
October Joel Conner Clinic Report: Edward
Kaya M has been riding Edward for the last year, and has the following reflection regarding their last clinic together of 2024: “Edward had a wonderful last clinic of the year! He really showed how much he’s learned and was starting to “play with the big dogs” working…

Alumni Update: Rae
Christina provided a couple of new photos of Rae. She wrote: Hard to pic a favorite… but I can always share more later. Looking back at photos from the March 2024 to August 2024 clinics at SAFE it’s no wonder some folks had to ask if it was really Rae! She’s…

Esme’s Clinic Adventures: A Summer of Growth
This little pony has so much heart! Summer has been eventful for Esme, filled with new experiences and learning opportunities. She earned her position as my riding partner at both the Spanaway and Ellensburg Buck Brannaman clinics, and she rose to each challenge…

Alumni Update: Nyx
Lindsay shared this update and photos from September. Had an amazing weekend at Quinn Meadows in central Oregon with Nyx. He’s just the best trail buddy I could have ever dreamed of…still some work to do with mountain bikers, but we can’t be perfect at everything.…

October Joel Conner Clinic Report: Winter
Paige N has been spending some time working with Winter, and has the following to say about their time spent together over the last two Joel Conner clinics: “Over the past two Joel Conner Clinics Winter has made phenomenal progress both mentally and physically. …

Week in Review: November 10 — 16
Another week has passed at SAFE, and with it we are already halfway through November! The weather is changing (re: darker, colder) but as always, the varied personalities of the horses and the busy, busy days around the barn keep us warm. Check out what we got up to…

Alumni Update: Tasara
Tasara is a very healthy and happy horse. She is very affectionate and loves to turn her back end to you and get scritches. Tasara has a favorite rooster companion and they stay close to each other in and out of the barn. Sherri does not ride anymore but does take…

A Gentle Start: Cooper’s Path to Trust and Comfort
We’re just getting to know Cooper and working to assess his personality as we prepare him for halter training. Upon arrival at SAFE, he showed signs of soreness, and unfortunately, he seems to have a soundness issue. Because he isn’t halter-trained yet, we haven’t…


Alumni Update: Bubbles (Bella)
Mary and Bella are doing great! Bella has been in a training refresher for the month of January. The lessons have been going well, and she is learning to be more confident on the trails, where she holds her head lower and more relaxed. Bella has been doing great with…

February Volunteer of the Month: Val Thorkildsen
Congratulations to Val Thorkildsen, our February Volunteer of the Month! Val’s kindness, dedication, and unwavering positivity make her an invaluable part of our SAFE community. From the moment she joined us two years ago—with no prior horse experience—she has shown…

Liz’s Favorite: Sienna
Liz really likes Sienna, and here she talks about a few of the reasons why:

Alumni Update: Declan
Declan is doing great at the top of a “mountain” in Granite Falls. It is about 1100 feet elevation, cold and beautiful. He is hanging out with Sue’s (his adopter) other horse Cal and having a great time. Lovely 20 plus acre farm with plenty of action going on and…

Jacob In His Own Words
If Jacob were a human, we think his self-introduction might go something like this: “What’s up, my name’s Jacob, and I put the ‘nut’ in ‘chestnut.’ Ha-ha-ha, just kidding. I actually like to describe myself as a pretty chill dude. My fave hobbies include hanging out…

Alumni Update: Montana
Montana’s adopter, Alycia, shared this update. I wanted to reach out with a Montana pic and update. I captured this photo as he ran up the pasture after his new bestie, Mikey. Montana has settled well into his routine here and is building warm relationships and…