July Volunteer of the Month: Miranda Cannon
Congratulations to Miranda Cannon, our July Volunteer of the Month! Since September 2021, Miranda has been dedicated to improving the lives of SAFE horses. Her kindness, dedication, and uplifting spirit are invaluable to her Friday morning team, and we are especially…
Alumni Update: Kelly
SAFE Volunteers, Debbie M and Anne H, had the pleasure of visiting with Kelly and her extended family during a recent alumni check at her Steven’s Animal Sanctuary home in Enumclaw, WA. This is what Debbie had to say about Kelly and their visit: “I never saw Miss…
Theo is Growing!
The little mark we made on the proverbial wall above Theo’s wither back in January is no longer accurate. He has officially graduated from a 13-hand horse to a 14-hand horse. Sure, maybe he just went from 13.3 to 14.0, but an inch is an inch. Plus, his high little…
SAFE Mini Horse Ambassadors Doing Their Thing
Penned by Best Buddy to Shasta and Sunny The SAFE mini horse ambassadors, Shasta and Sunny D, recently were invited to visit the Fairwinds-Redmond Retirement Community, along with their SAFE Volunteer handlers, Jackie L and Debbie M. One of the many things they…
A Post About Tiva
The June Open House is in full swing. The forecast said rain, but the weather has held for the event, allowing our tour groups to meander leisurely around the property without worry of whether or not they remembered to re-waterproof their raincoats. At paddock #17, a…
Halter-Starting the Halter-Started
We have no shortage of chestnut mares at SAFE. It’s our most popular color, in fact, with no fewer than 10 in our care currently. Deja Vu is aptly named, then, being a chestnut mare herself. Walking by her paddock, you may ask yourself, ‘have I seen this horse…
Sugar is Adopted!
It’s hard to resist something sweet for long, and true to form, Sugar came and went from SAFE about as fast as you can say ‘isn’t he just the sweetest thing!’ That’s right, little Sugar has been adopted! Sugar, now known as “Au Poni Kopa’a” (Ko) which means “the sugar…
Alumni Update: Trey
Trey is getting to live an amazing life with his barn buddies and with Eve and Stephen. He had been ridden and shown in dressage but is now retired and gets groundwork, grooming and good loving from both Eve and Stephen. He has a dark spot on his nose they call his…
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…
















