A Gift from Wind
We have some sad news to share with you. We lost our dear friend Wind unexpectedly last week. She was found deceased in her pasture at her foster home. We can’t know what happened, but we do know a few things. First off, there does not appear to have been a struggle.…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Remy
Clinic report from Phoebe T: Remy is such a nice mover! He is smart as a whip, and very responsive to a good feel. He needs more work to become comfortable having the rope thrown around his feet and having the flag over his back. He requires a confident leader whom he…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Alder
Clinic report from Kaya M: Alder, yet again, was an all-star in the clinic! Joel started out the weekend riding him as he had some time off right after training due to sickness. By the end of the weekend, five different people had ridden him, being flagged around the…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Beauty
Clinic report from Jane M: I had the distinct pleasure of working with Beauty, a 20+ year old Arabian mare, in the Joel Connor Clinic this past week. I spent five days in a row doing groundwork for an hour under Joel’s supervision. It’s impossible to know what abuse…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Anderson
Clinic report from Kaya M: Even though this was my fourth clinic riding Anderson, I think we made more positive changes together than the past three combined! I had a huge learning moment myself that gave me more confidence and control and gave Anderson a better…
Joel Conner Clinic Update: Stella
Written by SAFE volunteer Sue C: I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with Stella for 4 days at the recent Joel Conner clinic. Stella has been well trained by Casey, which helped so much since I was the one learning the mechanics of how to ask for moving…
July Volunteer of the Month: David Livingstone
How and when did you first get involved with horses? Do you have one now you want to tell us about? I always lived just a few miles from horses while I was growing up, but I never interacted with them. Since none of my friends were involved in horsemanship it never…
Bean’s Virtual Site Visit
In lieu of in-person site visits, we’ve been conducting virtual follow ups with adopted SAFE horses. A SAFE volunteer spoke by phone with Michelle, who adopted Bean. Michelle reports that all is well with Bean, who is well loved by the kids. She’s been ridden by both…
Training Update: Groundwork with Minnie
Check out this video of Minnie doing some groundwork. She works on leading on a float through three gaits (walk, trot, lope), transitioning through those gaits smoothly, and staying straight on her united circle. She also works on being touched by the rope and the…
Jacob’s Smile
For some, going to the dentist is no big deal. Jacob, whose human persona would, for the most part, be something akin to a laid back surfer dude, is one such fellow. He recently had his first dental visit since arriving at SAFE, and took it all in stride. He was a…
Teddi Sees the Dentist
Teddi’s recent dental was just how we like them – an easy, routine visit with very little that needed addressing. She had just a few sharp edges that needed filing down, and the entire procedure only took a few minutes. Even though Teddi’s dental was entirely…
Tiva: Training and Video Update
Someone once told me that in their experience the Yakima Reservation horses were like trying to tame a “wild cat”. They are flighty, jumpy and in that person’s eyes almost impossible to domesticate. For us, the jury is still out. We have seen now our fair share of…
Edward All Cinched Up
Edward, the skinny, asthmatic horse who arrived at SAFE last fall has been started under saddle. It has been a while since he looked like the gelding we first met – he has seen such dramatic improvement in both his health and his ground manners – and to see him with a…
SuperNova
Nova is a tall drink of water. Or, perhaps a bit more appropriately, a tall drink of soda – something with bubbles, the kind that dance and pop above the glass, sparkly and effervescent. The word ‘coltish’ also springs to mind, certainly due to those long legs of…
