Trailer Loading Artie
Artie Shaw has overcome many hurdles during his time at SAFE, but perhaps one of the most challenging items for him has been trailer loading — particularly with standing in a trailer with a divider. He could ride stock just fine, but to have a divider shut on him, or…
Tulip is Adopted!
Happy news — Tulip has been adopted! There is so much to love about Tulip, from her kind and easy-going demeanor to her copper-penny coat, and her to-be adopter felt the same way. She came out to meet Tulip several times, and spent lots of time learning about her. We…
August Joel Conner Clinic Report: Esme
Cameron B worked alongside in the groundwork portion of the August Joel Conner clinic, and had the following to say about their time together: “Esme and I came together for our first clinic as a pair this August, and the experience offered both challenges and exciting…
August Joel Conner Clinic Report: Mahina
Dye “the last unicorn” black, and you have Mahina, with her long elegant legs and big doe eyes. I (Lily) had the opportunity to bring Mahina into the groundwork portion of the August Joel Conner clinic, and over the course of our three days together became even more…
Mateo’s First Saddling
From stallion to gelding, from unsaddled to saddled, this year has brought big changes for Mateo. This handsome fella has made big strides (no pun intended) when it comes to being able to act appropriately around other horses, which has made spending time with him in…
SAFE Has Big News to Share!
The property SAFE currently operates from has been leased by us for about the last 9 years. It’s been a great home, but there are a lot of risks involved in leasing, especially for a nonprofit caring for horses. Stability is vital. Which is why we are so proud to…
Alumni Update: Henry (James)
One of our SAFE Alumni Team volunteers recently checked in on Henry (James) and his adopter, Marion: James is so lucky to have Marion as his owner. She absolutely loves him and dotes on him. She boards him at a hunter/jumper barn and the trainers seem to be very good…
August Joel Conner Clinic Report: Ranger
Carrie S has been working alongside Ranger on the ground, and recently brought him into the groundwork portion of the August Joel Conner horsemanship clinic. Here’s what she has to say about this special, spotted guy: “Ranger participated in his third Joel Conner…
Growing Paloma
To make a Paloma cocktail, you combine tequila, grapefruit, and lime. Our little Paloma’s ingredients would look a bit different: a good deal of curiosity mixed with a generous pour of joy de vivre, topped with a strong sense of self, and garnished with a dash of…
Brownie — Getting a Change
A well-timed release. A horse’s natural capacity and ability for change. These are some ingredients in the formula for some pretty amazing — and sometimes quite speedy — transformations. Brownie provides us with a very clear example of this. His first…
Honoring Officer Brian Boman: 2025 Heart of the Horse Award Recipient
At SAFE, we are fortunate to work alongside individuals whose compassion, dedication, and bravery truly change lives—both human and animal. Among these remarkable individuals is Officer Brian Boman, one of our most cherished partners and the recipient of this year’s…
Alumni Update: Nyx
Nyx is enjoying life with his adopter Lindsay and his Haflinger buddy named Squish. He and Squish get along very well.
Arionna’s First Saddling
Behind her white eyelashes, Arionna’s eyes have a soft, thoughtful quality. For the past several months, she has been put through her groundwork paces, and recently hit a big milesone: wearing a saddle for the first time. Arionna tends towards the ‘sticky’ side, and…
Volunteer Appreciation Party 2025
We can’t say enough good things about our volunteers! At our recent volunteer appreciation party, we recognized the countless hours served, the literal ‘tons’ of hay and water dished out to sweet, hungry horse bellies, and the over 1,000 lbs (!!!) of cleaned per day…
Alumni Update: Blanche (Joule)
We recently received an update from Blanche’s (Joule’s) adopter, Elissa: Joule’s first year with us has been an absolute joy. She settled right in with our older gelding, her youth complementing his wisdom nicely. Both horses are friendly with our four little goats as…
Alumni Update: Pearl
Pearl continues to do well with Diana and likes her boarding stable. Diana has lots of support from other horse owners and Pearl loves having a herd. The Pinto in the photos is Bear, her best bud. Pearl seems relaxed, happy, and healthy. Diana and Adam just had their…
A Lovely Wednesday
Wednesday, named for Wednesday Addams, is a bit less goth-looking than her namesake, and much less taciturn as far as her disposition goes. We recently visited with Wednesday (and Venturo, of course) and had the chance to take some glamour shots of this striking lady.…
Remembering Thelma
Last week, we said goodbye to a piece of SAFE: we let our old barn cat Thelma go. Though many of our volunteers never even saw her, they heard her croaky meow echoing down from her apartment in the loft, or seen a pair of little eyes tracking them on their journeys to…
The Importance of Circles — Joel Conner
Joel Conner is back at SAFE this weekend for another three day clinic. Joel Conner is a remarkable horseman and teacher whose dedication to classic vaquero horsemanship is unparalleled. Following the traditions of Ray Hunt, Tom and Bill Dorrance, and Buck Brannaman,…
Alumni Update: Bliss and Evie
Bliss and Evie continue doing well, although they are no longer turned out together because Evie tried to kick Bliss. Bliss now has a one-year-old pony as a pasture mate who gets along well with her. Evie is great with kids and enjoys trail riding.
