Alumni Update: Champagne
Little Champagne has a new buddy!
Ride, Tiva, Ride
Inside the boundaries of a 6ft tall priefert round pen, Tiva rolls her hindquarters to the left. It’s the 5,000th time she’s done so (not today, but in general) but it passes without fanfare or recognition. She will roll them another 5000 times before the year is out. This time last year, she was nervously evading capture in her paddock, snake-necked and snorting at those who approached. Now,…
Jacob in April
In the sunshine, Jacob shines like the copper of a new penny. While he and BFF Edward are a matched pair of chestnuts, Edward is shedding out into more of a liver, which makes differentiating between the two a little easier from a distance. Jacob has been taking it easy for the most part, just waiting on an adopter to come sweep him off his hooves. One thing we have been trying hard to combat…
Inula at Foster
For the most part, once a horse comes to SAFE, they will stay on property until they make their way to their forever home. But on rare occasions, a circumstance arises that is too perfect for us to pass up. When an alumni adopter reached out to us expressing her interest in bringing a horse to foster, we could hardly say no. Her pasture acreage would be any horse’s dream summer residence, so the…
Alumni Update: Breve and Checkers
Due to family circumstances Breve and Checkers were re-homed and now live with Lola Lang on a family farm that was started by Lola’s mom and dad. Lola has continued the family tradition of building a place where people can learn about horses. There are roughly 50 horses on the property and approximately 4 ponies. The property is very peaceful, and Lola has created an atmosphere of community…
Alumni Update: Heidi
Heidi and her 34-year-old pasture mate, Prince, love spending time grazing together. Heidi is healthy, well cared for and dearly loved.
Alumni Update: Nyx
An update from Lindsay: Boy, do I love this horse I got from SAFE. Getting my own horses for the first time in my late 30’s and then moving them home soon after has been a trip. Sooo many life lessons. There’s just not a real way to fully prepare for it. Nyx is a guy who likes to anticipate and he couldn’t have anticipated this! We’ve learned SO much about each other in the last couple of years…
Watch Over Me
Horses come to us for different reasons. For many, it’s a first step toward a new and better life. Others get their chance for some much needed peace and caring, and a chance for us to rewrite their final chapter. Dorothy is one such horse. Dorothy is a beauty of a mare who doesn’t deserve to be defined by the neglect she suffered before coming to SAFE. But the truth is, she’s lived through some…
Brandy’s Hobbies
Brandy, one of the matriarchs of SAFE, will turn 30 this July according to our records. So what is she getting up to so far in her 30th year? Well, first and foremost, keeping close with BFF Bandit. While Brandy finds a lot of support in humans, and has made great strides as both teacher and student in our horsemanship program, she still prefers to have her equine counterpart nearby. Now that…
A Bath for Montana
What’s brown, off-white, and dark bay all over? A dirty Montana! This guy earned the nickname of ‘cat’ last summer for two reasons: he was known to sunbathe on the regular, and he had an uncanny ability to look clean(ish) despite spending so much time in the dirt, almost like he was able to groom himself. But this year, a late shed to his coat meant that the dirt had more area to cling to, and…
March Joel Conner Clinic Report: Veronica
What a fun little sports car riding horse Veronica has become, we should call her our little red Miata! She was very well behaved throughout the recent clinic. We worked a lot on improving her hindquarters and true unified walk. When she gets in balance, the trot and canter work feel stronger, and she has a ton of power pushing from behind and over her topline. She has always been a show stopper…
March Joel Conner Clinic Report: Sienna
Catherine N worked Sienna in the March Joel Conner clinic, and says the following about her experience: “I worked Sienna in the groundwork for the March Joel Conner Clinic. I feel like we were both nervous at first, but quickly settled in. Sienna, I felt, was able to grasp what I asked quickly and was able to let me get my body and hand the way that I needed to be. There were moments that I…
Alumni Update: River
SAFE Volunteer Debbie M recently visited with SAFE Alum, River; his humans, Wendy and David Z; and “big sister”, Ameli, at their beautiful 5‑acre property in Snohomish. River arrived at SAFE in December 2012, along with two herd mates as part of an owner surrender situation. He was originally adopted in July 2013 and trained in dressage but sold to Wendy Z in late 2016. After 2.5 years of…
March Joel Conner Clinic Report: Artie
Kirsten L has been riding Artie for several months, and brought him in to the March Joel Conner clinic. Here is her report on the experience: “Mr. Artie Shaw is quite the gentleman! This was my first riding clinic with Joel and Artie was incredibly patient with my learning curve. Levelheaded. Confident with new horses. Unflappable when asked to walk, trot, lope, and didn’t spook once. We’ve…
