Foster Update : Gabby
We love seeing what Trisha is up to with our long eared Gabby girl. Recently, they have been working on the scary spray bottle, which Gabby would not even consider being around, until Tess (Trisha’s other horse) was interested. Gabby quickly got jealous of Tess…
Getting to Know Sparrow
Sparrow is the older of our two thoroughbred geldings. His lip tattoo, while a little bit difficult to read, seems to tell us he was originally called ‘Proud Texan,’ and was born in 2001, making him 22 this year. He has a significant swayback, and though he has most…
Getting to Know Hopper
Sweet man Hopper was a fast favorite amongst our volunteers given his gentle personality and love of scratches. Hopper tested positive for Cushing’s, which was little surprise to us given his especially furry coat, so each morning he gets his daily medication in a…
Getting to Know Addie
Little mare Addie seemed wise beyond her years when she first stepped off the trailer — for such a young horse (we thought she might be 3 at the time), she was already accustomed to picking up her feet and had no problem being blanketed. Despite her age, it is clear…
Training Update: Artie
Since his debut as a riding horse at the end of 2022, Artie has really shown he is the little horse who could. From his early days as a literal wild stallion to now, it’s hard to even picture him as the same horse. His nickname around the barn now is ‘puppy’ because…
Getting to Know Betty
Betty is the slightly smaller of the two big black mares, and she lacks a facial marking like her friend and counterpart, Eleven. But smaller is a relative term — this is a big lady, made even bigger by being overweight. Betty has been on a diet since she was checked…
Eleven
Eleven is the larger of the two big black mares, virtually identical to her paddock-mate, Betty, though Eleven boasts a cute facial marking. Eleven arrived at SAFE quite overweight, and during our initial vet check we ran bloodwork on her. Her results came back…
Limelight Features the Graham Horses
This week the wonderful ladies from the Limelight Pet Project came to meet the Graham herd! It is the largest feature they have ever done and we are so grateful they took on such a huge task. They spent the day with Graham horses capturing beautiful portraits of all…
Getting to Know Jax
Jax is the younger of our two thoroughbred geldings, his lip tattoo revealing him as being originally christened ‘Sir Gallagher,’ born in 2008, which makes him 15 this year. He arrived at SAFE with loose stool, which we helped clear up with a course of biosponge. Jax…
Getting to Know Evie
Snowflake appaloosa Evie is certainly striking to behold. Evie has a little bit of an attitude when asked to move forward, especially going up to the canter. She is also quite difficult to get going, so we are…
Getting to Know Picasso
Picasso has a name befitting his paint-erly coat. He lives alongside his neighbors, little mares Poppy and Moshi, who he is quite attached to. We went through all our checks, and saddled Picasso here at SAFE. He is very heavy on the forehand, and has a propensity to…
Getting to Know Poppy
Sweet little Poppy is the more timid of the two black pony cross mares, but it’s impossible to decide who is cuter. Poppy can be difficult to catch, so she still has to wear a breakaway halter to make it easier for her to catch in the paddock, but we have been working…
Getting to Know Henry
Henry, who arrived wide-eyed and nervous (it was his first time on a trailer, coupled with the uncertainty of a new place), has really begun to settle in at SAFE. He spends his days in a turnout with appaloosa mares Zelly and Evie on either side, and the three go to…
Getting to Know Moshi
The more outgoing of the little black mares, Moshi is curious and approachable. She has her moments of playing hard to get, but has been the more reliable of the two to catch in the paddock, and recently has had very little issue with people coming right up to her. We…
Getting to Know Zelly
Zelly arrived at SAFE with a snotty nose (no other symptoms, like fever or lethargy) that did not resolve with time. When our vet first checked her out, she said she would want to take X‑rays if the snot remained, as the snot was not bilateral, and was likely a sinus…
Getting to Know Kelly
Kelly is a gentle mare and been fairly easy to work with so far. Her biggest trouble has come around picking up and treating her hooves. She was fairly naughty for the first farrier visit last month and we are hopeful with the care and work we have started she is…
Decoding Declan
Oh Declan, caramel-colored stranger-turned-friend, unspooling who you are has been, as it often is, an adventure of the best sort. Declan, you first arrived having worn the hat of “family horse” in your past, and you brought it with you, tucked away with the rest of…
Training Update: Darla
Darla is doing well with her training and continues to show that she is a quick learner and has a lot of try! Darla’s gotten freer with her movements, but still has some work to do getting off her front end and really carrying herself forward. We’ve also been working…
Alumni Update: Sophie
We caught up with Sophie and Julie in January 2023. Sophie has two pasture mates, Julie’s daughter’s pony and Piper, another SAFE alumni. Sophie gets a lot of groundwork but there isn’t a lot of time for as much riding anymore, as Julie has a 2‑year-old human to…
Choose Cramer
Our ex-Bucking horse is seeking forever home to live out the rest of his days as a companion to those on two legs and four. This former athlete, clocking in at 16.2H, is only 8, which means he has a lot of time left to do retired horse things like play around with his…
Camille and Sebastian Adopted Together!
