A Beauty in the Making
We’ve now known Beauty for a little over a week. She’s still on our standard intake quarantine for another week so we haven’t been interacting with her too much, but she’s proving to be a sweet mare with a desire to connect with people and other horses. Beauty came…
Pyrrah 12/3/2019
SAFE Mailing Address Change
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Someone broke into SAFE’s locked mailbox over Thanksgiving. We don’t think any mail was actually stolen, but we can’t be certain. IF YOU RECENTLY MAILED A CHECK TO SAFE, please contact Bonnie Hammond at 206–331-0006 or bonnie@safehorses.org to…
Millie makes progress!
Millie has been doing great! She was worked in the Horsemanship clinic at the beginning of November and was a star. Joel used her in a round pen “join up” demonstration and showed how to help her be more accepting of the rope. Very simply put, he would swing the rope…
Growing Pains
Piper is in a growth spurt right now. She looks a bit awkward with her long legs and high haunches but that is a phase that will be over soon. We have turned her out with several different buddies and she seems to get along nicely with a variety of personalities. This…
Cameo: Joel Conner Clinic Report
Cameo took part in the first day’s groundwork session of the November Joel Conner Clinic. Here’s what Scott had to say about the experience: I worked with Cameo for just one day of groundwork. She was the easiest horse I have worked with at SAFE. She took a couple of…
Cyrus: Joel Conner Clinic Report
SAFE volunteer Phoebe T has been working with Cyrus on groundwork and saddling. Here’s her report about the November Joel Conner Clinic: First off it was a privilege to work with Cyrus for 3 days in a row. He went from being constantly distracted on day 1, to being…
Amelia: Joel Conner Clinic Report
SAFE volunteer Jennifer A got to work with Amelia on the ground at the most recent Joel Conner clinic. Here’s what she had to say about the experience: I was so excited for the opportunity to work with Amelia at the Joel Connor groundwork clinic. It was my first time…
Remy’s Return From Training
After months of chiropractic adjustments and careful rehabbing, Remy seemed as recovered as he could be from his back issues and went back to training with Nick Donohue. Nick brought him along slowly and mindfully, being sure to pay close attention to the situations…
Adorable Miss Mara
Mara is arguably one of SAFE’s cutest current residents. Although she is still reserved, she has begun to come out of her shell and let us get to know her a little better. At first she didn’t want to admit it, but she eventually caved and allowed us to see how much…
Getting to Know Farley
Farley has settled in well here at Safe Harbor Stables. We have gotten to know and love his gentle personality and sweet nickers. Although he is shy, he does seem to enjoy the company of people and will seek out attention from his caretakers. He and Butter are quite…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Fancy
Casey had this to say about Fancy’s performance in both the Buck Brannaman clinic in October and the November Joel Conner clinic: Fancy has had a busy and productive couple of months. In October, we rode with Buck Brannaman in Spanaway, which was a great experience.…
Butterscotch: Joel Conner Clinic Update
Lori helped Butterscotch get introduced to horsemanship in our recent Horsemanship clinic. Here is what she had to say about working with this smart senior mare: Butter came to SAFE about a month ago. She’s a sweet girl but didn’t understand much about horsemanship. I…
Butter’s New Look
Bathing Butter has been something that we’ve wanted to tackle due to her perpetually grimy, shaggy haircoat. The hope was that a bath with a medicated shampoo would help her be less itchy. None of the oral supplements and antihistamines that she’s been on have seemed…
Amelia’s Trip to the Hospital
Sweet Amelia has battled GI issues since before she arrived at SAFE. But so far, we had only seen her have one colic episode, and it was a minor one. But just before Halloween we found her down in her turnout, not wanting to get up. She hadn’t finished her most recent…
Understanding PPID (Equine Cushing’s Disease)
We’ve taken in several “shaggy” senior horses lately. Honeycutt, Butter, and Mara all came to us looking suspicious for pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), and all of them tested positive. Last year, our cute pony, Sage, also got the diagnosis. PPID, also…
Luna Finishing Training
Here are some highlights from Luna’s training with Donohue Horsemanship in Banks, Oregon at the end of 2019. SAFE is thankful for all their hard work in helping us offer such well trained horses to the public. What a great foundation this young mare has received!…
Jewel 2019 Site Visit Photos
Sinatra at Home with Phoenix and Denton
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Anderson
Anderson lent his vast experience as a groundwork and riding horse to several clinic participants this weekend. First up was volunteer Sarah V, who did the groundwork sessions with him and had this to say about it: This was my second groundwork clinic with Joel and…
Joel Conner Clinic Report: Cassidy
Here’s an update on Cassidy from Casey: After Terry rode Cassidy in the morning, I did some additional groundwork that would support continued growth under saddle. The first thing I worked on was bridling. Cassidy would try to avoid the bit by wringing her neck and…
Alumni Update: Aubrey
Here are some photos we received from Aubrey’s adopter. She’s doing just great in her new home with her best buddy, Ro, who is 26 this year!
