SAFE Horses
SAFE News and Updates
Bridgit Update
Bridgit has moved to a new foster home with SAFE President Debi Shatos in Snohomish where she shares space with Debi’s mare, Summer. Bridgit is a confident youngster, but she has wisely decided that Summer is the boss mare and she needs to be respectful. With that established, the two girls are getting along quite well.
Chip the Happy Gelding
Chip has made such great progress in the past few months and I can’t help but be proud of all his accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem. When he first came to my farm, he was very timid. He seemed to have some difficulty getting along with the bigger horses, not because he was behaving aggressively towards them, but because they were pushing him around. But given time, he has forged…
Sinatra Update
What can we say about Sinatra that hasn’t already been said? He’s lovable, he’s laughable, he’s one of a kind. The Vitamin E supplements he’s been getting continues to help his proprioception issues, and under saddle, he seems to be feeling pretty good. Which for Sinatra means that he’s taking the opportunity to act out a bit in his riding sessions…nothing that Brittney can’t handle, of…
Miah’s First Trail Ride! (With Kat!)
Miah took a big step today with her first ever trail ride as a SAFE horse — possibly the first of her life — and she did great!! It’s only just recently that she’s gotten to a point where she was ready to hit the trails, and she was a very good girl. To be fair, she did snort for the entire two hour trip, but she was also very brave, crossing bridges and dealing with a lot of new stimulation.…
Welcome to SAFE, Ginger!
Ginger is a very pretty 9 year old bay Arab mare in fairly good physical condition who has recently found herself homeless. Her former owner is an elderly woman who developed Alzheimer’s and has just left her home to go into an assisted living facility. Ginger was purchased from the auction seven years ago, and has been kept as a pet since she was two so she has no training beyond basic handling…
Chance and Kat go on a trail ride!
Chance went for his first trail ride as a SAFE horse today, accompanied by Kat. Chance has a lot of experience as a trail horse but it’s been a little while since he’s been out in the woods, so he started his journey into the Redmond Watershed by doing a fair amount of jigging, but after about 5 minutes, he settled down and started walking in a relaxed manner and kept his cool for the rest of…
Cameo photos
Opal — Adopted!!
Exciting news to share!! Opal has been adopted!! Congratulations to Lys H and thank you for offering this lovely mare (now named Bella) a wonderful new home! We hope to see you and Bella at the SAFE show in August!! Update (August 3, 2013) Bella & Lys did indeed join us at the SAFE show this year, competing in some of the English green horse classes and mounted trails!
May Volunteer of the Month: Jeff Frazzini
This month we are recognizing our outstanding volunteer Jeff Frazzini! Jeff has volunteered with SAFE for over two years. He does feeding and farm chores every Sunday morning. Recently, he started assisting Facilities Coordinator, Victoria Guy, with maintenance and repair projects on Sundays as well. He has been a regular at our Fall Work Parties. He also frequently makes his truck (and…
Moonshine’s big day!
It’s a big day for Moonshine! He’s climbing aboard the trailer and heading up to Arlington to start training with Andrea Lucianna at Half Trak Farm. Andrea will have her hands full with this sassy young man as he learns to adjust to a life where he doesn’t get to do absolutely everything he wants at any given moment! We wish them both the best and look forward to updates on his progress!
Chance Update
Brittney’s had the opportunity to work with Chance a few times since his arrival at SHS, and she likes what she sees so far. She says he’s a good boy, and she’s even tried having one of our volunteer riders hop on him and he did very well for her too. He’s pretty unfit, so he’s crossfiring in the canter and getting himself a bit discombobulated, but with more work, she’s confident he’ll work…
Summer, looking good!
We were delighted to receive these photos and updates from our friends at Jackson Valley Ranch who foster Summer: Here is Summer out in the round pen for a little lite exercise. Everyone here (staff & horse owners) all know Miss Summer, and stop by her stall/paddock often just to say hello. She is the “Grand Dame” of Jackson Valley Ranch, as well as the S.A.F.E. foster program. Here is Summer…
Marta and Shay Update
Here’s an update from Eileen who is fostering Marta and Shay at her lovely Fall City Farm: Their daily lives are very straight forward and routine. They have grazing muzzles to keep them on a strict diet because they only need to look at food and they gain weight. Shay has intermittent bouts of being “off.” It doesn’t appear to be anything related to eating grass. I have spoken to the vet a few…
Kai and Maggie go on a trail ride!
