Our darling Bridgit!
The nickering QUEEN! There is not a lot about this cute little mare’s personality that won’t make you fall absolutely head over heels in LOVE with her! She is the type of girl that when you come up to her stall or her turnout paddock, she will come RUNNING to greet you. She LOVES to work and while riding will actually NICKER when you praise her and pet her on the neck. Bottom line: Bridgit is a…
Training Update: Annabelle
Annabelle is getting settled into the routine at Safe Harbor Stables. For the first week she was a bit nervous when other horses where being moves around from turnout or to the arena. She also would start calling and running even if the horse across from her went out to their run and she could not see them any more. She has since settled down quite a bit. Mornings are still a little exciting but…
Training & Heath Update: Sapphire
Since last fall, our “Arabian Gem” Sapphire has had 3 separate mild colic episodes. The first two were easily managed with pain reliever, walking and monitoring. The most recent event, at the end of March, required an emergency vet call to get her feeling better. Having eliminated parasites and sand as factors, we are now looking a little deeper for the potential cause of her digestive issues.…
Training Update: Einstein
Einstein is a true smarty-pants! We have introduced tack and a rider’s weight, taking things slowly as he still has some weight and muscle to gain over his back. He has been an absolute gem about everything. He is getting used to the flag work and connects very well to our body language and aids. He is a sensitive guy and he only requires a light amount for “ask” to get the desired response.…
May 21st is “Give Your Former Stallion a Bath” Day
Here’s Dr Hannah, teaching Anderson the joys of bathing on a warm day in late Spring! This was a great learning moment for our former wild stallion…and as it turned out, a learning moment for all of us as well. Although Anderson had been checked carefully for lice — and none had been found — lice were lurking and apparently they did NOT appreciate bath day all that much. So May 21st was also…
Training Update: Karma
It has been a few weeks of firsts for Karma: her first time jumping all the way into the trailer, her first trail ride as a SAFE horse, and her very first show! Trailer loading has been a challenge for Karma since the day we picked her up but we have had an amazing break through with it. She now will jump in without any hesitation or stress! She actually is quite content and happy inside the…
Stella!!!!!!!
Baby girl is back at Safe Harbor! I would say that we missed her but I’m not sure the neighbors were too happy she was home. She spent the first two days (and nights) calling for her bestie Jewel, who was stalled in the other barn. It was a bit of an adjustment being separated from Jewel but she got through it and is now settling into the routine of the barn. Our volunteer rider Sydney is…
Training Update: Kai
Kai is going very nicely for trainer Joel Conner in Vancouver WA. He’s made some great improvements, both in the ground work and riding over the course of his tune up training. There was a little setback a few weeks back when Kai cut his chin while playing over the fence. He is a playful boy who loves to play bite face with his neighbors. Joel moved him to a different stall so he would not have…
What a Jewel!
It may or may not be a secret but I LOVE this little mare SO much! She has grown into the cutest little quarter horse mare. She looks like a little miniature version of Finn and we all love his nice hindquarters! We recently brought both Jewel and Stella in from foster for a little training. One of the goals is to see how well Jewel does in work with her crooked front leg. Sydney is volunteering…
Training Update: Misty
Misty is really turning into a lovely horse. Her attitude while working is very steady and constant. She is ridden by a few different riders throughout the week and is well behaved for their different styles and abilities. We’ve been trying her barefoot for the last few weeks and have decided that she’s more comfortable with shoes on, so she’ll be getting a new set later this week. While she…
Photos: Phoenix Under Saddle
Training Update: Lola
It’s been a but of a rough year so far for Lola. Her feet become very uncomfortable while she was barefoot and unfortunately we did not correct the issue fast enough. She became sore on her right front and had to take some time off riding. We’re working on a new shoeing package to give her comfort while her heels have some time to grow out and she can have a more upright foot. These things take…
Cameo: Sister Moonbeam just wants to dance
I had the chance to chat with trainer Laura McCorkle who’s done a lot of work with Cameo over the past months and has seen the slow but steady transformation that this lovely mare has gone through. Laura laughs when she talks about Cameo’s “ice princess” demeanor, because underneath that chilly exterior lies the softest, kindest mare in the world. Cameo has really benefitted from the specialized…
Video: Anderson Post-Gelding Training & Exercise
We’ve been monitoring Anderson’s progress since his gelding surgery last week. Dr. Hannah Mueller is supervising his post-operative forced exercise, which will help reduce swelling and encourage drainage and healing of the surgery site. During this exercise, she has an opportunity to provide an essential introduction to training. These lessons will be crucial in Anderson’s transition from a…
Emmy Released to Rehab
Emmy was released from Rainland Equine into the care of her Aunt Kyle, who will be overseeing her rehab at Feature Farm for the next several weeks. To give you a clear picture of what that will involve, here is the discharge information from Rainland outlining the next twelve weeks of her rehab:
Video: Jewel Groundwork
Jewel doing groundwork with Sydney
So far is SO good for Ben!
