Buck Brannaman Clinic Report: Artie
Kirsten AL has been working with and riding Artie for the last several months, and back in June took him to the Buck Brannaman clinic in Ellensburg. Here’s what she has to say about the experience: “This guy! Artie recently participated in the Buck Brannaman…
Alumni Update: Roscoe
Adopter Kasey recently shared her feelings and some photos of Roscoe: Roscoe!!! He’s worth his weight three times over in gold!!! My boys love him, my hubby loves him, I love him so much.
Heart of the Horse 2024
Take a peek inside the fun and excitement that was this year’s Heart of the Horse. It took six months of preparation to turn this five hour event into a spectacular celebrations of rescued horses. All of our expectations were exceeded, and when the dust settled, we’d…
Autumn Running Free
For the last several months, Autumn has been settling into her life at Freedom Reigns. After passing her intake quarantine, she was introduced to a small herd, and began her new life — free to be as wild a horse as her spirit wanted. To see her roaming the hills with…
Hoof Handling Progression with Winter
The journey of 1,000 instances of picking your hooves up for the farrier begins with a single lift. There was a time in Winter’s life when she had seen the farrier for hoof care, but it had been a number of years, so high on the priority list for her was getting those…
Alumni Update: Addie
Adopter Nicole reports they have been having a great time with Addie. Addie really enjoys trails, little girls and obstacles.
Sparky and Rojo in our Heart
Our mini donkeys, Sparky and Rojo, live the good life fostering at our friend and volunteer Jackie’s place alongside her menagerie, but they are still on the payroll here at SAFE as our ambassadors (alongside Sunny and Shasta, of course). As honored guests at our…
Alumni Update: Pippi
Casey Holcomb, Pippi’s adopter, recently sent this update and photos: Here are some pics of Pippi with my daughter Taryn, along with Keeva, who will be retiring soon! Pippi and Keeva love each other and Taryn is excited to keep training with Pippi.
Alumni Update: Kat
We received a sad update from Shar on July 31st: Catherine‘s beautiful post about Butters (on the Facebook SAFE Alumni page) gave me the nudge I needed to share with all of you that I lost Kat last month to colic. She was 27. Losing her crushed my heart. I miss her…
Alumni Update: Butters
We received an update from Catherine on July 31st: We said goodbye to Butters this morning. Though her spirits were as bright as ever, her hind end was weakening and unsteady. She was so very happy to get to amble and munch allllll the dewy, green grass today.…
Alumni Update: Piper
Talia and Ben just moved, with Piper and her pasture mate, Nova, to a new property this spring. There is a nice trail that leaves from their new place, crosses a creek and meanders the area. They each walk the trail leading the horses. No riding at the moment — Talia…
Cleo and Deja on Grass
There are many aspects of horse rescue that are rewarding, but one of the best feelings has to be seeing a horse, who you know was previously underfed, now turned out on grass looking happy (and perhaps even a bit on the fat side!) Cleopatra and Deja Vu are two such…
Alumni Update: Jasper
Alumni volunteer Lisa G recently visited with Jasper and his adopter. Jasper is absolutely thriving in the Olympic Peninsula farm life. This happy and healthy fellow gets to spend his days turned out with a TRULY mixed herd; his 2 mare pals, Poppy and Sodee, 4…
Haltering Progression with Winter
Winter had lived for a number of years out on pasture without being caught. She remained curious of humans, but wary of their intentions, especially when it came to anyone handling her in a way that wasn’t on her terms. We were able to get a breakaway halter on Winter…
Alumni Update: Nyx and Echo
Update from Lindsay Henderson, Nyx’s adopter: The last few days we took a couple SAFE alumni (Nyx and Echo) out on a group camp out at Silver Falls. They were both rockstars! Echo and Addison Cory bravely led the way much of the time. So cool to be a part of and to…
Jupiter’s Back
Do you want the good news or the bad news first? The good news is that at a recent lameness check back in early June, Jupiter was the soundest he’s ever been. Putting him on Equioxx, tacking on some front shoes, and legging him up has proven to be a tried and…
Alumni Update: Coco, Minnie and Teddi
Coco, Minnie, and Teddi are happy as can be out on the beautiful Key Peninsula. They have graduated to shared/open shelter (so they each have individual stalls, but the doors are left open so they can all meander in and out together), as they get on wonderfully as a…
Alumni Update: Cameo and Mara
Cameo and Mara are still BFFs and enjoy going for hand-walks (and rides for Cameo) with Janelle outside of the arena on a path to the Tolt Trail.
