George: Happy to get back to Work!
George is officially ready to get back to work. He has been enjoying returning to daily turnout and is beginning saddle time this week! We are excited to once again reopen applications as he progresses to full riding workouts over the next several weeks. This guy…
Otto Training Update: Giving to Pressure
Check out this video of a training session with Otto as he works on giving to pressure through the use of a rope:
Jill Is Ready For Her Forever Home!
Jill has blossomed into a fun and reliable riding horse! This sweet mare is so fun to ride because she loves working with her rider and is forward and willing, but also enjoys working at a relaxed walk and is getting a pretty dynamite stop. While she’s still young,…
Alumni Update: Moon
Moon is a companion horse and is best buddies with another draft horse, Goliath. She loves attention, especially being groomed. Recently, she has found a farrier who really understands her hooves and loves her hoof-pedis every 8 weeks, which has improved her…
Alumni Update: Bucky B Lucky
Lorenzo, formally known as Bucky B Lucky and his adopter Ruth, are still actively competing often. Here are some recent photos of playing, training and competing! Such a handsome fella!
We Love Our Minis
Written by our volunteer, Debbie Meyer, aka “Best Buddy to Shasta & Sunny” Traditionally, February has been known as the month of love. As a result, no better time for an update on SAFE’s lovable ambassadors and permanent residents, Shasta and Sunny D. As some of…
Terrific Teddi
Recently, Teddi reminded us what an amazing herd member she can be! Since Minnie and Coco had to have their vaccines done to help them protect against strangles, we were instructed to keep them separated for one-week post-vaccine from other horses. Since it is winter,…
Cameron Enjoys Long Walks
We have a few volunteers who come once a week to give our gentleman Cameron a walk around the property. Here is what Meghan Nicolson had to say: “Walking with Cameron is a highlight of my week! When we first started walking together he just wanted to go, with his…
Alumni Update: Lucy
Check out these photos of Lucy! She has been finding her way in the herd and apparently found a new friend that she is mothering a bit.
Sienna is our Special Project
Here is what Terry had to say about Sienna: What an absolute gift Joel Conner is to SAFE and horses like Sienna. His resolve, knowledge and compassion for her success is unmatched. Joel made Sienna a “special project” in this past November’s horsemanship clinic. He…
Playful Pepper
This little rascal must have decided to play a little too rough with the big girls and got a nasty laceration on her cannon bone of her hind left leg. Luckily it is very far from her heart and time is all that is needed to heal. It was covered with long winter coat…
Alumni Update: Dottie
Dottie is living the good life with her entire family! As you can see, she has plenty of friends to keep her entertained and happy!
Nyx’s Balance
Terry had this to say about Nyx: I have started to ride Nyx a few times a week. He is making some great changes and does well with a good groundwork session at the beginning of the week and then comfortably ridden. One observation is how crooked he was moving even on…
Jacob is Learning
Terry had this to say about Jacob: Jacob is a good gelding with a fair amount of try. His biggest issues stem from years prior to SAFE when he learned to evade any pressure put on him. Like any young horse he has at times tested the leadership of his handlers. Most…
Coco’s First Snow!
As most of you remember, we had quite a bit of snow over the holidays. Being that Coco is new to life and born in April, it was the first time this little lady experienced the magic of a winter wonderland. Luckily our Barn Staff captured the moment to share with all…
Nova and Jill Are Besties
Nova and Jill are enjoying each other’s company this winter. We have changed up the mare herd dynamics a bit and added a few of the older mares to a herd. Jill and Barb just wouldn’t “play nice” so some adjustments were made. Nova and Jill are the best of buds and it…
Alumni Update: Miah
Miah is now living with her new adopter of one year, Tamara! She had been riding trails until being placed on stall rest, much to Miah’s dismay! But, now has been able to walk around in her gravel paddock with her companion Mr. Apple, a very cute Appy Pony!
Veronica and the Tarp
One of our volunteer riders, Candi, had this to say about working with Veronica: “The barn is on fire! Let’s go!” It really isn’t on fire but, that was my mantra with Veronica for the last several months as we worked through some recurring haltering issues while she…
Echo is adopted!
