October Joel Conner Clinic Report: Ranger
Lise A worked alongside Ranger in the October Joel Conner clinic. While he has made lots of great progress in this style of groundwork, he still has some insecurities surrounding fly spray. Over the course of the three days, Lise worked a lot on helping Ranger grow…
Maisy in the Round Pen
We’re keeping things easy breezy with our miss Maisy, as she is still a growing girl. She comes in for groundwork sessions a few times a week where she gets her wiggles out and learns a bit more about giving to pressure and what a halter means. Here’s a recent video…
Alumni Update: Piper
Talia has been working a lot so hasn’t ridden much lately. Piper enjoys being with her pasture mate, Nova.
Alumni Update: Checkers
Checkers was adopted by Silver from previous adopter, Lola. Silver wanted a companion for her horses Bindy and Athena. Checkers is not ridden and is very relaxed and happy. She gets along very well with Athena and Bindy. Athena is an older horse while Bindy is…
Mateo Makes a Choice
We tried the ‘choose a paper’ challenge with Mateo recently. In the end, turns out you can have your cake and eat it too! https://youtube.com/shorts/LJp3nFyP3D4 Mateo has been doing great, making good choices as he grows in his skills on the ground. He is well…
Bandit’s Recent Trim
Bandit was on her best behavior for her farrier appointment last week, and was a bit cheeky as well! For a long while, Bandit was very guarded about having her hind legs handled. She has evidence of an old injury, and perhaps because of this, she would often react…
Arionna Under Saddle
Since her start under saddle a few months ago, Arionna has been making steady forward progress. She’s been riding out of the roundpen, learning to tie, and wearing a bridle. All this while maintaining her sweet demeanor. She is a nice horse who is becoming an even…
Harissa is a Riding Horse!
Following months of preparation, we can officially say that Harissa is a riding horse! When we first met Harissa, we weren’t convinced she wouldn’t go for the jugular. She had a poor understanding of pressure, and could be quite dangerous to be around. We had moments…
Alumni Update: Zuri
Laura posted an update on Zuri October 9th: For all of you who know and cared for Zuri, just a sweet update. It always takes some time to get to know your four-legged friends. Zuri is such a strong independent character and at first, she wasn’t very attentive to…
Alumni Update: Moshi (Moxie)
Elle provided a three-month update August 18th on Moshi, now Moxie: We are almost through the dog days of summer down here in Alabama which means lots of cooling hose downs throughout the day, a bucket of SAFE’s famous “sweet water” every night with her dinner, and…
Fabulous Frida
While her filly gets a lot of (well deserved) screen time, we have to pay homage to Frida herself. As we round the corner on 6 months of Paloma, let’s take a moment to shout out the mare who gave us that little life. Frida is a strong personality, a fact we picked up…
Nova and Friends
Nova is still enjoying life over in Ellensburg, and we are continually grateful that her foster, Blair, continues to have both physical and emotional space for Nova to be the special mare she is. Here is an update from Blair: “R & B Ranch is happy to share that…
Pepper is Adopted!