Some horses just have that sparkle in their eye from the moment they arrive at SAFE. Within the abused or neglected body is a personality that’s just waiting for the energy and life to come back. Since the day he arrived at Safe Harbor, Ben has been one of those great horses. Outwardly he can be quite the goofball / class clown type, playing Catch Me with Sunny D along the fence line.. Other…
A Real Einstein
As we’ve gotten to know Einstein better, we’ve come to understand that he’s a pretty amazing horse. When he first arrived at Safe Harbor, after three weeks in Animal Control custody, he was pretty unsure about just about everything, so he spent his first few days acting rather withdrawn, silently observing the bustle of activity around him. But it really didn’t take very long for him to relax…
New shoes for Phoenix
A pair of new glue-on shoes have really helped Phoenix’s tender toes! And look how well-behaved he was for his hoof preparation! He knew that farrier Jake Cowden was not going to hurt him. He’s such a sweet and trusting horse. So far he seems to be a lot more comfortable in his new shoes! Our plan is to stay with the glue-on shoes for one more shoeing cycle to allow him to grow more heel and…
Sweet Relief for Annabelle
Before her rescue, Annabelle had not had proper hoof care for some time. Her hooves were terribly overgrown and split, making movement quite uncomfortable for her. Dr Hannah gave her a preliminary trim while she was at NWESC, but today she got a full and proper trim from farrier Eric Nelson. Annabelle found the whole “standing still” thing to be a bit of a challenge but she was a good girl for…
Einstein and Sydney
Einstein’s Glue On Shoes
Einstein is being restarted as a riding horse at Safe Harbor. So far he’s been very good but we’re taking things slowly because he still needs to gain a bit more weight and muscle. We also had to take some steps to help him be more comfortable on his feet, starting with new glue-on shoes. Big thanks to farrier Jake Cowden for the shoes! Einstein already looks more comfortable! [gallery…
Ruby: Home at last!
There are moments that make our hearts overflow…and announcing the adoption of a SAFE horse is definitely one of those moments! We are delighted to tell you that our sweet Ruby found her forever home! Just one year from the anniversary of her rescue and intake, Ruby headed off to her join her new family, Sophia and Matt, on their 20-acre farm in Arlington. Ruby made a miraculous transformation…
Two New Intakes at SAFE
Taking possession of new horses is one of the most challenging parts of our job. Usually, even when a horse has been neglected, it’s had some degree of handing. And loading an unfamiliar horse into a trailer can be a challenge, but with patient efforts, we usually get them home uneventfully. But every couple of years, we encounter a situation so dysfunctional that it pushes our hearts and spirit…
Training Update: Cameo
Cameo has officially grown up!! She went on her first real trail ride and did very well! She had a few jumps here and there but overall it was manageable and she came home a bit more mature then when she left. Couldn’t be more pleased with how grown up she is acting and the level of consistency in her behavior. She is still the hot little Arab but it is with in reason and rideable. She has a few…
Hollywood Hills Schooling Show — May 2, 2015
Nala, Misty, and Karma competed at the Hollywood Hills English/Western Schooling show this weekend, and all three girls were amazing! Nala won the English Walk/Trot Reserve High Point for our age division at her very first show!! She earned that award with a first place ribbon and a few seconds! Nala ended her day by placing 7th out of 15 horses in the Western Pleasure class in the afternoon. At…
Farrier/Foster Update: Finn
Finn has really been giving us fits trying to figure out how to keep his hooves comfortable! Our amazing farrier Jake Cowden recently decided to take Finn on as a foster horse, moving him to his home to be able to closely monitor him and make more frequent and subtle adjustments to his shoeing. Finn is such a sweet boy, it would be great if we could get him comfortable enough for light riding.…
Einstein and Ivy at play!
Sometimes goofy horses just need time to be goofy. But look at how deftly Ivy moves Einstein around the arena.…almost as if he were…a cow? Does Ivy have a secret past as a cutting horse?
Emerald Downs “Where Are They Now?” — Kai
April Volunteer of the Month: Stephanie W
Please join us in celebrating April’s Volunteer of the Month, Stephanie W! Stephanie has been volunteering with SAFE for about a year and what a year it has been. An excellent rider and horsewoman, Stephanie quickly became one of Terry’s most valued assistants around the barn. Her work with high strung horses like Kai and Ben has contributed so much to our efforts to find them both new homes. As…
