Misty at the Donida Dressage Schooling Show!
As we mentioned a few days ago, Misty went to her third horse show and second dressage show on November 9th at Donida Farms. Here are her results along with some of the judge’s comments on each test: Intro C — 5th place with 64.75% “Fun horse. Correctly ridden. Continue to develop balance in and out of canter” Training 1 — 5th place with 60.208% “Very capable pair. Work to get horse to relax…
Checking in with Eomer (who you might remember as Ego Afire!)
Just a quick update on Eomer, he is doing great. His sweet personality and riding demeanor has made him an excellent addition to the family. Andrea continues to come out and give us riding lessons, and she agrees that he’s a sweet little guy. When Jenny brought River for a visit both him and Eomer got along great. I had intended to get a picture of the two but while in the moment I forgot. Maybe…
Skye’s First Ride — Video
We couldn’t be more excited to share with you this video taken of Skye’s first experience with a rider in a saddle on her back. We are so proud of our girl and the amazing progress she has made under the guidance of Dave Zanotelli. Dave started fostering SAFE in late June, and with the help of his daughter Julia, he has transformed this mare from a frightened animal to a horse with some…
Atticus Update
Atticus was released from the vet hospital last week and was transported to SAFE Harbor Stables. Six weeks post rescue, he is feeling a lot better…in fact the excitement of moving caused him to get quite amped up! He loaded well into the trailer, but was fairly fractious on the ride home, which resulted in him nicking one of his hind fetlocks and bleeding in the trailer…not what you want to…
Kai — Available for Adoption once again
Kai is back at SAFE Harbor and is once again available for adoption. Kai was adopted earlier this year to a rider looking for a horse to do low-level eventing and trail riding with. After an extended trial period, things were going quite well for Kai — he was enjoying long rides in the park at Bridle Trails and he was excelling in his lessons over fences. But several weeks ago, during the onset…
Savannah’s Story
If you’ve visited SAFE Harbor Stables in the past few days, you may have noticed there’s another new horse in our herd. Her black and white coat is glossy, her eyes are bright, and she is definitely well fed. If she looks a bit familiar, it’s because she is a former SAFE horse named Savannah that was adopted to a new home about two years ago. Savannah is a lovely mare who has been through a lot…
Ginger Training Update
Ginger is quickly making progress with Kim Lacy at Hidden Falls Farm! She is longeing in tack and Kim is putting weight on her back with no problem. Kim also reports that Ginger has also learned how to cross-tie and clip well. We’re all very proud of our pretty girl and thankful for the special care she is receiving!
Misty Update from Lisa
We’re on a roll lately. Misty has been absolutely wonderful to ride and handle. Though she can still be a fruitcake on the lunge line (as Kyle witnessed when she came to shoot some video recently), she is really learning connection and trust with me — when she gets “amped up,” she comes back and settles quickly. We are regularly cantering under saddle now as we practice our tests, even in…
Moonshine Update
Moonshine was such a superstar at the Haunted Open House! His was the most involved costume of all the horses, and he handled it like…like…like he’d been wearing clothes his whole life. After the party was over, I took several more shots of him hanging out in his paddock. He’s hard to photograph because he’s so darned friendly, he just wants to come in close for a snuggle! I managed to get a…
Dottie the Dragon!
Dottie wore a dragon costume for the Haunted Open House, and she was cute as a bug in her SAFE purple splendor! The base of the costume was a full hooded lyrca slinky, and Dottie was completely unfazed by having it put on her. In fact, once it was on, she seemed happy and comfortable! She was an adorable little dragon, take a look! [gallery link=“file”…
Meet “Trigger,” Roy Rogers’ famous steed!
Just kidding, it’s Phoenix. All the SAFE horses dressed up to celebrate Halloween at the Open House on October 27, and Phoenix’s costume was pretty easy… Here he is in all his palomino glory: Phoenix is doing well at SAFE Harbor Stables…he was a tiny bit sassy when he first arrived, but he’s a smart boy who learns pretty quick…
We have a challenge grant to announce!!!
Our Fall Into Winter Feed Drive is in full swing, and so far the response from our wonderful supporters has been terrific! We are nearly half way to our goal of $15,000 by Nov 30…and it’s still October! That is pretty exciting! All the horses at SAFE are very grateful to everyone who has donated so far. Fall Into Winter is their favorite SAFE event, because every single penny that is raised…
Skye’s transformation!
You’ll often hear us say “it takes a herd to save a horse.” In Skye’s case, it is not a metaphor! In June, Dave Zanotelli and his daughter Julia offered to foster a SAFE horse. They are both very skilled at doing groundwork training and they were willing to take on a project the magnitude of Skye! Before Skye arrived, Dave built a very solid stall and paddock that directly connected to a round…
Portland’s Recovery
Thank you to Kyle Putnam, Portland’s fairy godmother, who made this video:
Return of the Golden Child
Phoenix has returned to our herd at SAFE Harbor Stables. He is healthy, happy, and looking terrific. Why is Phoenix back at SAFE? As you may remember, he was adopted back in 2008, about seven months after he was rescued. We kept in contact with his adopter, did follow up visits, and everything seemed to be going well for him. His adopter had him started under saddle, and he proved to be very…
October Volunteer of the Month: Anne-Marie Rousseau!
