He Is Indeed, Rest in Peace
A beloved SAFE alum departed this world yesterday. Deeds, adopted by the Stewart family in 2012, was humanely euthanized due to colic last night. Deeds lived a happy life as a companion to many of the Stewart’s horses, and he was a good friend to all. He was a quirky…
Rest in Peace, Annabelle
We lost a dear friend last week. Annabelle, who lived with Aubrey in one of our very best foster homes, collapsed suddenly on Tuesday morning and passed away shortly thereafter. She may have had a heart attack or an aneurysm, we’ll probably never know. Whatever it…
Jessel has been adopted!
We are happy to share that Jessel has found a home with Alexandra in Spokane, Washington! Alexandra, an accomplished rider, had just lost her 17 year old mare to colic. Alexandra’s experience is a perfect match for Jessel and her continuing education under saddle.…
Photos of Lori and Prince
Tomorrow Prince leaves for his new home. Today, photographer Jessica Farren captured a glimpse of his bond with Lori. Prince is moving on to the next part of his life, but he will not be forgotten.
Roscoe and Teddi Updates
Volunteer rider Lisa G has been working with Roscoe and Teddi on the ground, preparing them for Joel Conner’s visit on March 15. Lisa is using the flag and the coiled rope to help them get more comfortable being touched and moved about. Here are her reports on their…
Annabelle enjoying the spring sunshine
Annabelle celebrated yesterday’s unseasonably warm and sunny weather with a new hairdo and a bit of sunbathing! Thanks to foster mom Jackie for sharing this cute picture!
Raven Goes on a Field Trip!
Our sweet Raven got to go on her first overnight sleepover last week. We have been trying to figure out her digestive issues and the next step was to have a gastroscopy performed to rule out stomach ulcers as a source of her intermittent colics. We had not had a colic…
Ru: Young at Heart
Ruach is quite the character! He has had a number of years off and came to SAFE in October 2017 when his aging owner was no longer able to care for him. SAFE has recently restarted him and is conditioning him for light riding. He has a big lofty trot and canter. He is…
Fall in Love with Tasara
Tasara is a sweetheart! Her sensitive nature and forward energy make her an ideal horse for a rider with a light touch and calm personality. She was recently started at SAFE and is in full training. She has smooth gaits, she’s well behaved and she just loves people!…
Valencia, a Ray of Sunshine
Valencia is one of the most kind and gentle horses we currently have at SAFE. She loves getting groomed and spending time with people and other horses. She was recently restarted at SAFE after having quite a few years off due to an aging owner. She was a quiet…
Belle Gives Us a Scare
Last Monday, after she had gotten settled into her stall for the evening, Belle gave the PM volunteers a scare. She suddenly became lethargic and had a large amount of discharge coming from her mouth and nostrils. It appeared as though she was experiencing an episode…
Training Update: Renee
Renee is a stunning Quarter Horse mare. She is very wise and has a huge amount of try for her rider. She is sensitive and requires a skilled rider who is relaxed and can be a calming influence. Don’t let her age fool you, she has no idea she is 19 and has tons of life…
Don’t be Fooled by Stella!
Stella is a forward and willing young mare with a lot of try and personality. She is currently in training and going well in her riding work. She stands nicely when tied, she’s good for the vet and farrier, and trailers with no problems. She’s is a good companion to…
Thoughts about Prince
SAFE Barn Manager Lori has developed a very close relationship with Prince and worked with him for quite a while to help him prepare for the day he would be adopted. She shared these thoughts with us: I woke up this morning thinking about Prince and how far he has…
A Rescue Partnership: Saving Sienna and Koko
SAFE does the majority of its work in the public eye, sharing our stories, photos, videos, and updates with our supporters via our website and social media. But there are some rescue efforts that are done in private through our Community Outreach Program. Through this…
Sienna at NWESC
Here are photos of Sienna taken at NWESC at the beginning of her stay there. You can really see how awful her feet were in these photos. It was incredibly difficult for her to walk with feet this long. [gallery link=“file” columns=“2” size=“medium”…
Valor is a Riding Horse!
We are so pleased to announce that Valor is now officially a riding horse! Jolene did such a fantastic job preparing him for a rider that we decided we were comfortable doing the first rides here at Safe Harbor. She spent many hours “sacking him out” making sure there…
Trail and Training Update for Prince
Lori has committed a great deal of time to loving and training Prince while he has been at SAFE. He is doing so well under her supervision and has blossomed into both a confident trail horse but also a calm arena partner. This boy can do it all! Here is what Lori had…
Rosie Walks the Trails
Sweet Rosie is getting some exercise out on the trails with our wonderful volunteers. Here is a quick video of her out on the trail with her buddy Prince and the minis Sunny & Shasta. Rosie did great on the trails and even “ponied” off Prince when the volunteers…
Ru Gets his Teeth Fixed
At the end of January, Dr. Fleck came out to sedate Ru and perform a dental procedure to take down excess tooth on his lower incisors. He has a mild underbite and, likely due to lack of dental care in his past, they had grown in a way in which they ended up being…
Raven is Growing Up!
SAFE volunteer rider Casey has been working with Raven in preparation for our Colt Starting Clinic with Joel Conner on March 15–18th. Our goal is to make her first ride as uneventful as possible and for Raven to be as relaxed about a rider up top as she is with her…
New Glamor Shots: Valor
This boy is a rock star in the making! He has the looks, style, and swagger that will make anyone fall madly in love. He is going to be an amazing riding partner too!
Alumni Update: Ruby is Getting Started!
