An Update on Roy
After playing in the arena with Mirana this weekend, the next day, Roy was more sore on his feet than he has been in a while. He has been out of glue-on shoes since early January, and has been mostly sound since then (a few off steps here and there, but nothing compared to how he was pre-shoes). Since his first foray into glue-ons, he has grown a lot of sole depth, and our farrier did express…
Field Trip to Bridle Trails
Winter Washington weather (say that five times fast) does not often conjure visions of sunshine and blue skies. But every so often, the metaphorical stars align to grace us with a January or February day that feels more akin to early summer. Such was the luck we had for our first off-property excursion of 2024, a trip down the road to Bridle Trails state park. We loaded eight horses into…
Declan is Adopted!
The word ‘failure’ does not typically have positive connotations, but when placed in conjunction with the word ‘foster,’ it takes on a whole new meaning. When Sue called to let us know she was a failure (a foster failure, that is) we could not have been more overjoyed. Last October, Declan moved to Sue’s place to be a buddy to her gelding, Cal, and live beside the sheep that she raises. Sue had…
Bijou Seeks a Valentine
This Valentine’s Day, Bijou is looking for love! And by love, we mean the forever home she deserves. We sat down with Bijou to talk about who she is with the hopes of finding her the perfect match! SAFE: Hi Bijou! We were hoping you could tell us about yourself. Bijou: Well, my backstory is rather dramatic. I was found abandoned on the Arlington Tree Farm along with my (since adopted!) buddy,…
Jupiter in the Outdoor Arena
Jupiter falls under the somewhat rare category of horse we get in at SAFE, which is ‘previously ridden, relatively uncomplicated.’ Don’t get us wrong, there are ways in which Jupiter needs assistance both on the ground and under saddle, and there certainly exists a timeline in which he was not given as much support and therefore did not come along so quickly or so nicely, but Jupiter and SAFE…
Q1 Report Card: Artie
Notes: Artie tends towards the dull side, but has a lot of try. He will work hard knowing a break is coming. Poll shyness — can be reactive to things in that area, especially if they are sudden. Has come a LONG way with this. Can be reactive to flag by his poll or in his blind spots — new environmental factors can bother him (see can bag) If you prove your leadership skills to him, that…
Frosting Gets Floated
One of the very best things about rescuing young horses is that we are able to shape so many of their formative experiences in a positive way. Frosting had her first dental this week, and was as good as gold. She had a few little sharp points, but nothing that would be seen outside of a routine float. She had a cap on a right molar that our vet helped to pop off (with ease!), revealing a healthy…
Wren’s Soundness Evaluation
The topography of a horse tells a story, albeit usually one in a language we only partially understand. Each scar, bump, and blemish they arrive with has a history attached. We can draw assumptions, make educated assessments based on professional opinions and our own previous knowledge, but there exists a degree of mystery in even the most straightforward seeming marks. This says nothing of what…
Unicorns Get Ulcers Too
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that unicorns don’t get bellyaches. Scotty, our grey arab gelding, is short only the horn when it comes to resembling a mythical creature. His stately figure and long, flowing locks are something out of a story book. His personality, too, is somewhat fitting with what you might expect from a creature who has made a job out of leading people to feel it does not…
Poppy in the Arena
Each horse at SAFE has a different timeline when it comes to getting where they’re going — be it to live out their days as a companion or to wear a saddle and carry a rider — but for the most part, the milestones they complete and the skills they learn are standardized across the board. They all learn how to lead politely, how to have their feet handled, what it feels like to wear a blanket.…
Nova’s Spay
Nova’s journey from foal to adulthood has been a tumultuous one to say the least. She was a delightful and friendly girl for the first two years of her life…but then we started to see changes. Her heat cycles, which started out normal, became problematic. She began to exhibit more and more hormonal behavior, and as she got older, she started to show worrisome signs of aggression, What made…
February Volunteer of the Month: Blake Hart
Congratulations to our February Volunteer of the Month, Blake Hart! We feel so lucky that Blake is part of our community, where they have made caring for SAFE horses part of their regular weekend plans for the last year and a half! Blake is super busy between school and helping at another horse barn, but still makes the time be be at SAFE whenever their schedule allows. Blakes official shift is…
Theo is a Gelding!