Brownie’s Glow Up
What a difference 6 months makes! Brownie came to SAFE in decent enough shape — not particularly underweight (unlike his herdmate Clarissa, who was incredibly thin), but when you look at the horse who arrived and the horse who is here today, you would not be wrong to…
Sparky and Rojo, Heart at Work
Sparky and Rojo, our two miniature donkey ambassadors, recently returned to SAFE to be able to greet guests at our 2025 Heart of the Horse. These two sweethearts have been dipping their (tiny, adorable) hooves in the water of attending more events, and what better…
Alumni Update: Coco, Minnie and Teddi
Coco, Minnie and Teddi continue to do very well together. While at SAFE, Teddi served as a wonderful aunt, watching over and teaching first Minnie and then Coco herd dynamics. Teddi has extended her motherly instincts to the bovine species. Marti told us Teddi was…
Venturo is Five Months Old!
Venturo turned five months old last week, and he sure is turning into one handsome little colt! He is a sweet and curious little fellow, one who very much appreciates scratches and a good romp on grass with mom, to whom he is baring a striking resemblance these days.…
Trinket Under Saddle
With only a handful of rides, Trinket is coming along great. We are keeping things short and sweet (just like Trinket herself) but this smart little mare is a fast learner! She is quickly getting the hang of coming up and down through the gaits on a feel, and recently…
Cleo and Deja Move to Care Fur Life
Having a community of trustworthy organizations in our network that can call on us for support — and vice versa — helps us to help more horses, not to mention each other. In exchange for taking Hayden into our program, Care Fur Life took in not just one, but two of…
Eda’s First Saddling
Eda was the first of the Valentine herd to wear a saddle, after making her way through our groundwork checklist swiftly and without a lot of trouble. Her first time being cinched up was, as you can see, pretty mellow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x‑S48RcX5m0 But…
Quincy (and Thistledown’s) New Home
SAFE’s promise to our alumni is that they will be safe, forever. Quincy’s adopter’s life circumstances had changed, and in the long term she would be unable to support Quincy and his herdmate, Thistledown. She asked for our help to rehome them — an incredibly…
Alvaro Having a Ball
Alvaro’s ball was temporarily lost, but this week it made a reappearance, much to his delight. This guy is perfecting his technique ahead of the world cup, running drills every day now. His athleticism is something else, and his energy supply never seems to end. He’s…
A Mother’s… Love?
The last time Tiva saw her filly, Hayden, was when she was weaned from her. The pair had been living in a stall, and when Hayden left for her fresh start at Care Fur Life, we did not anticipate that the pair would ever be in the same space again. But life moves in…
Inky is Adopted!
When a cute guy like Inky comes through SAFE, we know that he won’t stick around for long. His petite stature coupled with his sweet personality made Inky a hot ticket item — as soon as he got up to date on his vet and farrier and passed his intake quarantine, the…
Alumni Update: Harley
Elouise and Harley continue to do horse agility and compete through the International Agility club and have been doing very well at competitions. Harley and Elouise are definitely a very bonded team. Elouise is now learning to ride but is using another horse that is…
Edward is Adopted!