Ruby is so beautiful all grown up and wearing a saddle! Sophia and Matt have her in training near Portland, Oregon with a very skilled and kind trainer named Nick Donohue. Ruby is in great hands and Sophia is looking forward to working along side her to become a great…
Photo Update: Sienna
Stormy Under Saddle
Our blind and beautiful mare Stormy never ceases to amaze. She approaches life with incredible bravery and capability. But it turns out that there is more to Stormy than just being a treasured pasture pet. Last week, Stormy allowed her trusted friend Melinda to place…
Duchess Under Saddle
Duchess is back under saddle again. She and Jolene had a quiet first ride in the round pen and a lovely 2nd ride in arena this evening. Duchess is coming back after some years off and settling in nicely to the work. Her gentle disposition will make is suitable to many…
Lacey Video
thank you to Kino McFarland for this video and to rider Alicia for helping find the softer side of Lacey!
Stella Video
thank you to Kino McFarland for this video and to rider Casey A for guiding Stella on this journey!
Duchess Photos Jan 30, 2018
Duchess had another photoshoot with Jessica today, and modeled her saddle for good measure. Looking good, blondie!
15 Days at SAFE: Roscoe
After 15 days at SAFE, here is Roscoe. Photos by Jessica Farren.
15 Days at SAFE: Teddi
After 15 days at SAFE, here is Miss Teddi. Photos by Jessica Farren
Catching up with Prince
In the year that Prince has been with SAFE, he has grown into one of the barn favorites. This handsome fellow has been developing his arena skills and enjoying trail rides. Prince has a very important job helping the newer SAFE horses walk confidently out on the…
Zoe’s Leg
Zoe has been with us for a little over a month now, and her leg continues to look better all the time. We are relieved that a laceration that was so ugly to begin with has left her with no permanent lameness. When she originally came to us we were still at the point…
Ben bangs up his knee
Boys will be boys. In December, Ben played a little too rough in turnout and got himself a nice swift kick to the left knee by one of his buddies. His knee swelled to the size of a grapefruit and had a minor laceration. Our Barn Manager, Lori, put her equine…
Cosmo Finds a New Home
Sometimes we come across families looking for horses that we know will give the absolute best home for any of our horses. The sad part is we might not have the perfect match in our herd while they are looking. When Cosmo was ready to meet potential adopters, we called…
Stella is Ready
SAFE owes a very big thank you to volunteer rider Casey for all her efforts and steadfast devotion to Stella through her rehabilitation and training. This little mare is full of life and has a BIG heart. She is more than ready to find her special someone and a family…
Always Improving Lacey
Since November, Lacey has been ridden by SAFE volunteer rider Alicia. The two are getting along great and Alicia has found out how sweet this mare can be when you get to know her and she respects you. Jessica came out on a rare dry winter day and got some great photos…
Evaluating Nashville
Last September we noticed that Nashville appeared lame during her groundwork sessions. Cantering seemed problematic for her and she had a tough time keeping her leads and not “bunny hopping.” It was concerning considering her son, Valor, had just had surgery to fix…
Teddi and Roscoe Intake Photos
Teddi and Roscoe arrived at SAFE in mid January, after being in Animal Control custody for three weeks. When they came to SAFE, we were asked by Animal Control to keep quiet about them because of the legal case against their former owner. Both horses were quarantined…
Duchess Photos Jan 18 2018
Here are some photos of our new intake Duchess. Thank you, Jessica Farren!
A Home for Stevie
We are so excited to announce the placement of Stevie into a wonderful forever home with Diana! The pair hit is off right away. Diana was looking for a riding partner she could grow with and was taken with this dark eyed love bug! Diana took time to get to know Stevie…
Piper begins her life at Safe Harbor
If you are missing one of your fellow volunteers during your shift at Safe Harbor there is a good chance you will find that person making googly eyes and stealing kisses from our baby Piper! She is a very sweet filly with a naturally lovely disposition. We have…
Training and Health Update: Raven
When you look at Raven, it’s hard to believe that this big, beautiful filly was a rough-coated, dull-eyed, rain rot covered baby less than a year ago. She has truly blossomed! She amuses us daily with her playful personality and enthusiasm for life. Right now our…
Training Update: Ru & Valencia
Terry and her volunteer riders have been working with Ru and Valencia regularly since the last Joel Conner clinic in November. She has this to report on their progress: The more time I spend with Ruach and Valencia the more I fall in love with them. Both are probably…
Training Update: Jessel
Jessel is back on the payroll at Joel Conner’s after a light fall schedule. She is now old enough to be in full time work and so we have bumped her work up in preparation to move her back to Safe Harbor in the spring. Joel’s ranch has been a great place for Jessel to…
Getting to know Duchess
Duchess is a lovely gentle mare that we really hope will prove to be suitable for a beginner rider. She settled into Safe Harbor last week nicely and we have lightly started groundwork as we becomes accustom to our barn and getting back into work. Overall, things are…
Duchess
We welcomed back an old friend today. Duchess is a 12 year old palomino Saddlebred mare, who came to SAFE as a two year old during a major Animal Control seizure in 2008. Duchess arrived at SAFE emaciated and unhealthy with badly overgrown feet and a dreadful parasite…
Valor’s Strength Training
Valor’s rehabilitation is going super! The barn managers at SAFE began with walking him 2x a day, added ground poles and walking up hills. He then was able to graduate to roundpen work with Jolene to prepare him for saddling and ultimately to be ridden. As part of his…
And the nominees are…
2017 was an absolutely incredible year for SAFE. We moved our entire operation from 3 acres in Woodinville to 11 acres just down the road in Redmond. We also had a record setting year in terms of adoptions, new intakes, and new volunteers, but the story for 2017 is…
Welcoming Melinda!
SAFE is overjoyed to introduce you to a new staff member who will be joining us in early January. Melinda Merryman is a veterinary technician who has accepted a position with SAFE to oversee the health and well-being of our horses. Melinda has been volunteering with…