Following a successful surgery this past Wednesday, Theo made the transformation from handsome stallion into arguably even more handsome gelding. The unseasonably warm weather made it a good day for the procedure, and the cushy footing in the arena made for a pretty good hospital bed. Theo was a great patient, and even had time post-procedure for a snuggle with Dr. Wollman as he woke up from his…
Alumni Update: Rhythm
Rhythm truly appears to be Hillary’s heart horse. They have been together since Hillary was 14 years old. Rhythm is enjoying semi-retired life, having nice, long days in pasture with his 28-year-old pasture mate. Hillary is finishing up her college studies this spring and occasionally rides Rhythm around the pasture. After graduation, Hillary anticipates having more time for riding and taking…
Flagging Off Moshi
Last November, 16 horses came to SAFE as part of the Graham 27 seizure — now, a little over a year later, only two remain. Moshi is one of the two (the other being her near-doppelganger, Poppy). Neither of these cuties had experience under saddle, so they’ve spent their time at SAFE learning to carry first a saddle, and then a rider. Moshi has been going well under saddle for some months now,…
Q1 Report Card: Esme
Health & Feeding: Has a little bit of extra padding at the moment, but as it is winter, will not drop down her food amount. With the introduction of grass in the spring, will lower hay to account for extra calories. Notes: Esme is a sensitive mare. Can still be evasive occasionally about being caught in the paddock. Head mare in her group. Has a lot of life, but that can translate into…
Violet in the Outdoor Arena
Early on in her tenure at SAFE, we marked Violet as brave. Not long after first stepping off the trailer, she was already leading the way on walks across the property, supporting her decidedly more nervous half-brother, Scotty. Her energy was self-assured, even in the face of a new environment, and we expected to see that only continue to increase as she entered into our training program.…
Q1 Report Card: Veronica
Beginning this year, we have developed and implemented a horse ‘report card’ to be able to chart how a horse is progressing with their training, be it on the ground or under saddle. The intention is to check in with each member of the herd on a quarterly basis in an in-depth way. While we interact with all of our horses to some degree on the daily — from grooming to riding and all the ways in…
Chip & Dale Seek New Home Together
Chip and Dale, a pair of bonded and extremely huggable senior miniature horses in Snohomish, WA, seek a new home! They are a package deal and come ready to snooze in the sun, get all the scritches, and occasionally have their floofy manes braided. These two came to Save a Forgotten Equine (SAFE) in 2022 as an owner surrender case, and then spent a few months as therapy horses in a technology…
Alumni Update: Tabitha (Willa)
October 2023 Update from Alyssa: I don’t take a lot of pictures or post on FB often, but I’ve been wanting to give an update on the amazing, kind, brave, incomparable miss Willa (formerly known as Tabitha/Tabbi), who came home with me from SAFE almost 5 years ago. Here are a few photos from this summer — which included adventures like riding on the beach, camping in the woods, and exploring…
Alumni Update: Dolly (Rose)
We recently checked in with Dolly’s (now Rose) adopter, Angela. Rose is a very happy, healthy horse. Angela has a busy schedule but still makes time a couple of days a week to groom and ride Rose at the barn. On occasional weekends, a friend of Angela’s rides Rose, which Angela said helps keep Rose more focused, with consistent exercise.
Volunteer Education: No Hoof No Horse
If you polled our volunteers and asked them what initially drew them to SAFE, the surface level answer would likely be uniform across the board: a love of horses. No shock or surprise there. But digging deeper, the answer would become nuanced between individuals. Some are here because they miss being around horses, having had them in their past. Some come to help with our herd in addition to…
Alumni Update: Leonardo
Leo is enjoying life on a 9‑acre ranch with horses, goats, sheep, chickens, dogs and cats. Leo hangs with three other horses in a very large pasture/dry lot. He is an easy-keeper and is on a feeding program that is working well to keep him from being a chunky monkey. He is happiest just being a horse with his herd.
2023 Volunteer of the Year: Joan Yankis
We’ll say it again and again, volunteers are the heart and soul of SAFE; without them we couldn’t do all that we do, for horses! In 2023 we had over 180 active volunteers who came together and shared their time, skills and hearts, all to better the lives of horses. Each year we take on the very challenging task of picking just one volunteer who has really stood out for their hard work, care,…
Theo’s First Trim
This golden boy deserves a star to match his pretty coat for how well he did for his first trim this week! Given his gentle personality and sweet nature, we weren’t too worried, but having your legs handled can be a bit of a challenge for even some of our more seasoned veterans. But not for Theo! He hardly even blinked at the rasp and the stand and the nippers. He sure is a darling!
Edward’s Flexion Tests
Have you been wondering what to expect from a soundness evaluation? Wonder no more — Edward is here to demonstrate some of the things that may be asked of your horse at a pre-purchase exam or lameness evaluation. Some good boxes to check before the appointment date include items such as: can you pick up and hold your horse’s feet and manipulate their legs legs for at least 30 seconds? Front and…
Harrisa, Blanketed
With this recent snap in cold weather, we are doing our very best to keep the horses warm and happy. Extra feedings, steaming sweet waters and hot mashes, blankets with fill — we set our herd up with these things and more to help them combat the cold. Harissa is still on her journey towards being a truly gentle horse. While she has been coming into the barn to get worked more and more these…
Sandy Jupiter
It seems an inevitability of horses and horse ownership (or stewardship) that there will come a time when your horse suffers from the most base of afflictions: a stomachache. We can talk about how cruel it is that the design of horses is such that their digestive system is a one-way road, no u‑turns allowed. The hard truth is, the issue must pass, or it will arrest them where they stand. The…
Alumni Update: Rae
Our Alumni team recently checked in with Rae’s adopter Christina. Here’s what Christina had to share: I think Rae is still settling in nicely. Oddly enough, she has been stretching her “Boss Mare” muscle a bit which has been both hilarious and aggravating, depending on the day. My old girl Mocha is still the undeniable lead mare. Currently, we are dealing with a lot of pent-up energy as we…
Alumni Update: Bubbles (Bella)
SAFE recently checked in with Bubbles’ (now Bella) adopter Mary. Bella is doing great and follows Mary around like a duckling. She has become best buddies with her pasture mate and Mary’s other horse, Jax. This lucky girl receives regular visits from the chiropractor and massage therapist for her back.
