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…
Tanis Continues to Soften
The year is moving right along, and so is Tanis, as she continues to build confidence in herself and trust in people. This time last year, only a couple people could catch this mare; fast forward to this moment, and she loves face pets, has found more comfort and…
Alumni Update: Pyrrha and Valentine
A recent photo of Valentine, on the left, and Pyrrha (Zelda), on the right, on a sunny day after being bathed.
Poppy’s Cool Trick
No, you didn’t miss a chapter: Poppy wears a saddle now. More on that story and process later. But in the meantime, please enjoy this fun little “trick” she learned during the course of her training. This is one smart cookie of a mare. Believe it or not, this was…
Training Update: Moshi in the Outdoor Roundpen
Moshi has been under saddle for several months now, and is coming along very well. Recently, she had her first rides out of the walls of an arena when we put a round pen out in the big outdoor arena. While a round pen is still a contained environment, it is a less…
Introducing Rojo!
Ever since Sparky came under our care in 2022, we held the idea of another mini donkey coming through our program who could be the second pea to Sparky’s pod. Donkeys do best with their own, and we could think of no better way to improve his quality of life than by…
Alumni Update: Ajax
Ajax is very happy in his home with Gary and Nancy. He and his horse friend, Cheyenne, are very bonded and enjoy the retired life – both being about 29 years of age. Ajax has hypothyroid and is on medication.
Training Update: Frosting in the Snaffle
Frosting is really coming into herself as nice little mare! Hers is truly an ugly duckling story — it is hard to believe the scraggly, ratty little creature who arrived at SAFE is the same mare who stands before us now, a true beauty. But looks aren’t everything, and…
Declan: Companion
After giving it a fair shake, Declan told us that he was done being a riding horse, and would very much prefer the companion lifestyle. And we, as responsible stewards of his care, listened to him. To recap: it was clear pretty early on in his training that he had…
Montana’s New Friend
There lives a permanent resident here at SAFE, one who is not kept within the boundaries of a fence. She stands with her head down all day, grazing a spot on the lawn that stays perpetually green beneath her feet. She doesn’t move at all, so well behaved is she. You…
Alumni Update: Freya
Here’s an update from a recent visit to Freya’s home. Freya is a companion horse to a Paso Fino named Mocha, who is lightly ridden. The two are very bonded and Freya will call and pace when Mocha is out, but she is only out for short rides, so is not gone long. A…
Special Sienna
Sienna has many fans here at SAFE. It’s not difficult to see why — she’s a true gentlewoman of a horse, with a kind demeanor that makes her easy to be around for even the most novice of horse people. Oftentimes when polled on who is their favorite horse, volunteers…
Esme’s First Trail Ride
Esme started her time at SAFE as a curious, yet standoffish mare, spending her days playing chase with Jacob and Edward out on the grass field they shared. She was challenging to catch, requiring a practiced (and patient) touch. And while there are still some days…
Arrow up to Date
It’s tremendously satisfying when we intake a new horse and can speedily get them up to date with all their care and keeping. This process can take anywhere from a few days (not very common, but there are some rare times when the stars align and the horse is gentle…
Riding Out with Artie
Artie has spent a great amount of time under saddle recently, and while he has been on the occasional traipse around the property, he had yet to explore the big wide world… until now! We at SAFE are lucky enough to be situated beside a park, which means we…
Jax in Rehab
Picture this: a Rocky-style montage of Jax during his rehab. Instead of running stairs, he’s going over trot poles, elevating his back to relieve pressure off his spine. He’s getting strapped into the saddle for the first time in over a month. He’s emerging victorious…
Picasso is adopted
Our sweet Picasso moved to his forever home on May 24th, marking another Graham horse out our door and onto his happy ending. He has a lovely new stall and paddock set up, a great new owner Sen and supporting trainer KC (who adopted Eevie, the smallest of the Fall…
Evie is Adopted!
Evie, the striking snowflake Appaloosa mare who came to SAFE as part of the Graham 27, has found a home Emily, who has adopted from SAFE before (the late, great Beauty, as well as sweet, blind Bliss) came back to us looking for another riding partner to add to her…
Bodywork with Roy
We are so lucky here at SAFE to have a robust and multi-talented group of volunteers who dedicate their time and talents to help us take the best possible care of our horses. One example of this is, Natalie, a certified practitioner of the Masterson Method bodywork…
Grass Time for Lacey and Domino
If our horses had to pick a favorite season, it would likely be summer. The ground has dried up enough that they can stay outside 24/7 (although there are certainly those who miss a padded stall for nighttime snoozing), and the long and mostly warm days mean plenty of…
Bijou at the June Joel Conner Clinic
At the most recent Joel Conner clinic, Kaya M worked alongside Bijou in the morning groundwork session, and had the following to say about their time spent together: “Bijou is such a sweet mare, it was a pleasure to spend some time with her in the groundwork class!…
June Joel Conner Clinic Report: Brandy
At the recent Joel Conner Clinic, Carrie S worked with Brandy in the morning groundwork session, and had the following to say about her experience: “I participated in the ground work class at the June Joel Conner Horsemanship Clinic and had the wonderful opportunity…
Summer Open House and Tack Sale
Join us for our summer Open House and Tack Sale, Saturday, June 24th from noon-3PM! Take a tour of the farm, meet the horses, learn about volunteer opportunities, and the many ways you can be involved with helping rescue horses. You can also shop our huge tack sale,…
Henry at the June Joel Conner Clinic
At our recent Joel Conner clinic, volunteer Sue C worked with Henry in the groundwork session. Here’s what she had to say about their time together: “I had the fine fortune of having Henry as my groundwork partner for the June 2023 Joel Conner Clinic. He is a lovely…
Sparky Living the Good Life
Who’s that hiding under those luscious locks? None other than Sparky, of course! Our good friend Candi recently visited Sparky at his loving foster home, and found him to be just as cute as ever. But words aren’t always to be believed, so we had her take some photos…
Convergint Social Responsibility Day
Oh June 9th, we were the lucky recipients of a massive work party with 130 hardworking, dedicated people from Convergint! We can’t thank them all enough for how much they helped out our property! Convergint supplied all the lumber and paint and even rented a scissor…
Trail Horse Declan
Some horses jump fences that tower a horse-height above them. Some run races at breakneck speeds. Some move cattle out on the open range. And others are destined more a more leisurely life, filled with lots of paddock naps and some very casual walks in the park. This…
Rae is Adopted!