Amelia: Clinic Update
Sarah V worked with Amelia in the September clinic. Here is what she had to say about getting to know this sweet mare: Amelia and I had only worked together once before the clinic and I’m still new to this style of horsemanship, but she was a lovely mare to work with…
Tasara 11/4/2019
Moon 11/3/2019
A Setback for Teddi
At Teddi’s most recent post-surgery recheck appointment this month, we were excited to see the results of her rehab process so far. But that excitement turned to disappointment when we saw that she is more lame at the trot now than she was at her previous appointment.…
A New Plan for Valor
We recently had radiographs done of Valor’s right hind pastern, the one that showed a potential issue on the bone scan last month. Our main concern was that there might be a bone chip in there, so clean X‑rays were a relief. With this knowledge, we formulated a new…
Zoe’s Lameness Exam
Zoe had a lameness exam with Dr. Fleck a few weeks ago. She was positive in flexion tests on the left hind upper limb and had a referred lameness (a gait abnormality that appears as lameness but is a result of pain in another limb) in the right front. It’s likely a…
Mina Getting Started!!
Mina did a fantastic job settling into work under saddle with Donohue Horsemanship in Banks, Oregon. She was an uncomplicated start with a lot of try and acceptance. She has a great future ahead of her and we are happy to accept applications for her adoption. She has…
This is Not Over
Just over a week ago, we took in a timid, lonely, emaciated mare with no name. A day later, she had a new outlook on life: she had a new name, a comfy bed, high quality food, veterinary care, and people who loved her, who were more than ready to be part of the amazing…
Mina: Training Update
Mina has been a star for her first rides in training with Nick Donohue. She was a bit lazy to begin with but once she found her zoom zoom, she has been an uncomplicated and a happy mare. With her big body and sweet nature, this girl will get along with many types of…
Luna: Training Update
Luna has done very well in training with Nick Donohue. She didn’t have too much trouble with saddling but required a bit of groundwork before riding. Once she accepted the new tack and a rider, things progressed nicely. She has three nice gaits and is maturing to be a…
Congratulations, Hillary!
A long long time ago, when Hillary H was 14 years old, her mom adopted a horse named Rhythm from a rescue called SAFE. Hillary is now 21, and Rhythm’s adoption has been officially transferred to her. Here’s what Hillary had to say about this: “Roughly 10 years ago…
Farley: Intake Photos and Assesment
New horse Farley arrived from animal control custody on 10/8. He’s a 25-year-old breeding stock paint gelding who stands 15.2hh and currently weighs about 1000 pounds. He’s now at a BCS of about 3.5 but still needs to gain 100 pounds or so. He has thrush in all four…
Mara: Intake Photos and Assessments
New horse Mara arrived at SAFE from Animal Control on 10/8. She is a 30-something year old Shetland pony who currently weighs about 450# and stands 10.2hh. She needs to gain about 50 pounds. Mara got a dental, bloodwork, and vaccines through animal control prior to…
Wind: Intake Photos and Assessment
Wind is falling deep into the hearts of all of us at SAFE. She is inquisitive, friendly and always comes to say hello when we come to her window or paddock. Dr. Fleck came out to assess her last week and told us we can switch from Bute to Tramadol/Bute so it will be…
Rowan: Week 1 Photos
We are hoping to chronicle Rowan’s transformation from BCS score of 1 to a beautiful healthy mare! Here are the photos from her first week at SAFE.