Our fun, feisty, and fabulous Pepper has been adopted! After a brief return to SAFE, where she received a tune-up under saddle, Pepper was ready to meet adopters once more. When Liz met Pepper, she could feel it was a match, and told us that she felt very lucky to be…
Brownie Out and About
Brownie lives up to his name — he is a sweet guy. His progress under saddle has been smooth and steady, a relatively quick upward trajectory. Here you can see his first ride outside of the arena, his 5th ride overall. This dude is going places, sometimes at a lope!…
Alumni Update: Mesquite
Mesquite’s adopter Cory recently shared some thoughts on their relationship: Mesquite is ALL ARAB! A hot, opinionated, so extremely soft, Velcro, one-person horse. I love him more than anyone can know. I met and adopted him from SAFE as my friend when he was 11.…
Alumni Update: Remy
A SAFE Alumni volunteer recently visited with Remy and his adopter Jessica. Remy has been doing well. He and Soldier are companions together in hilly acreage, stalled briefly for grain; otherwise, live outside all summer. Stall will be available as needed when weather…
Sienna Under the Rainbow
As far as “things you’d hope to find under a rainbow” go, Sienna is right up there with a pot of gold. This mare is certainly a treasure! As SAFE’s current longest resident, Sienna is approaching 8 years with us. “From Feral to Friend” could be the title of her…
Mabel on the Move
Mabel went on her first walk outside the arena walls the other day, accompanied by Poppy, who was more than happy to show her around. Mabel has limited vision in her left eye, but you’d never know with how confidently she handles new experiences such as this. Mabel is…
Alumni Update: Stella
Stella spends the school year at Carrol College engaged in equine emotional therapy and horsemanship. Bethany does endurance rides with her in the spring. Stella’s nickname at the college is the “Sports Car”, with all the bells and whistles. And she lets the rider…
Mornings at SAFE
What makes a morning at SAFE? In the early hours before our volunteers arrive, our barn staff get all the horses fed and ready to start their days! Check out a sample of what a typical morning looks like below. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B5OrQNUYJDM
Alumni Update: Tilt (Korra)
Julie shared a milestone for Korra on August 18th: Another milestone for little Korra. We hauled out to new trails to ride with our farrier and her partner. Korra is TINY compared to the other horses on the ride so we did a whole lotta trotting to keep up. She was a…
Jacob at Foster — Again!
After a brief reappearance at SAFE, Jacob was off to foster again, showing what an adaptable (and still adoptable) guy he can be! While not without his quirks, Jacob makes a good companion to have around. He is not particularly herd bound, and has a goofy personality.…
Venturo and Alvaro, New Friends!
Do you remember the feeling of being a kid and getting to hang out with your older cousins around the holidays, or being allowed to tag along with your older sibling? How cool you felt, how much fun you had? We have to imagine that’s how Venturo is feeling this week…
Alumni Update: Orion
An update from Roxanne from August 1st: I wanted to share some photos of Orion being the best boy at Rebecca Farm in Montana this year. He finished 8th in a pretty zesty competitive division, with no jump or time faults for the weekend!
Zuri is Adopted!
As an older mare with particular needs, we weren’t convinced that Zuri wouldn’t live out her days at SAFE. So we are even more over the moon (over Neptune, if you will) to announce Zuri’s adoption! Her adopter Laura came looking for a companion for her older gelding,…
Brownie’s Third Ride
After receiving his first ride during the August Joel Conner clinic, Brownie moved at a pretty quick clip on his way to being a full blown riding horse. He’s still very green, but a pretty steady eddy so far! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HSC0fEu9_M
Alumni Update: Jill
Here are a couple of recent photos of Jill. She is living a good life with adopter Anna.
Alumni Update: Tabitha (Willa)
Willa now has a retired polo pony as a buddy/pasture mate. They are very comfortable together. Willa loves trail riding and has a big “Go” button.
Poppy’s Summer Activities
Poppy has been taking full advantage of the nice summer weather this year, going for walks outside, cooling off (with the help of a little helper), and even stopping to smell the flowers. This little mare is sure going to be a nice partner for someone! …
Thank You, Thornton Place!
Last week, we hosted a hardworking team of 6 individuals from Thornton Place Apartments for a work party. This team came ready to complete projects, and went above and beyond to help get some necessary work done around the barn. They weatherproofed our wooden…
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: Nyx
Lindsay provided an update on August 19th: Just dropping in to say hi from me and Nyx! We just got home from a fun time at sheep springs horse camp. Nyx has a rough time with flies in the summer (and this summer has been a doozy for flies around our neck of the…
Arionna’s First Rides
This big, beautiful mare had her first rides this week, and did very well! She’d had several months of preparation, and all that groundwork set her up for success. Because she leans more on the ‘duller’ side of things, the focus for her rides was free forward…
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…