Our nest at SAFE is never empty — when one leaves the coop, another one (or several!) are waiting in the wings to fill their spot. But for babies born at SAFE, the empty nest syndrome is perhaps a bit more acute. With Nova off at training, Rae was our last SAFE-born…
Joel Conner Horsemanship June 2023 Clinic
Joel Conner will be at SAFE, Friday, June 16th — Sunday, June 18th, 2023!! Joel 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, Joel…
Quincy is adopted again!
Quincy is adopted once again! He met a lovely family who drove all the way to meet him from Camano Island. Shenan, her mom Susan and daughter all came and spent the morning getting to know this special guy. Shenan was able to catch him with a little patience and we…
Darla and the Tarp
Our Darla is certainly not a one trick pony! This mare has come a loooooooong way (note how many ‘o’s I used, and know that I went conservative on the amount) from the anxious horse who first arrived at SAFE. She has become one solid riding horse with quite a few…
Zelly, Companion Horse
Out of the horses who came from the Graham seizure, the ones we started under saddle all seemed to have some kind of soundness issue. Never have we done more lameness exams in such a short period of time. For some, it was just about being thin soled, and applying…
Kelly is Adopted!
Kelly was the last of the Graham horses to arrive at SAFE, but no less loved. Actually, she quickly cemented herself as a volunteer favorite (we all know size doesn’t matter, but it’s hard not to instantly love the really big and really small ones). It was really her…
Barb’s Recent Daze
Oh little barb! What have you been up to? Well, for starters, she was turned out with a herd again — do you hear that sigh of relief? Finally, she said. Back in her old stomping grounds, living with other mares 24/7. Getting into trouble, of course. We have to watch…
Nova’s Training Looks
Our lady Nova has been off at training for the last little while, and while we miss her tall, dark, and handsome self, we couldn’t be happier that she is getting a quality education under the blue skies of Ellensburg. Nova will likely always be a mare who is her best…
Handsome Jacob
If you’re looking for a photogenic horse, a horse who practically poses for you when you take out your camera, then look no further than Jacob. Well, ok, Jacob and Edward — they’re kind of a matched set, and the way they play off one another’s energies is second to…
Heroic Henry
Two weeks ago, we reported that Henry had regressed in his training a bit, becoming unfocused and exhibiting herd-bound behavior. A new routine was established for him: stand tied in the big covered arena while Jax gets worked, followed by some moving and flagging…
Otto is Adopted!
Otto was born to the desert, raised alongside sun-warmed rocks and plump lizards in the wilds of Nevada. He was rounded up, tattooed, and, via some circumstances unknown to us, found his way to Washington. A boy of only three, some of his adult teeth still sitting…
A Bath for Moshi
Being a horse at SAFE means many things: you get fed three times a day (if not more), you always have fresh clean water, you get daily vitamins and minerals, you make new friends on two legs and four, and you learn a whole lot of things. We do our best to prepare our…
Tiva’s Journey, So Far
I’d written an article some months ago documenting Tiva’s journey with the intention of having a video to accompany it, showcasing the immense amount of progress she has made since she first stepped off that trailer over a year ago, snorting and scared. But as it has…
Summertime Bijou
As the days slide along and we begin to cruise into the summer months of long sun and warm weather, as the ground dries up and we ask ourselves ‘mud? What mud?,’ as we open our pastures and slowly introduce our herd to grass, the horses make the transition to living…
Arrow’s First Bath
The first glimpse we had of Arrow was of a slender buckskin horse curled up in the back of a paddock, sternal like a cat in the ‘loaf’ position, watching over his surroundings. He rose slowly, in no hurry to greet us, accepting our invitation to come over and say…
Brave Roy
In my time at SAFE, I’ve learned a thing or two about horses. One of the things I learned is that the majority of them love power tools. If you have to fix a fence or drill in some hardware nearby, even the more timid horses will inquire as to what you are up to. But…
Thank you Blue Spruce!
We have several retaining walls around our property and it has come time to give them a little updating. This task was originally a little daunting both because of the price of railroad ties and the amount of labor necessary, but, thanks to the Nichols family at Blue…
Alumni Update: Moon
Moon is very happy being a beautiful pasture ornament, hanging out with her animal friends and greeting visitors to the farm. Her best friend is a draft gelding named Goliath. She especially enjoys having a friend her own size for mutual grooming. In addition to…
