Edward’s Popped Splint
If there’s one thing you can be sure of, it’s that horses will find ways to injure themselves. Cuts, scratches, lumps, bumps – you name it, and sooner or later a horse will find a way to amass a variety of them. It’s written into their code, as sure as breathing air…
We Are Lucky To Have Our Minis
Penned by Best Buddy to Shasta and Sunny and volunteer, Debbie Meyer. March is traditionally known as the month to celebrate the luck of the Irish (and those who choose to symbolically be Irish) on St. Patrick’s Day. March also is the month that those who are fans of…
Training Update: Picasso
Flashy Picasso was on a semi-hiatus from training when, back at the beginning of February, he developed an abscess that really took its time resolving. Only in the last couple weeks was he back to looking sound, but we wanted to be totally sure. So at a recent vet…
Alumni Update: Heidi
Look at cute Heidi, with mud only on her forehead! How does she do that? Heidi enjoys a walk in the woods; she loves to take advantage of the nice weather when we have it! Heidi and her adopter celebrated 15 years together in November!! We are happy to hear they said…
Chip and Dale are Adopted!
Chip and Dale are excited to be home forever! They recently returned to their previous foster mom’s home and you can see the joy in every roll, buck and kick. We are thrilled to announce Chip and Dale will permanently be staying with Laura, they are officially…
Training Update: Sienna
Sienna, Sienna, Sienna! This sweet mare remains a bit of an enigma to us. On the ground she is the model for so many things, but under saddle she remains tight. She does stay with you longer before checking out, and she is able to be talked off a ledge easier than she…
March Joel Conner Clinic
It’s the first Joel Conner horsemanship clinic of the 2023 season here at SAFE in Redmond, WA!! — Auditing is $30 each day | cash or check only (checks made out to Joel Conner) — Free for current active volunteers and Alumni horse owners. Schedule Groundwork: 9:00 am-…
Check in with Sparky
Who has the better life? Sparky or Jackie, our wonderful foster mom and volunteer holding the brush? It’s very hard to say because the level of cuteness oozing from this video should make everyone jealous that Jackie can do this everyday. To quote her “This might be…
New Friends: Barb & Kelly
Since her stint on stall rest after her houdini moment, Barb has been occupying a one bedroom paddock. If her escapades don’t allude to it, I will tell you directly that Barb is a playful and mischievous creature. If she were written into a novel, the genre would most…
Training Update: Addie
As was standard with the Graham horses we started (or re-started) under saddle, Addie had some issue when asked to go forwards. As is the case, the things that reveal themselves on the ground also appear under saddle and vice versa. It was clear that Addie was…
Artie 4 U!
Extra extra, read all about it — Artie Shaw is available for adoption as a riding horse! There was a time, not all that long ago, when we wrote riding out of Artie’s future. His first experiences with the saddle were so dramatic that we felt the time and effort it…
Meet Irene!
Introducing our first intake of 2023, Irene! Irene, along with another horse, was living under the care of an owner suffering from dementia. Unfortunately, due to her own condition, the owner was unable to provide for the horses as she once had. Both horses were…
Training Update: Flagging Off Otto
Otto’s fourth birthday just passed, and it’s hard to believe that the little sickly boy with the infected tooth who arrived at the end of 2021 is now such a solid (and healthy!) riding horse. Casey A, who has been spending the most time riding and working Otto over…
Poppy’s Playmate
If you squint, it’s hard to differentiate the two little black mares who came in together as part of the Graham 27 seizure. They’re both small of stature, both rather narrow, both almost fully black. In the shadows, it’s hard to even tell they’re there. When night…
Zelly’s Progress
Zelly is the very definition of ‘looks good for her age.’ At 20, she is no spring chicken, but her physical condition and her mental acuity show a horse who still has a lot left in the tank. When first assessing Zelly on the ground, we met a horse who was…
Alumni Update: Glory
Glory is doing well. Melissa, Glory’s adopter, enjoys riding her in the wheat fields near where she lives. Melissa’s son is also starting to ride Glory and has dreams of doing some roping on her one day.
Good Boy Jax
What a nice horse Jax has turned out to be! He’s made such a transformation since entering our horsemanship program about a month ago. It’s been extremely enjoyable working with this gelding, and teaching him a new and better way of being. When we started working with…
Esme — Ready for Adoption!
