SAFE Horses
SAFE News and Updates
December Volunteer of the Month: Kirsten Lints
Congratulations to our December Volunteer of the Month, Kirsten Lints! Kirsten has been sharing her time, hard work and love with our horses for almost 3 years now! She started on a morning chore shift and moved into the role of Friday Barn Assist. As well, Kirsten is part of the horsemanship team, where she dedicates many hours to not only helping horses like Bandit, but showing up with an…
Cookie and Harper are Adopted!
A big happy ending for two little horses — minis Cookie and Harper have been adopted! Since early April, these two mares were in holding with us for Island County Animal Control at our dear friend and foster Sarah’s place, where they got back on their feet, so to speak. When they finally became ‘ours’ officially, following the closure of their case, they were more than ready to meet their…
Harissa’s Progress
For us, it begins in a muddy field. Harissa stands with her herd, four mares total, perhaps aunts or cousins or sisters, bound if not by blood then by the unfortunate nature of their circumstances. They squelch through the muck as they approach us, curious, wary. While some can be haltered, none allow themselves to be led, and we must usher them to the trailer loose, a 16-legged unit…
Guard Pony Lacey
Trudy, our wonderful Saturday barn staff, recounts an interaction that she and our sweet (and brave!) little Lacey had recently: “It’s arena turnout season… Where some of our sweetest pairs of horses get time playing together in the squishy sand footing. They get a chance to roll, frolic, and stretch out in bursts of free cantering. This is needed, because a fair handful of our grass paddocks…
Inula Learns to Pony
Just because you can’t (or shouldn’t) ride a horse doesn’t mean there isn’t a host of fun activities you can get up to with them! The basics are obvious — extended grooming sessions, hand walking and grazing, and the tried and true classic for any and all horse lovers: simply hanging out. But what about more advanced maneuvers? Riding a horse while also leading a horse, called ‘ponying,’…
Giving Thanks at SAFE
There is always so much to be thankful for here at SAFE, but for this season of thanks giving, we went around and asked some of our herd to name one thing they were thankful for this year: Brandy, during a recent arena turnout session with BFF Bandit, took a moment to answer with “Sunshine!” Bandit was too busy basking in said sun to be reached for comment. “Mashes so good, they make you kick up…
November Clinic Report: Bandit
Kirsten AL worked alongside Bandit in the November Joel Conner clinic, and said the following about this smart lady: “This sweet 26 year old has never heard the saying, ‘ you can’t teach an old dog…’ because she continues to not only learn but enjoys the groundwork lessons together. Bending at a stop and starting again has become a favorite that we started in September. Bandit not only bends…
Meet Blanche
Blanche, despite being named for a Golden Girl, is neither old nor golden. She is a 6‑year-old BLM mustang mare whose white freezebrand is the only part of her that isn’t black. This lovely lady came in alongside Dorothy, and despite not having known one another before the trailer ride over, the two will forever be bonded as Golden Girls as well as SAFE horses. Not much of Blanche’s pre-SAFE…
November Clinic Report: Tiva
The transformative nature of the horse never fails to astound me. I suppose that in working with Tiva over the last year, it has been a bit like not being able to see the forest for the trees. Not that her progress does not feel like progress, but looking back to where she began, I can hardly believe she is the same mare as that petrified, snorting creature who arrived last February. I’ve…
November Clinic Report: Brandy
Carrie S worked alongside Brandy in the November Joel Conner clinic, and had the following to say about their time together: “I participated in the November Joel Conner clinic in the groundwork class with Miss Brandy Snap. This beautiful and kind mare has made stunning progress over the three clinics we participated in this year. When we started out in March, she leaned on the lead rope, was…
Introducing Dorothy
We welcomed Dorothy and Blanche (the Golden Girls, despite their dark coloration) into our herd last week, two ladies both seized by Pierce County Animal Control (they met for the first time on the trailer ride to SAFE, but were fast friends). Dorothy is a 22 year old OTTB who, if we decoded her faded lip tattoo accurately, was born as ‘Jazz’n Off’ in 2001. She ran only once, at Portland…
November Clinic Report: Inula
Inula is the type of horse you want to take home to mom, especially if mom is slightly afraid of horses. She has a sweetness about her that’s unmatched by most, a real gentleness that radiates out from her in a little horsey aura. Not to say that there isn’t always the possibility of getting hurt around a 1,000 pound creature (or in her case, closer to 750), but if I had to put my trust in a…
Gelding Grants Available
This year, SAFE is honored to be the recipient of a grant from the Marion and Richard Graham Foundation, an organization created with the overall goal of preventing cruelty to animals and enhancing their lives. Marion and Richard Grant support small nonprofits who already have the infrastructure in place to help animals, but would benefit from additional financial support. SAFE was approached by…
November Clinic Report: Mirana
Meghan N worked with Mirana in the November Joel Conner clinic, and reflects on the experience below: “Mirana’s Learning Adventure Continues Mirana participated in her second Joel Conner Clinic this past weekend. This mare is smart, but has some troubles to work through so she can be comfortable and confident in herself and her ability to have freedom in her feet. One challenge we began to work…
November Clinic Report: Edward