It’s not often we get the privilege of adopting two of our horses together to the same home, so when we do, it sends “Ooohs” and “Ahhhs” throughout our community. Though Camille and Sebastian were only at SAFE a short while and their friendship was still so new, the…
Alumni Update: Remy
Remy is doing GREAT! He is living his best life with his pasture companion, Soldier, and they are very bonded. Remy and Soldier enjoy 24/7 turnout and they LOVE to play together. Their favorite past time is to play tug of war with their new Kong. Recently, Remy has…
George is Adopted!
We are thrilled to announce George is adopted and to an amazing family! Back in 2019, we were called upon to help find homes for a group of wild, neglected horses, we called the Fall City 40. George was a young stallion when we met him, wild and untouchable, but VERY…
Alumni Update: Jessel
The hoar frost was so beautiful this winter, Alexandra had to get some photos of her and gorgeous Jessel. We’re so happy she shared them with us!
Alumni Update: Duchess
Esperanza formally Duchess is doing well, in great health, and thriving. She and her adopter, Marianna, are in weekly classical dressage lessons and have just started half-pass work. Marianna said she just can’t say enough good things about this lovely mare! [gallery…
Alumni Update: Pogo
Pogo lives happily on five acres with four other horses including a white mare named Elle. Pogo loves Elle and she is equally smitten with him. When Lilly adopted him in 2021 he was overweight and would not let anyone groom him, along with a few other bad habits.…
Herd your Horses
The nature of SAFE is that it is a transient place, meant to be a pause in the life of the horses who come here, a comma in their lives, not a full stop. What this means is that things change on a regular basis – we play musical paddocks quite often (though all of the…
Otto’s Playmate
Though one might say he is mature for his age, based on how well he is going under saddle and his general level-headedness, the fact remains that Otto is still just a young lad, not yet 4. And boys, as they say, will be boys. Otto has been getting into some…
Tiva’s Tale
There is a journey each horse must make, a map laid out before them when they first arrive at SAFE, a pathway to a brighter future. Not every route looks the same. The topography and length vary as much as the horses themselves do – some are short and flat, some steep…
A Precious Gem Seeks a Home
“Bijou” means jewel in French, and never has a horse embodied her name so fully. Sweet Bijou truly is a gem of a mare, her kindness radiating outward from her gentle eyes. Hers is a face that enjoys being pet – she is the perfect horse for someone looking for a…
Alumni Update: Stormy
It is with sad hearts that we share an update from Stormy’s adopter, “A dreaded moment but one filled with so much love. Stormy trotted over the rainbow bridge in Dec 2022. She was the sweetest, kindest creature and so trusting and resilient. She lived a lot of life…
Stall Wars: A New Hope
Our Domino is a very special boy. His days before he arrived at SAFE were lonely ones, and so now, with so many other horses around and the bustle of daily activity, Domino lives a very different life than he did for many of his years. But that sort of adjustment can…
The Graham 27
On November 28, 2022, a large group of horses were seized from a property in Graham WA by Pierce County Animal Control. Fifteen of the horses were found in a large field, and the remaining twelve in an old dairy barn. The fifteen in the field were rounded up and…
Sisters Forever
We said goodbye to two darling horses last night and our hearts are aching. Beva and Aspen, sisters to the very end, did everything together. Last night, they shed their broken bodies and flew away, side by side for always. For Beva, it was colic, her second bad…
Frosting’s New Friends
Our sweet filly Frosting sure is growing up quick! This little lady is really growing into a beautiful, feisty mare and has a new opportunity to figure horse things out in her new herd. Having been supported by her aunt Fancy for the last year, Frosting is ready to…
“Brandit,” Back at SAFE
As though returning from a long holiday, these two noble ladies have come back to SAFE. For many months we watched their experiences at their foster home from afar – frolicking alongside their foster siblings, enjoying a summer of grass, making friends with…
Lacey’s Leisure Time
Lacey has been enjoying some time off this year; eating yummy grass, sleeping in her cozy stall, enjoying long naps in the sun, and spending time with her fenceline buddies (one of which was a very sweet donkey who she liked very much). Since Lacey let us know that…
Bring Darla Home for the Holidays!