Our October Volunteer of the Month is the amazing Anne-Marie Rousseau! Ann-Marie volunteers weekly with SAFE as part of the Night Check program. She stops by in the late evening to count noses and verify that everyone is in good shape. She does a fantastic job tucking the ponies in and kissing noses! Anne-Marie contributes to SAFE in several other ways, including pitching in at work parties and…
Chance is adopted!!
We are absolutely delighted to announce that one of our very favorite horses (Chance!) has been adopted by one of our very favorite volunteers! Tracy Green has been volunteering alongside Chance since he arrived at SAFE Harbor Stables and wouldn’t you know, she fell in love with this tall, handsome sweetheart of a horse. Tracy made the decision to adopt Chance just before his shoe boil/abscess…
Atticus and Scout
If you’ve been following local news, you may already know that SAFE is involved in an animal cruelty case involving two horses in the City of Snohomish. The horses first came to the attention of Snohomish police after neighbors reported seeing an emaciated horse on a property within the city limits. Officer Dawn Davis found two horses living on the property, one who was extremely underweight and…
SAFE receives Education Grant from the ASPCA
We are very excited to announce that SAFE has been awarded a grant through the ASPCA Equine Fundraising Education Program. This $500 grant includes a one year membership in the Association of Fundraising Professional for SAFE’s Executive Director Bonnie Hammond, and access to the AFP’s seven part online eLearning course entitled “Fundamentals of Fundraising.” The remaining funds from the grant…
Seeing Triple?
SEEING TRIPLE? Nora, Sapphire, and new intake Sasha make a nice matching set in the field at SAFE Harbor. One more grey mare and we’ll have to change our name from SAFE to SAGE (Save a Grey Equine?)
Update on April from Equamore
We got this wonderful update on April from our friends at Equamore. It’s absolutely thrilling to hear (and see!) that she is doing so well! Here is a picture of April with Sara, another liver chestnut mare, and other mares in the mare field this morning. It has been really fun watching her try to manage the herd and figure out her place. Lots of drama, lots of excitement — all good and seemingly…
Training Update on Cameo
Cameo has been in training with Andrea Lucianna for 30 days, and things have not been entirely rosy for our little bay mare. She arrived at Half-Trak Farm with a bit of an eye infection that had to be treated with daily eye drops…a routine that she did not care for in the least. This resulted in a lot of distrust and suspicion, and her behavior reverted back to the wild thing that she was when…
Foster/Training Update on Ginger
Update from Kim on Ginger: She has settled in really well, and faster than expected. She is comfortable with the routine and getting along well with other horses and people. She is horrified by the “lion” (fluffy barn kitty) and gives major snorty stink eye. She has learned to cross tie, lunge, and got her muzzle and bridle path clipped without objection! Kim feels she is very smart, and likes…
Sasha arrives at SAFE Harbor…eventfully
New horse Sasha sustained a head injury when she reared up and flipped in the trailer about an hour into her ride to SHS. The vet was called out, an exam revealed no bone involvement or brain injury. She was treated and the head wound was closed with staples. Trailer accidents are scary and this could have ended in tragedy; fortunately we expect a full recovery. Typical Arabian Princess,…
The best part of an Adoption Manager’s job…
The best part of an Adoption Manager’s job… a “thank you for saving her” hug from a little girl who is over the moon for her very first pony. It just doesn’t get much better than that. Congratulations to Stella who took Maggie home with her today! You two have fun now!!
Everett Herald: Horses’ owner may be charged with animal cruelty
Horses’ owner may be charged with animal cruelty By Herald Staff Published Oct 4 2013 SNOHOMISH — Police here are recommending animal cruelty charges against the owner of two horses that apparently were so poorly cared for that one had to be euthanized. The case was investigated in August and September, Snohomish Police Chief John Flood said Thursday. The owner initially was given a chance to…
2013 Q3 Impact Statement
New Horses Intake Date: July 17, 2013 Sapphire (owner surrender via Regional Animal Services of King County) Intake Date: August 31, 2013 Dottie (owner surrender) Intake Date: September 13, 2013 Atticus (City of Snohomish Police Dept) Scout (City of Snohomish Police Dept) Placed Horses Kai River April Euthanization Logan (Hospice program, pain & discomfort due to neglect) Scout (severe pain…
A happy ending for April
We’re not going to beat around the bush because we have some great news to share: April has been adopted. On Saturday, she left SAFE Harbor Stables with a professional hauler to travel to Equamore Horse Sanctuary in Ashland, Oregon, where she will have permanent home for life. She arrived safely and is already settling into her new home. We’d like to take a moment to share the full story of how…
Photos of Equamore Horse Sanctuary
Main Barn and Arena Secondary Barn and Paddocks Large Group Pastures [gallery link=“file”…
Ginger Goes Off To School!
We are so excited to announce that Ginger is off to a foster home and training with Kim Lacy, owner and trainer at Hidden Falls Farm in Arlington. This little mare has a special place in our hearts and by luck we found an amazing opportunity for her. Kim Lacy is a very experienced and accomplished rider who has been looking for a way to get involved with helping rescue horses. On a visit to her…