Lexee N rode Edward in the recent Joel Conner Clinic, and had the following to say about their experience together: “Edward has been a blast to ride. A gentle guy, working on his life and balance through horsemanship. This guys is ready for a home! His future is bright and he was impressing many at the Joel Conner Clinic. “Through the class, the main goal was to keep him lively off my legs by…
A Walk in the Park with Sunny and Shasta
Volunteer and Best Buddy to Sunny and Shasta, Debbie M, wrote the following about her time spent with SAFE’s ambassador littles recently: “Some of us are still adjusting to the time change of earlier this month when we “fell back” an hour to welcome earlier sunrises and sunsets as part of our cooler and shorter Fall days. To help us adjust, we often reflect back on the fun times we had during…
Alumni Update: Boone (Mr. Fezziwig)
We received a delightful update and photos from Wendy G: I don’t do Facebook, but I do want to share some pics of my boy, Fezziwig, aka ‘Boone’. He is my SAFE horse and we love him. These photos are from this July, but he’s just as cute now, albeit ‘Fezzier’ with his winter coat. This summer though, I didn’t shave him, these pics are just lots of au natural grooming. I think he slicked out…
November Clinic Report: Moshi
Casey A, who has been working with Moshi over the last months, took her in the riding portion of November’s Joel Conner clinic. Here’s what she had to say: “This week marks the first time Moshi participated in the riding session of the Joel Conner Horsemanship clinic. She had never been in the arena under saddle with so many other horses, and she navigated it with calm confidence. Even when I…
November Clinic Report: Lancelot
Casey A worked alongside Lancelot in the groundwork portion of the November Joel Conner clinic, and had the following to say about their time spent together: “It might be fair to say that Lance is unrecognizable from the unhalterable, dangerous stallion he was just a few short months ago. Since August, the SAFE horsemanship team has put in a lot of time helping him understand how to give to…
November Clinic Report: Pepper
Candi K has worked with Pepper since her return to SAFE, and has the following to say about their time spent together, specifically about their time in the riding portion of the November Joel Conner Clinic: “Who doesn’t love a little spice in their life? Pepper may be a common ingredient for some, but she is far from common in both personality and willingness to learn. Since August of…
November Clinic Report: Scotty
Kaya M rode Scotty in his first Joel Conner Clinic this past November, and has the following to say about their rides together: “Scotty really proved that he’s a confident and capable riding horse this weekend! I’d only ridden him a couple times out in the big arena, so I wasn’t sure how he’d handle the big open space, but he was calm and with me even through the wind and downpour. We worked a…
November Clinic Report: Bijou
Sara H worked alongside Bijou in the groundwork sessions in the November Joel Conner Clinic, and had the following to say about their time together!: “Who says old horses can’t learn new tricks? Bijou is a sweet and sensitive old gal who recently spent several days learning to move her feet with balance. This is a tough ask for a 20 year old mare who is heavy on the front, but she’s full of try…
November Clinic Report: Frosting, Wren, Veronica, Artie, Esme
We finished off 2023’s training program horsemanship clinics on a high note. The incredible dedicated volunteers were like a well-oiled machine over the intensive five days. Wednesday and Thursday, we got our hands on 21 SAFE horses! From the barely haltered to those loping out on loose reins in the arena and some starting leg-yields and counter canter. I had the pleasure of working 5 horses…
November Clinic Report: Sienna
Sue C worked with Sienna during the November Joel Conner clinic, and has the following to say about their experience together: “The lovely and sage Sienna was my groundwork partner for the November 2023 Joel Conner clinic. Sienna is a kind, experienced mare who is well versed in all the moves, so in many ways an easy horse to handle. She can, however, be easily stuck on her front end, and it was…
Alumni Update: Lucca
Lucca and her adopter, Jane M., enjoyed trail riding this fall. Here, Lucca and Jane took a couple laps through Farrel-McWhirter Park before the rain. 10/15/23
Changes to the SAFE Alumni Program
A letter from SAFE Alumni Program Manager Shar Conner: I wanted to let everyone know that I am going to be stepping down from my role as SAFE’s Alumni Program Manager. I’ve been in this role for 8 years now (hard to believe); it’s been a fun ride but I think now is the right time for me to hand the reins over, so to speak, to somebody else. I’ve so enjoyed getting to know you over the years and…
Domino’s Emotional Support Lacey
While bringing anxious Domino into a stall every year has always been somewhat of a production, because of his friendship with Lacey we discovered last fall, this year coming inside for Domino was no big thing. The two neighbors munch their hay happily side by side, with Domino taking occasional breaks to check that his red-head neighbor is, in fact, still next door, and after their meal time…
Shoes for Roy
Roy is a special guy. His poor teeth keep him from eating hay, leading him to be on an all-mash diet. He is covered in lumps and bumps (which we think just add a cool topography to his handsome self, but understand how others might find them unseemly). He takes Equioxx every day for his arthritis, and gets a tab of Prascend to manage his Cushing’s. He is prone to sweet itch and insect bite…
Twinning with Artie and Pepper
Halloween might be over, but it appears that Pepper and Artie are still dressing up as one another! These two are truly doppelgangers, and as they both hail from the Fall City 40 herd, it may be that there is some genetic connection to their similar looks. But regardless of if they are any percent related, they are both 100% cute!
Glamorous Nova
Someone is ready for their closeup! The fall leaves and Nova go together like apples and pie — a winning combo.
