Introducing Wren
Wren came to SAFE back in May as part of a 7 horse rescue from the Gig Harbor area. She was living in a 4‑horse herd, and while initially curious, she was somewhat cautious around people at first, preferring to keep her distance. But after her arrival here and those…
Jet-Setting Addie
Here’s a limerick for you: There once was a young mare from Graham, Whose coat was a dark shade of tan, And if ever you knew What was good for you You’d adopt sweet miss Addie from Graham! Me calling Addie, a bay horse, ‘a dark shade of tan’ aside, I am very serious…
Tiva These Days
Recent observations regarding Tiva: Her shoulders, in particular, are rather itchy this time of year, and she is not opposed to a little mutual grooming if you would be so inclined to scratch, yes, just there, above the elbow. A gentle mare, she rarely ever uses…
Introducing Lancelot
Lancelot, along with his 6 other cohorts, were living in squalor in the area outside of Gig Harbor when we picked them up this past May. Lance’s paddock was a mud pit surrounded by broken and bent panels. His only source of water was from a dirty trough, and the ribs…
Alumni Update: Ben
Here’s an update from Ben’s adopter, Lisa G: Uncle Ben, the ever-melty when kids are around. My niece is a horsewoman in the making and helped me muck stalls, feed, and groom! She led both my horses all around the field and Ben was just soooo gentle with her (much…
Training Update: Artie Changing Eyes
Much like watching a plant grow, it is difficult sometimes to see the change in something unless you can clearly see from where you began. Sure, you know it’s different, but how different can be hard to quantify without a comparison. We first met Artie as a untouched…
Training Update: Riding Veronica
Veronica has a mane nearly as long as she is tall, with a forelock that practically tickles her nostrils. On hot days, she loves to splash in her water trough, both front feet fully in and pawing, giving herself a two-for-one pedicure and face wash. She loves a good…
Pen Click Training
Trypanophobia is the fear of needles — and while I’ve yet to meet anyone who is fond of getting poked, some have more of an issue with it than others. The same goes for horses. Some hardly blink. Be it IM or IV, you’d be hard pressed to get a reaction out of our more…
Transformations
Gradual change can be difficult to see, especially when what you have in front of you is almost impossibly different than what once was. Below is a quick before and after of a few SAFE horses, and their nearly unbelievable transformations over the years at SAFE.…
Thanks for the Work Party, Bishop Blanchet!
Though it may technically still be winter, property maintenance is a year-round job! Last Friday was our inaugural work party of 2024, where we partnered with Bishop Blanchet High School for their first annual Staff & Faculty Day of Service. We had 14 members of…
Alumni Update: Gabby & Caramel (Cara)
Alumni volunteer Candi K. recently went out to visit alumni Gabby and Cara and provided this lovely update: “Imagine yourself on 20 acres surrounded by the beauty of the Northwest and views as far the eye can see with a picture-perfect red barn and matching farmhouse…
Covering Ground(work) with Lance
Wearing a saddle for the first time is not an overnight process. For a horse like Lance, who came to SAFE last May as an unhalterable stallion, that process might be a little longer. But with no timelines in place, Lance is being given all the preparation he needs for…
Blanche’s First Saddling
Blanche has been an ‘easy’ horse from day one. The fact that she allowed us to halter and lead her with some quality right out of the gate put her in a higher percentile than the majority of our intakes. But because we didn’t know a lot about Blanche’s past, we had no…
Champagne is Adopted!
We are breaking out the bubbly, because little Champagne has been adopted! Champagne arrived at SAFE as a very nervous little stallion who was averse to being caught or handled. During his time at SAFE, we spent daily time with him, working to teach him that people…
