SAFE Horses
SAFE News and Updates
Rest in Peace, Rose City Special (1997–2015)
We never truly know how much time we’ll have with the ones we love. We give our hearts to our animals, knowing that chances are good that we’ll end up outliving them and having to face saying goodbye. It’s a risk that most animal lovers are willing to take, grief being the price we pay for love. Most horses that come to SAFE have faced the worst and still survived. Thankfully a lot of them are…
Video: Jewel Under Saddle
Love Bug Ben
Mesquite’s Ground Work Session
click to display in slideshow mode photos by Jessica Farren
August Volunteer of the Month — Jessica Farren!!
Please join us in congratulating Jessica Farren as SAFE Volunteer of the Month for August! Jessica attended an Open House at Safe Harbor Stables and, like many before her, she fell in love with the SAFE horses. She quickly became a weekly barn volunteer: a regular on Monday afternoons plus every other Friday. She is also one of our shift leads and is always willing to help other volunteers.…
A hard day to say goodbye
There’s no real way to properly express what happens when we lose a horse. Today, we said a too-early goodbye to Sapphire due to a colic. Sapphire was discovered down in her stall this morning by her foster caretakers in deep distress. Dr Holohan from Pilchuck was called out, and Sapphire was tubed and medicated in an attempt to relieve her discomfort. Unfortunately her condition continued to…
Hope at home
Stella is home from training!
Stella is home from 45 days of training with Joel Conner. I got the chance to ride her in the clinic when Joel was at SAFE and it was a blast getting to know this spunky mare. She is a very sensitive and smart girl. She handled being in the arena with ten other horses without too much fuss and we really started to get to know each other well. It is wonderful to have her so well trained right…
Einstein Finds a Family!
We are excited to tell everyone that Einstein is on an adoption trial. He has settled into the farm and is getting to know the other family horses…Strider and Skye! Yes you heard me right, Michel contacted SAFE soon after Einstein had been rescued. She has been looking for a light riding companion to add to their farm and thought this bay boy might fit in well with a few other bays! After SAFE…
Health Update: Scarlett
We have really enjoyed getting reacquainted with this pretty little chestnut! Unfortunately, Scarlett came up lame at the end of July, so we had Dr. Devine, from Pilchuck, come out to evaluate her. After flexion tests and nerve blocks, the lameness was localized to the region of her suspensory ligament in the right hind.Ultrasound examination of that area revealed mild tearing at the origin of…
Moonshine Site Visit Photos
Oscar working at SAFE Harbor
We have been working with Oscar on relaxing at the gaits and riding with just seat and leg. He is getting used to the light contact in the reins and that he can go around steady and without worry. He is doing very well and finding his balance! Here is a clip of Oscar working on his left lead walk trot and canter: Here is a clip of Oscar working on his right lead walk, trot and canter:
Health Update: Karma
Karma seen today for 1 month check with Dr Fleck to re-ultrasound her check ligament. The healing has started well and the ultrasound looks good, she is filling in the tear but it is not completely healed yet. Dr Fleck said she can go out in her in and out run if she stays quiet. We will continue to hand walk her at least once a day for 30 mins. We will recheck again in 4 weeks to get the all…
Training Update: Jewel
Volunteer rider Claire has taken on Jewel as her special project. She has been working with her since just before the SAFE show and there have been some great changes since then. Here is an update from Claire about how things are going so far: “Jewel is an absolute delight to work with, especially now that she and I have gotten some valuable help from Joel. I’ve started being more clear and…
Training Update: Khianna
We have a wonderful group of volunteer riders at SAFE who not only make my life as the Operations Director easier but also are a vital asset to the horse’s preparation for adoption. The volunteers help with everything from turnout, hand walking injured horses, grooming, tack cleaning, groundwork, riding, taking the horses on the trails, showing and anything else you can think of that the…
When can we play with Bridgit again?