Back in 2021, Edward arrived at SAFE alongside his friends Jacob and Esme. The trio had been adopted from an orphan foal rescue by a family that was not equipped to care for them. On intake, Edward was suffering from equine asthma, and as a result was incredibly thin.…
Alumni Update: Jewel and Tilt (Korra)
Julie updated us on how both Jewel and Tilt, now Korra, are doing. Jewel is 13 now! She is doing well but still has issues with being saddled. I have been able to saddle her on and off but I just get about half a dozen rides on her before she freaks out again. Since…
Groundwork with Mateo
Since his gelding, Mateo has been waiting out some of his excess testosterone — or rather, we have been waiting for some of his studly behaviors to lose some of their potency. As a result, we have kept Mateo’s working sessions short and sweet, but this smart guy will…
Moshi is Adopted!
Tremendously exciting news: Moshi has been adopted! The match between Moshi and adopter Elle was about as perfect as it could be — they fit one another so well in so many ways, and when Elle told us she wanted to move forward, we couldn’t have been happier. Before her…
Mabel Under Saddle
Casey A recently put the first (at SAFE) rides on Mabel, and has been riding her since. Here’s what she has to say about how it’s going: “Mabel’s restart under saddle has been going quite smoothly. She is comfortable with a rider, though she does have some anxiety…
Alumni Update: Biscotti (Rowdy)
Biscotti/Rowdy looks great. The family recently moved to a larger property with more pasture space and a nice barn. He shares his pasture with a young mare and an older gentleman who both look well cared for. Nearby is a pig who roams the property and has made herself…
Nova’s Summer
Nova’s life at foster during the summertime is pretty sweet. Blue skies, western Washington winds, good friends, and a foster mom who meets this complex mare where she’s at each day. Life is easier some days for Nova than for others. Earlier this year when Bijou went…
Hi, Hayden!
Our newest intake, Hayden, may be new to SAFE, but her connection to us is about as old as she is. For the last three years, Hayden has been learning and growing and receiving phenomenal care at Care Fur Life, but before that, she was living in a stall alongside her…
Groundwork with Maisy
Not a whole lot will be expected of Maisy as she continues to grow, but she has begun her early forays into learning the ropes (literally) to set her up for success. Here she has her first experiences with the flag, the rope, and getting the hang of her hindquarters.…
Alvaro, Gelding!
A few months ago, we had a double feature gelding planned for both Mateo and Alvaro to make the switch on the same day, and while things do sometimes go as planned, this was not one of those times. Our vets were not confident they felt a second testicle on Alvaro,…
Frida and Paloma to Foster
Big enough to make the trip, last week Paloma shipped off to foster up in Arlington at the lovely Pacific Moon. Mom Frida was along for the ride too, of course, and will raise her filly out on lovely pasture. The pair join Wednesday and Venturo, and if everything goes…
Happy Birthday, Rojo!
Our sweet Rojo donkey recently snorted out the candles on his 16th birthday cake! This handsome fellow is living the good life in foster at Jackie’s Slacker Camp™ with his good friend Sparky and the rest of her marvelous menagerie. We will see both Rojo and Sparky…
Alumni Update: Willow
Willow is now 22 years old and enjoys ruling over 10 acres of pasture with her companion horse. She also supervises a company of sheep who help fertilize the 10 acres. She has a nice shelter to tuck in if she chooses and she gets blanketed when the winter gets too…
Venturo Growing Up
What’s black, white, and brown — err, we mean grey — all over? A four month old Venturo! Vinnie is proof that butterflies aren’t the only creatures capable of metamorphosis. It’s hard to believe that this little bay guy is now a not-so-little grey guy. From afar, it…
Alumni Update: Picasso (Justice)
SAFE alumni volunteer Manuela recently checked in with Picasso, now known as Justice. Justice appears to be living the good life at a fabulous farm. He gets to work and play every day with his human and also other horses. To keep Justice in top form, he is served a…
Thank You, Deloitte!
We feel incredibly lucky to have welcomed Deloitte back for the second time as a participant in their annual Impact Day on June 6th. Over the course of 6 hours, 19 participants worked on projects ranging from sanding and staining benches, washing or painting fences,…
Wren is Adopted!
We are delighted to announce that Wren has been adopted! Jake and his fiance came out to meet some horses, and fell in love with Wren. For the last month or so, Wren, now called Sage, has been settling into her new home, and is now officially a permanent member of…
Alumni Update: Darla
We recently caught up with Darla and her adopter, Monne. Monne is trail riding with Darla and works her in the round pen beforehand. Monne said, “With Darla, we are always working on confidence. She is such a smart girl, she even puts herself back in the sacrifice…