Our darling Darla is looking for her forever home! This sweet mare will melt your heart with just a single look into her big doe eyes. Darla is going well under saddle, walk trot lope, but will still need an intermediate rider to help support her as she expands her…
27 horses seized in Pierce County
Click here to watch this news story on King 5 TV
Alumni Update: Annie
Since Annie was adopted in 2011 she has lived with four other horses in Buckley, WA living it up as a pasture pal. Last year Annie was used in Competitive Mountain Orienteering and may do that again in the future. Her adopter Nicole absolutely adores her. We are…
SAFE Holiday Open House
We’ve decided to postpone this weekend’s open house until next Sunday Dec 11. We’re concerned about the snow and ice on the roads making travel difficult or unsafe. And even if the temps warm up, that would make parking onsite here at SAFE near to impossible. Plus,…
Valentine is Adopted!
We are pleased to announce Valentine has found the perfect home! Sandy and her family are very familiar with SAFE horses having adopted two before Valentine. Sadly, Farley, passed away early this summer and while the neighbor’s horses provided some comfort to Zelda…
Alumni Update: Aries, Breve, Checkers and Pippi
All four horses, Checkers, Breve, Pippi and Aries were adopted together and are living together on a lovely farm up in Skagit County. They are impeccably cared for, in great health, and are living in ‘horse heaven.’ So wonderful four horses were adopted by the same…
Goodbye to Sinatra
One of the most unforgettable SAFE horses left this world last night. Sinatra was absolutely one of a kind, and there will never be another horse like him. He came to SAFE as a six month old colt, barely clinging to life, and survived to spend the next 14 years…
Rae-dy for adoption!
Our sweet, velveteen Rae is ready to find her forever home! This sweet-as-pie mare has come a long way from being baby Rae, and we are looking forward to get to share what makes her so special with adopters. Rae is exceptionally brave, and would likely make a…
Sparky’s New Friends
Since Sparky arrived last May, we’ve tried pairing him with a few friends for company. At first it was Ruckus, a pony, but he was adopted shortly after we paired them up. Then we tried our minis, Sunny and Shasta, but they had their routines and little home and…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Bandit
Kirsten AL worked with Bandit at the November Joel Conner clinic, and had the following to say about her time spent with this nice old gal: “Lessons learned … Ms. Bandit Bay can be both a student and a teacher. In haltering and working with this 25-year-old…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Brandy
Sue C worked with Brandy during the last Joel Conner clinic, and had the following to say about her time spent with this special mare: “This weekend I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Brandy during the groundwork portion of the Joel Conner clinic.…
Alumni Update: Justin
Justin is doing very well! He spends his days in a pasture with his young friend, Linus, and comes inside to a comfy stall at night. His adopter enjoys seeing Justin’s personality continue to shine through the longer she has him.
Barb, in Summary
Here are some things about Barb, otherwise known as: Barbie, when she is behaving like the doll – Barbra, with a stern intonation, i.e., when she’s exercising her right to be impatient – Bobblehead, when she’s silly (which is quite often, being newly four and all) –…