Echo is adopted! She headed to her home right before Christmas. What a Christmas present! Echo, who is now Princess Zelda, and has a horse best friend Oz along with a young family to play with. The property is beautiful and she has a life full of fun adventures ahead.…
Wednesdays With Freya
One of our volunteers, Bob, had this to tell us about his Wednesdays spent with Freya: “As a relatively new volunteer at SAFE, I’ve really appreciated my ‘horse time’ and all that I’ve been learning. One of my favorite teachers in the last few months has been our…
Update on Otto
This little cutie is feeling much better after packing on a few more pounds! He has proven to be fairly even mannered and willing to try what is asked of him. Pretty much ground ties like a champ for grooming sessions unless its food time and then all the attention is…
Topper is Adopted!
Topper has found a wonderful new family! Not only does he get a four legged best friend, but two adorable young kids to love on him. Jo and Marcus were looking for a companion for their retiring 23 year old show mare, Cisco. The two horses met in 2 feet of snow! The…
SAFE is Now Accredited by GFAS
We have some exciting news to share! SAFE is now an Accredited member of the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries! There are just 209 GFAS organizations worldwide, and SAFE is one of them. Obtaining this status has been a goal of ours for years. SAFE achieved…
Press Release: Save a Forgotten Equine (SAFE) in Redmond, Washington is Now Accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries
Save a Forgotten Equine (SAFE) in Redmond, Washington is Now Accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries January 24, 2022 (Redmond, WA) — The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), the only globally recognized organization providing standards…
Montana’s Progress
We have made some progress with gentling Montana to the halter. He is still very shy about the first touch and had learned from his previous life that he can keep his head just out of reach from the halter by holding it far to the other side. He will allow us to walk…
Mac In Search of a Perfect Home
Terry had this to say our big Mac: “I think a lot about what Mac’s perfect home would be. It is hard to find because the person handling has to have good horse sense. They need to understand good timing for pressure and release. Too much pressure without a timely…
Lacey Loves Freya
Lacey has taken a real liking to her fence line buddy, Freya. It was very cute when we first turned Freya out with the mare herd next to Lacey, the two of them spent a ton of time talking to each other through the fence. Then for days Freya would be found next to…
New Horses: Cramer and Otto
Cramer and Otto arrived last month, like many horses at SAFE, in rough shape. They were part of a 3 horse seizue by Snohomish Animal Control. Our herd count was pretty high at the time, so our friends at SAIN (Skagit Animals in Need) took the third horse. Cramer is a…
George Wants Out
SAFE staff have the always eventful task of walking George during his stall rest. While he is often quiet in his stall, outside of his stall can get more challenging. It is hard to help such a young, playful boy keep all his feet on the ground and not jumping around…
Playful Frosting
Frosting’s foster mom, Casey, wrote an update on Frosting and here’s what she had to say about her: “Frosting is a great companion on the farm! Right now, we’re just giving her time to grow up and learn the basics. She is pretty fearless and has no trouble with…
Saddling Esme
Esme did well at our colt starting workshop in November. She was able to be saddled every day and became more and more comfortable with carrying the saddle. As with Jacob and Edward, we are going to spend the winter months getting her more comfortable and better…
Cam, My Man
A Horse of Many Names … Cameron, Cam, Cam My Man … these are all the names by which he is lovingly referred. As you may recall from an earlier update, Cameron has been participating in the SAFE Handwalking Program since last October. The program was developed to…
Edward Making Strides
Edward is a silly monkey! He is both a joy and a troublemaker all wrapped up in a handsome package. We’re approaching 60 days of nebulizing treatments for Edward. He manages these exceptionally well, given how green and untrained he was just a few months ago.…
Domino Likes His Buddies
What a sweet boy Domino is! He has been a gentleman for everything we have asked of him at SAFE. His only troubled spot is that he is very herd bound to his paddock friends, and calls continuously to them until they return to be with him in the paddock. Even if he is…
Darling Daisy
Daisy has been doing well with the transition into winter and continues on her daily 10 pounds of senior feed and free choice alfalfa. Her weight is excellent and she seems to enjoy the other horses near her pen. As we move into spring it will be nice to get her out…
Darla on the Mend
Poor, sweet Darla has been suffering from a bad hoof abscess over the holidays at SAFE. Despite starting treatment (soaking and Epson salt poultices), her pain level became more severe. We called our veterinarian, Dr. Renner, for a visit. X‑rays showed a significant…
Brandy + Bandit = Brandit for Short
We’ve spent quite some time getting to know these two mares since their arrival at SAFE in October, 2021. We’ve observed that both have a “been there, done that” wisdom about them. They seem like two old ladies chuckling to themselves about days gone by and all the…
Goodbye Arigato
Some of these are just harder to talk about than others. I’m so sorry to let you all know we had to let Arigato go. She was diagnosed with severe degeneration of her right hind coffin joint and navicular bone resulting in ongoing lameness issues. She was euthanized…
Cold Weather is Coming!