Butterscotch: Intake Photos and Assesment
Butterscotch has been with SAFE for just over a week. She is settling in, eating well and has been very gentle to handle. Below are her initial medical assessments and week one photos. Butterscotch is approximately 28–32 years old, a grade mare. She is 15.2hh and…
Positive News about Rowan
ROWAN UPDATE: Our little friend seems brighter and more comfortable in her ICU stall here at SAFE. She delighted her 6am feeder with a happy whinny this morning, which seems like a really positive sign. Her bloodwork came back yesterday with nothing alarming to…
Rowan Arrives at SAFE
Rowan is a mare who is approximately 12 years old, all black except for a big star and a snip. She is extremely emaciated (BCS 1), so to prevent refeeding syndrome, she is being given a pound of alfalfa every four hours round the clock. This morning, she greeted her…
Fancy’s First Clinic
Fancy is growing into a beautiful young mare with tons of potential and promise. She is will continue working with SAFE to establish the foundational riding work before being made available for adoption. These early months of riding are key to laying the groundwork to…
Skittles, rest in peace
We received this tragic news from Skittles’ adopter Susanne M. My sweet Skittles left us sometime last night. She does not appear to have colicked or have been distressed; she looked like she just lay down to sleep. I pray she didn’t suffer or know any fear. Skittles…
Fancy Miss Fancy
Casey has good things to share about Fancy: Fancy has been coming along really nicely, and she did amazingly well in her first clinic setting in September. Though she did get a bit bothered when the energy picked up around her, I was able to keep her out of trouble.…
Stella’s Busy Summer
Stella’s regular rider Casey had this to report: Stella had a busy and productive summer! We had the great fortune to ride with Buck Brannaman in Ellensburg, Nick Donahue in Arlington, and Joel Conner at SAFE. Stella did well in all settings, and, of course, we…
Stella Update and New Videos
Casey has done an exceptional job helping this sensitive mare direct her energy in positive ways. Just watching her, you can’t fully appreciation the amount of skill and tactful execution it takes to support this talented mare. We jokingly referred to Stella as a…
Spotlight on Lacey
SAFE was honored to be invited by Pet Connection Magazine and Dirtie Dog Photography on an exciting new television project called the Limelight Project. Their goal is to bringing more exposure to rescue organizations to help adoptable horses find families while…
A Gentle Wind
Horses are remarkably resilient animals. Time after time, we’ve seen horses who are able to recover from terrible neglect, pulled back from the brink of death to transform back into the strong, healthy creatures they were always meant to be. These horses inspire us…
Sienna, Making Progress
Sienna has made some excellent improvements since we took a little extra time with her groundwork training. Our friend Joel Conner felt that Sienna started out training holding so much trouble inside of her that once she started to free up her feet, her residual…
Anderson aka Mr. Personality
Anderson continues to do well working with Kaya. Here is a little update she wrote about him: Anderson is so much fun! As I work with him more, his adorable and ridiculous personality is really showing itself. He loves a good face scratch and playing with the water…
Filling Holes with Cameo
Cameo has been doing very well in her horsemanship training this summer. We realized that there were still some holes in her training, especially issues with her blind spots, and began concentrating on these areas. Cameo was not fond of having ropes touch her hind…