Zuri’s Joints
A mid-90s baby, Zuri is one of the oldest members of our herd. Before her arrival, she was nursed back to health by one of Pierce County Animal Control’s amazing fosters, who brought her body condition up from the 1 out of 9 she was seized at. Considering the rough…
Alumni Update: Ruby
Ruby is living a nice life with her adopter Sophia. Ruby enjoys the company of two Percheron cross mares as herd mates. In addition, there are two dogs, goats, sheep, chickens and ducks.
Alumni Update: Aiden (Copper)
Copper (formerly Aiden) is living it up and LOVING life as a Washington High School Equestrian Team (WAHSET) horse with his human, Maeve. Just look at that view of Mount Rainier! He gets that view from his stall, lucky boy! Maeve said that Copper loves to do the games…
Domino’s “Thumbprint”
Penned by: Debbie M, SAFE Volunteer “Most of us enjoy some pampering; and Domino does, too, from his bevy of groomers who currently pamper him three to four or more times a week! Evidence of this includes his welcoming nicker when you approach his paddock, to his…
Together Forever, Chip and Dale
This past week, we made the heartbreaking decision to help Chip and Dale cross over. These two sweet older gentlemen had both been having acute health challenges as of late, and despite our careful management, were declining, not improving. Chip was experiencing…
Buck Brannaman Clinic Report: Edward
Kaya M has been working and riding Edward, and recently took him to attend the Buck Brannaman clinics in Spanaway and Ellensburg. Here’s what she has to say about the experience: “Eddie was a lucky guy recently! For two weekends in a row, he got to hang out with Buck…
Poppy and Moshi and the Brush Cutter
Casey A, who has been working and riding Moshi and Poppy, has been helping them free up their feet and find peace. This is exemplified by a recent event featuring the brush cutter: “SAFE’s facilities team is a hard-working crew, and today’s big project was clearing…
Buck Brannaman Clinic Report: Tiva
To ask what it was like to have the opportunity to bring Tiva to her first off-site clinic – and a Buck Brannaman clinic at that – the simplest answer I could give you is that it was great. Sometimes, language fails. Tiva was as at home in the strange corral of…
Alumni Program — Q2 Update
Our second quarter of SAFE alumni checks has come to a close. Q2 was extremely busy with 54 horses scheduled for their annual check, bringing our total number of horses checked on for the year up to 102! 43 horses were visited in person, with the remaining 11 horses…
Reflecting on Our Time with Buck Brannaman
As I sit here reflecting on the past two incredible weeks of learning from Buck Brannaman, I am filled with gratitude. To paraphrase Buck from the last day of the Ellensburg clinic, “In my life, I don’t know if I have been lucky, but I sure know that I have been…
Gals Being Pals
Nova and Harissa have been sharing a fence line for a while now, but recently became officially introduced out in their grass backyard. Neither of these girls are a stranger to herd dynamics, so there was very little fanfare as they established the hierarchy (Harissa…
Alumni Update: Tilt (Korra)
Tilt (now Korra) recently celebrated her birthday and adoption day! Adopter Julie wrote: Fourth of July is far more important here in Santa Fe. Happy birthday and adoption day to Korra (Tilt)!! One of the sweetest souls I’ve had the privilege to meet.
Welcome, Mahina!
Meet Mahina (pronounced muh-hee-na), which means “moon” in Hawaiian. She’s a striking mare with exceptionally long legs, almost jet black in color, adorned with a white star, two matching white ankle socks on her hind legs, and a white front right pastern. Based on…
Alumni Update: Kelly
SAFE Volunteers, Debbie M and Anne H, had the pleasure of visiting with Kelly and her extended family during a recent alumni check at her Steven’s Animal Sanctuary home in Enumclaw, WA. This is what Debbie had to say about Kelly and their visit: “I never saw Miss…
Theo is Growing!