Kai’s first trail ride! His companion was the cute SAFE Maggie pony and volunteer rider, Kyrany. There was a busy running event taking place at the trail head with flags and banners hanging from the trees and tents, but both horses were great about it. They saw bikes, deer, lots of runners, and crossed numerous bridges. Kai had a few “Bambi on ice” startles (i.e., spooking in place) but since he…
Misty Update
Here’s a great update on Misty from her foster mom Lisa: Misty is doing just great. She continues to progress in her Dressage work, becoming more balanced, with a longer stride and more stretch over her topline. We had a lesson with Cindy Akdeniz last Friday and gained more knowledge and tools to keep this athletic and smart mare moving in the right direction. Her lateral work is coming along…
Strider photos
These photos of Strider were taken by SAFE volunteer Kyrany, who we thank most sincerely for letting us use them!
Lucky and Kat Go on a Trail Ride
Lucky and Kat enjoyed a trail ride today at the Redmond Watershed. Lucky might not have been out on the trails before, but he handled the 2 hour ride like a pro. Brittney shot this video while riding him on a completely loose rein. Lucky and Kat crossed at least 6 different bridges and took turns leading the way. Lucky was a good boy who did not balk at one bridge, but did look at a few fallen…
Chance moves to SAFE Harbor
Chance has arrived at SAFE Harbor Stables where he will be starting back into work with trainer Brittney Stewart. Chance has done a lot of under saddle work in the past, mostly on trails, but he’s been living a life of leisure since his return to SAFE last fall. But now he’ll get a chance to show what he can do as a riding horse. We hope to have video to share with you once he gets back into…
Strider update
Strider’s legs are looking better these days, thanks to Brittney’s hard work of daily wrapping and scrubbing and rinsing. Strider stands patiently for her while she works on him, even when it hurts. Afterwards he gets his turn in the pasture, but he’ll always stop eating to come over to say hello.
Cameo’s Accomplishments
In the spirit of celebrating the little things in life, we have a couple of big accomplishments to share with you. Last week, Miss Cameo braved the scary (and admittedly tricky!) little ramp that horses have to walk up and down when leaving and entering the main barn at SAFE Harbor. Brittney worked patiently with her until she was able to do it calmly and safely. This was a very big deal for…
Sasha Video
Here is a video made by Sasha’s owner showing her being lunged and ridden:
A Home for Logan?
We’ve been caring for Logan for several months now, and we’ve come to the sad conclusion that this sweet horse has suffered some lingering and likely permanent ill effects from the abuse and neglect he faced in his previous life. Before being seized by Pierce County Animal Control, Logan and his friends were confined for long periods of time in filthy stalls piled high with manure. As a result,…
Strider Update
Strider always enjoys himself on SAFE Open House days, and this past weekend was no exception. He likes meeting new people and listening to them rave about how big he is and how handsome. We’re happy to report that his cellulitus has gone away, but he’s still battling proud flesh and pressure sores. He’s also having another flare up of a problem that we’ve seen on and off for almost a year now…
Moonshine Update — heading to training soon!
Moonshine continues to be sweet with just a little sass. He is easy to catch and handle. He is 3 now, and will be heading off to our trainer’s soon to learn what it means to have a job. He has enjoyed his time with his foster mom, Jackie who says that she’s going to miss him!
Bridgit Update!
Bridgit has made great progress with her foster mom, Jackie. She is nearing healthy weight and her coat looks so much better than in December. She is calm, curious and very friendly. She immediately comes right up to you in a big pasture looking for loves and scratches. She gets along well with other horses, but exhibits a little dominance when she chooses to. She currently stands a little butt…
Adorable Miss Skye
Skye and Cameo — First time on pasture
Skye and Cameo came from an unusual neglect situation in which 39 horses were confined in stalls and not allowed outdoors. Here is a video of Skye and Cameo going out on pasture for the first time at SAFE Harbor. It’s entirely possible that this is something neither have ever experienced. They certainly were very happy to try it out!
Bucky B Lucky Videos
Skye and Cameo — Blankets!!
Congratulations to SAFE trainer Brittney Stewart for successfully blanketing Cameo and Skye for the the first time today! Yes, warmer weather is right around the corner, but we take these little triumphs when they come. Good girls!!
April Volunteer of the Month: Sara Eggers
SAFE’s Volunteer of the Month for April is the dedicated Sara Eggers! Sara joined our volunteer program in the summer of 2012. Her enthusiasm, reliability, and friendly smile have made her a favorite at SAFE Harbor Stables. She can be found doing farm chores on Tuesdays, feeding dinner on Fridays, and grooming for SAFE Trainer Brittney one day a week as well. Recently, Sara took on the added…