Esme, started under saddle last fall, is coming along very nicely as a riding horse! She is a cute little mover, and is soft on a loose rein, walk trot and canter. She recently had her very first rides in the outdoor arena, and did great, even amongst many would-be…
Jacob’s Trial
Part of our adoption process at SAFE involves doing our best to ensure the matches made between horse and human are the best fits possible. We try to make sure of this before the horse is out the door – adopters are encouraged to come and visit with their potential…
Alumni Update: Doolin
Shannon does lots of groundwork with Finn (formerly Doolin) to help him relax and be less nervous and he is doing really well! She has ponied him with her older Quarter horse and is teaching him how to ride comfortably in the trailer. Last September, she brought Finn…
Moshi’s First Saddle
Of the Graham horses who came to SAFE, the majority were assumed (or known) to have at least some experience under saddle. A few, however, were wild cards. Moshi was one who fit into the latter category. Upon first glance, her small stature makes you think she is…
A Dental for Tiva
I’ll let you in on a little secret: we have a document that lists all our horses here at SAFE with all their different stats. Name, height, weight. When they last had their feet done, when they last were vaccinated. It’s a way to keep track of things, helps us…
Darla — Ready for Adoption!
Darla is ready for her forever person to take her home! This sweet mare has so much try and she is so fun to ride. Darla has come a long ways since she was surrendered to SAFE; from hardly halterable, to confidently rideable. While Darla can still be nervous at times…
Field Report: Working with Bijou
Kirsten AL, one of our horsemanship volunteers, has been working with Bijou the past several months, and has had the following to say about their time spent together: “What a fun horse to work with! In both being a gem with a heart of gold and a challenge with her set…
Alumni Update: Karma
Karma lives on 15 acres with her 17-year-old gelding buddy Ramsey. Her adopter, Sarah, doesn’t ride her anymore, but she seems to enjoy her life hanging out with her buddy. Karma is brought into a stall for an hour each day to eat her alfalfa, then she and Ramsey go…
Alumni Update: Leonardo
Leo is doing well on a nine-acre property with his companions, Alpine and Oak. Toni (Leo’s adopter) lives and works on the property. Toni is not currently riding Leo due to school and work commitments, but she does groundwork with him, and he gets a lot of attention…
Alumni Update: George
George’s adopter says “Finally finished our round pen for George! After five weeks of terrible weather and no riding, I got on him tonight and he was an absolute gem. He was very proud of himself too!”
Training Update: Poppy moving on the Wall
Little Poppy is hard at work in our horsemanship program, learning all sorts of new tricks. Because she has likely never been saddled before, we are putting her through all the paces with that as our first major goal, but we are working on other aspects of a…
Declan — Ready for Adoption!
Declan is ready for his new riding partner! This big, sweet, handsome gelding has overcome a lot of tension and anxiety when it comes to riding and is starting to relax, lower his head, and lengthen his strides more and more every week. Declan recently started riding…
March 2023 Joel Conner Clinic
Join us for the first Joel Conner horsemanship clinic of the 2023 season!! Come learn from Joel, see what our horsemanship program is all about and witness our horses in action. Join us at SAFE located here. March 24–26th from 9AM — 5PM Auditing is $30 each day | cash…
Regarding Henry
The first challenge that Henry and I faced together was helping him understand that “walk” is a gait that he’s allowed and in fact encouraged to use. Like many of the Graham horses, Henry would set off like a bat out of hell when turned loose in the round pen. He’s…
Training Update: Moshi
Little Moshi is settling in well here at SAFE, and has begun work in our horsemanship program alongside volunteer Lexee N. Lexee has been putting Moshi through all the beginning pages of the ‘Red Book’ in preparation for saddling her for the first time. It is our…
Sparrow’s Racing Past
Sparrow has a lip tattoo that denotes his past as a racehorse. However it’s odd: the letter that denotes the year of birth is missing, which made identifying who he was born as a bit more challenging. But by playing a game of trial and error with letters, we were able…
King 5 News: Over 20 horses seized from Pierce County property recovering
A majority of the horses seized during an animal cruelty investigation are recovering at Save a Forgotten Equine (SAFE) and will be available for adoption. Link to video on KING‑5 News Website Author: Julie Calhoun Published: 8:43 AM PST February 12, 2023 REDMOND,…
Alumni Update: Flynn
Flynn is doing great in his new home and obviously has adoring fans. Every time we see a photo of him and one of his fans, we screech with delight because of the cuteness.