The little mark we made on the proverbial wall above Theo’s wither back in January is no longer accurate. He has officially graduated from a 13-hand horse to a 14-hand horse. Sure, maybe he just went from 13.3 to 14.0, but an inch is an inch. Plus, his high little…
SAFE Mini Horse Ambassadors Doing Their Thing
Penned by Best Buddy to Shasta and Sunny The SAFE mini horse ambassadors, Shasta and Sunny D, recently were invited to visit the Fairwinds-Redmond Retirement Community, along with their SAFE Volunteer handlers, Jackie L and Debbie M. One of the many things they…
A Post About Tiva
The June Open House is in full swing. The forecast said rain, but the weather has held for the event, allowing our tour groups to meander leisurely around the property without worry of whether or not they remembered to re-waterproof their raincoats. At paddock #17, a…
Halter-Starting the Halter-Started
We have no shortage of chestnut mares at SAFE. It’s our most popular color, in fact, with no fewer than 10 in our care currently. Deja Vu is aptly named, then, being a chestnut mare herself. Walking by her paddock, you may ask yourself, ‘have I seen this horse…
Sugar is Adopted!
It’s hard to resist something sweet for long, and true to form, Sugar came and went from SAFE about as fast as you can say ‘isn’t he just the sweetest thing!’ That’s right, little Sugar has been adopted! Sugar, now known as “Au Poni Kopa’a” (Ko) which means “the sugar…
Alumni Update: Trey
Trey is getting to live an amazing life with his barn buddies and with Eve and Stephen. He had been ridden and shown in dressage but is now retired and gets groundwork, grooming and good loving from both Eve and Stephen. He has a dark spot on his nose they call his…
Stay Copper, Ponyboy
In his slicked-out summer coat, Edward is comparable to a new penny: copper in color, and a 3.5 on the Mohs hardness scale of mineral hardness (that’s pretty soft, just like our Ed). But the comparison to our lowest denomination coin ends there — for Edward is worth…
Pepper is Adopted!
We loved Pepper at SAFE, but it was hard not to walk by her stall or paddock and ask, ‘you’re still here?’ Pepper was one adoptable little pony! But good things come to those who wait, and indeed, when the wonderful folks at Sammamish Animal Sanctuary came knocking,…
What to Say About Beautiful Bijou?
If you pay very close attention to the SAFE website, then you already know that Bijou went out on trial for adoption, and that she ended up coming back to SAFE. We have an automatic 30-day trial with every adoption for a reason. We want to be sure that the placement…
Alumni Update: Nashville
We recently checked in with Nashville and her adopter Anna. Nashville enjoys hanging out with her friends Supri and Colbert. She has been seeing a vet regularly for her arthritis and thin soles of her feet. She is now doing much better with new pads which are helping…
Trixie Settling In
Standing in her noble shelter, peering over the edge with just the top half of her face above the wall, Trixie resembles a hippo floating beneath the surface of the water. But unlike hippos, one of the most dangerous land mammals, Trixie is sweet sweet sweet. We could…
Alumni Update: Jill
A SAFE Alumni volunteer recently checked in with Jill and her adopter Anna. Anna states Jill is growing up beautifully. She credits SAFE for that and adds that each time Jill encounters something she is troubled about, she returns to a calm state of mind quicker and…
Nova’s Saturday Scratches
Trudy M, our stupendous Saturday barn staff, has been spending some time grooming Nova during the past few months while she has been in recovery from her spay earlier this year. We have given Nova some time off, and while her expectations for work have been low, she…
SAFE at Buck
Buck Brannaman is headed to Washington for the next two weekends, and the SAFE horses will be joining him at his clinics in Spanaway and Ellensburg. This is a great opportunity for the horses to get experience off-property while furthering their education with a…
Alumni Update: Jewel and Tilt (Korra)
Jewel is doing well and living a pretty leisurely life right now. She enjoys her feeding schedule (four times per day). Her favorite thing to do is trail riding, which is on hold right now as Julie works through a saddling issue with her. Tilt (Korra) also likes her…
Alumni Update: Kai
SAFE recently checked in with Kai and his adopter, Barb. Kai has mostly had the winter to hang out with his herd mates, but Barb is looking forward to trail riding this summer. Kai is as handsome and sweet as ever and he is clearly adored by Barb!
Alumni Update: Tabitha (Willa)
Tabitha, now called Willa, lives with Alyssa in a beautiful area with trails across the road that go for miles. They do a lot of trailing riding, but Willa tends to prefer loping the trails when possible. Recently, they attended a dressage clinic in Spokane.
Blanche is Adopted!
We interrupt your weekend to bring you good news: Blanche has been adopted! Blanche, now called Joule, headed out on a beautiful sunny day to join Elissa’s family, whose non-human members include a handful of Nigerian goats and new horse-brother, Watney. Elissa had…
