The SAFE horses are all beautiful in their own way, and no one has done more to convey and share that beauty than equine photographer Karen Wegehenkel. Karen’s photographs are so beautiful, in fact, that it might surprise you to learn that this professional equine photographer donates her sessions and her work to our organization on a regular basis! We met Karen in 2011, and not long after, she visited our Monroe farm to photograph new SAFE intakes Shasta and Sunny D, along with the rest of the horses that were with us that day. Karen’s love for horses shines through in her work. As a regular photographer for SAFE events like the Benefit Horse Show and the Highbrow Hack, she is tireless, energetic, and always has a smile. But we do have to remember to keep an eye on her…at our last horse show, Karen nearly gave herself heat exhaustion from working too hard in the August sun!!  Karen Wegehenkel gives so much to SAFE and that is why we are so proud to make her our November Volunteer of the Month!

More about Karen in her own words…

I am a professional equine photographer with a fine-art background and a knack of catching the horse’s personality and the special connection between horse and human. Besides being one of the photographers of the SAFE Benefit Show, I come out once a year to do a photo session with new SAFE horses, in the hope to get them adopted quicker, and to supply the organization with photos for ads, brochures, banners and the SAFE website. I also regularly donate photo sessions and/or artwork to the Heart of the Horse fundraiser. 

The first time I came out to take photos of SAFE horses was in 2011. That’s when you had just gotten the two minis, both rather skinny and Sunny still being a baby. They were so adorable! 

What I like about SAFE is that they are responsibly taking in as many horses as they can, but not more, and give them the care and training they need. Over the years I have heard of many well-meaning rescues had to close because they took on too many horses and then couldn’t feed them all. SAFE is not like that. They also have a great presence in the social media and keep the awareness high at all times. The many fundraisers that are spread evenly throughout the year help with the awareness about the organization as well. Potential adopters are checked thoroughly before a horse is placed there, to make sure the horse does not need to come back. 

There are so many great horses, with so many great stories! I love the dressage movements of Lola, the sweet character of Lucky, the amazing presence of Ruby, the self-assuredness of Jewel, the extreme cuteness of Shasta and Sunny. They all have their own character, and they are all lucky to have been taken in by SAFE. 

To see more of Karen’s work as a photographer and graphic designer, visit her website at www.wegehenkel.com