Our Alumni’s get the best treatment! With the cold temperatures going into winter, we’ve had some cute photos sent to us with horses all snug in their mid weight blankets. In their previous lives, many of these horses had to fend for themselves during harsh weather…
Sundae left on Sunday
But not necessarily forever. Sundae headed to a foster home where she will providing comfort to another horse and loving family. The family had to make the hard decision to euthanize their companion pony and wanted to have another four legged friend to help their…
Barb at the Joel Conner Clinic
Candi, a volunteer rider, recently worked with Barb in the Groundwork Clinic in November. Here is what she had to say about her. “Barb is not a Barbie Doll! Barb might be small, but she is smart and strong. She may be a ranch horse in the making with her quick moves.…
Echo at the Joel Conner Clinic
One of our volunteer riders, Candi, recently rode Echo on the last day of the Joel Connor Clinic. Here is what she said about Echo. “One look into Echo’s eyes and you see a sweet mare who is finding her groove once again. In the last month she has been introduced into…
Sad News
Last Saturday, Aubrey slipped on a wet stall mat at her foster home. When she got back up, she was not putting weight on her right hind leg. Dr. Fleck examined her and found that she was very sensitive in her pelvic area. He was fairly certain that she has sustained a…
Three New Horses
Brandy, Bandit and Topper all arrived at the beginning of October. Sadly, their owner had terminal cancer and was in hospice care. One of their last wishes was to ensure that her horses were safe and taken care of. Their friends helped them locate SAFE, we were able…
Pepper at the Joel Conner Clinic
Pepper was quite busy during Joel’s last visit to SAFE, for not only was she my companion in the groundwork portion of the clinic, but she was also present in the colt start. Because she’d worked so hard in the days prior to our groundwork sessions, she was a little…
Questions from Kindergartners
Recently a teacher from a near by elementary school reached out because she had a few students who wanted to learn more about horses. Terry was happy to help educate our little budding horse lovers. Check out their questions and Terry’s answers and see if you also can…
Alumni Update: Remy
Here are some great photos of Remy sent to us by his adopter, Jessica. Remy loves to play with other horses and teach them about toys. Here he is with his best friend, Soldier.
Jill at the Joel Conner Clinic
One of our volunteers, Sue Coulter, worked with Jill in the clinic a few weekends ago. This is what she had to say: “I was fortunate to work with Jill during two days of the groundwork portion of the Joel Conner Clinic, November 2021. Jill is a young mare, very soft,…
Daisy Gets a Massage
Recently we had someone donate a massage to Daisy and this is what she had to say: “At first, Daisy felt like she was tolerating me for a bit, but then something shifted and she relaxed into it. Par for course being I was totally new to her and she was eating lunch…
Taking A Walk On The (not so wild) Side
When many imagine an active horse, they envision great feats of athleticism: horses cavorting around courses and launching themselves over jumps taller than children, horses dancing around arenas with grace and finesse, horses racing around barrels with speeds…