We have been patiently waiting to start working with Bridgit again….She “popped a splint” on her left front a few weeks ago and we have been waiting for the heat and swelling to go down. Meanwhile the little munchkin has been enjoying long turnouts next to her buddy Phoenix. They could be caught grooming each other every day for long periods of time. She has been very well behaved and taking it…
Handsome Ben!
Volunteer Jessica Farren was out to the stables last week and took some beautiful photos of Ben and volunteer Ann working in the arena. We also had a few others with Ben and Terry in the arena a few weeks ago. He is truly a stunning boy and his looking healthy and content with his new life. Getting excited to see where this boys journey takes him. He is going to be a very special horse for…
Checking in with Annabelle
If Annabelle could tell us all the stories of her life, I think we would all have a good long cry and then gather ourselves up and look to the future. She is a tough girl who has spent a good part of her life fighting for her safety. Annabelle has a deep soul and we can tell that she desperately wants to be with a herd and comforted by their peaceful community. After being rescued, SAFE has…
Anderson is making great progress!
Anderson is doing excellent in training with Darik. He has spent some time relaxing into being a good gelding and getting used to the life as a domestic horse. We got to spend some time with him and watch Darik work him in the arena. He still has a cautious nature but he was quiet willing for us the handle him. He shows no signs of being aggressive and was eager to be involved with the people…
Health Update: Phoenix
We wanted let everyone know where things are currently with Phoenix’s health and lameness status. After trying a few different shoeing options over the last few months, some that helped but some that didn’t, we decided to ask Dr. Devine from Pilchuck come out to take a look at him. We were happy to find that the suspensory injury that he had sustained in early 2013 has healed and this recent…
Health Update: Lola
It’s time for Lola to start her rehab and get ready to be shown to potential adopters again soon! Her lameness first showed up in December. After new shoes, X‑rays and even injecting her right coffin bone we came to the conclusion that Lola most likely had a soft tissue injury somewhere in her foot. Simply put, only an MRI could help us know exactly what had been causing her pain. After a good…
Health Update: Nala
The past few months have caused a bit of frustration for Nala and her friends here at SAFE, as we have been dealing with some lameness issues with no real conclusions. Her new shoes in May helped solve problems related to conformation, but a new lameness appeared. First in the right front, then the left front. Dr. Devine from Pilchuck came out to see her and suggested trying her with wedges in…
A Message from Ginger’s Adopter
“I have had Ginger for a little over a year now and I can’t thank SAFE enough for everything you do. I am beyond blessed to have Ginger in my life. Horse ownership is not without its ups and downs but nothing could ever replace the bond I have with my little bay mare. She is truly one of a kind and the love of my life. I hope you can tell from the pictures that she is incredibly loved and in…
Silly Fillies: Bridgit and Sophie
Khianna Groundwork Photos
Photos of Ben — Aug 22, 2015
Mesquite, photos by Jessica Farren
click to display in slideshow mode
Mesquite makes a new friend!
Volunteer rider Claire got to spend some time with Mesquite this past week. He is learning to trust new people and let go of his past. Claire is very quiet and patient with him. You can see from the photos what a handsome fellow he is becoming. We continue to increase his feed and he is gaining weight steadily. Dr McCracken was out to the stables 2 weeks ago to give the new boys a dentals and…
SAFE’s clinic with Joel Conner and Colt starting demonstrations
It was a pleasure this past weekend to have Joel Conner visit the SAFE horses and teach our volunteers. We began each morning, with a colt starting demonstration where Joel worked with Hickory, Mesquite and Ben. Joel is an expert when it comes to working with un-started horses and it was clearly evident that his years of experience have giving him the timing and insight to know exactly what they…
Rehab plan for Karma
Early last month, our sweet Karma came up lame on the left front leg. She was diagnosed with a check ligament lesion and a cyst in her splint bone. The bone cyst carried a prognosis of lifelong lameness if left untreated. Due to her young age and promising future as a riding horse, we decided to pursue shockwave treatment and also an injection of platelet rich plasma to aid in healing. After…