Alumni Update: Tilt
Julie recently sent us an update on Tilt with exciting news! “Another update from down here in Santa Fe at what we’re calling Desert Jewel Ranch. A huge day for little Korra (formally Tilt). Thanks to Terry Ann Phelps-Peddy, Kaya Mead, Joel Conner and the SAFE…
Otto’s Tummy-ache
I played a lot of horse games on the computer growing up, most of them focused on eventing (the act of jumping or a piaffe reduced to pressing a single button on the keyboard). While this was fine, my main interest was drawn to the care parts of the simulators -…
KUOW Soundside Podcast: Giving Neglected Horses a SAFE Home
Last week, Bonnie was interviewed by KUOW about the Graham horses! Listen as she introduces the Soundside team to Henry on their recent visit to SAFE. Listen to Soundside on iTunes or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Or visit the KUOW website at…
Jax’s Racing Past
Jax has a lip tattoo that denotes his past as a racehorse. It’s always fun when we get a horse who comes in with some kind of marker about who they were in their past — so often we don’t have any clue a horse’s history. Looking into Jax’s lip tattoo, we discovered he…
Alumni Update: Millie
Mille lives a happy life as the “queen” of her pasture! Although she is not being ridden, she is able to go on trail rides being ponied behind her pasture mate. She does very well on trails, even when they encounter bicycles, hikers, and other horses. We are so happy…
Volunteer(s) of the Year: Meghan, Monique and Trela!
We know you all have been holding your breath, waiting for us to announce our 2022 Volunteer of the Year! We wanted to surprise them in person (and film it to share with everyone! No pressure ladies) and it just so happened we couldn’t get them in on the property at…
Alumni update: Flynn
Cute photo of Flynn and a lesson student enjoying the warmer weather!
A Horse’s Best Friend
Veronica loves dogs! Not only if they just happen to be walking by her as she snoozes next to the fence line, but when she spots them, she comes right over and wants kisses. Our Saturday Barn Staff, Trudy, brings Titan her adorable husky to work each weekend. Trudy…
Alumni Update: Lucca
Jane loves trail riding and spending time with Lucca. When they are not riding the beautiful trails near Lucca’s boarding barn, Jane spends time hand walking, just to spend more time with her. Jane even brought Lucca to a Joel Conner clinic so our volunteers could…
SAFE Tax Donation Receipts were emailed yesterday!
2022 Tax Donation Receipts were sent out on January 31 via email to everyone who made at least one gift last year and who has an email on file with us. If you did not get one, it might be because we don’t have a working email address for you. If that’s the case, send…
Henry Health Update
All of the Graham horses are up to date on medical care, and have already had their feet done twice. Henry is no exception to this. The nervous, wild-eyed horse who arrived at SAFE after what was likely his first trailer ride is a far cry from the sweet horse who we…
Kelly’s Legs
Kelly arrived at SAFE with some significant dermatitis on her legs, with her hind limbs being the most severely affected. She had rubbed patches completely raw from itching, and had developed some sore spots on her fetlocks underneath all those lovely draft horse…
Alumni Update: Cassidy
Cassidy shares a five-acre pasture with her buddy, Salish. Currently, Cassidy is learning how to jump, and she loves it! Brianna, her adopter, rides her nearly every week on trails which is another activity that Cassidy loves. Brianna has tried several other…
Alumni Update: Whiskey and Shortbread
How cute are the recent photo updates from Whiskey and Shortbread?! We are happy to see the two are happy pasture pals on their 1.5 acres receiving all the love and care they deserve.
Pepper is Adopted!
Another one of our Fall City 40 is adopted! Our adorable, goat braying, fluffy maned little girl is all grown up and living her best life as a best friend to her big brother, Cal, a 17 year old 16HH Andalusian. Her adopter, Sue, was looking for another friend for Cal…
