SAFE Horses
SAFE News and Updates
Training Update: Violet
After a relatively uneventful first ride here at SAFE, Violet has been going well under saddle for the past few months. She had been started in her youth, but because a good deal of time had passed and we knew little about what that start looked like, we took things nice and slow. Aside from some initial general misunderstandings (“what do you mean I have a hindquarters?”), and an overall lack…
Training Update: Jupiter
Getting to know Jupiter has been a pleasurable experience. Beginning his training journey here was not starting from scratch — he had some experience being saddled and ridden in the past — and while that doesn’t always mean that things will be easy (often it means the opposite) it did give us some sort of foundation to build upon. One of the first things we noticed about Jupiter was that on…
Cozy Montana
Who’s that chill guy with his head out his stall window? Could it be Montana? Indeed it could, and it is! This fuzzy, fluffy head spends the majority of its time (when not eating, of course) lazily draped outside into the barn aisle, watching the evening’s proceedings with a mostly disinterested gaze. Who could have imagined that this once completely nervous nelly would be one of the most mellow…
Autumn Beginning to Settle
If this image had a sound, it would be a ferocious snort. Even from a respectful distance, Autumn remains incredibly wary. It is clear that this girl has some serious trust issues, and while we knew she would need time, we always wish we could fast forward to the part where she has an understanding that we’re not out to get her. There have been areas of progress, to be sure. She was a picky…
Jacob on Equioxx
Handsome Jacob is, as the kids are saying these days, ‘built different.’ StayHipp.com defines this term as a description of a person or thing that is on another level. While this isn’t exactly untrue of Jacob, I meant it more in the literal, physical sense. Jacob is rather oddly put together, a little frankenstienian in his looks from certain angles. His narrow front end makes him appear to have…
Working with Barb: A Reflection
Barb is a little bay lightning bolt, electricity on four fuzzy legs. I see Barb every day, but it was not until spending a few concentrated hours with her over the course of a few days that I was reminded how much personality lives in that petite body. Some might call a horse like Barb silly (on a good day) or frustrating (on a bad one), but the truth of it is that singular adjectives do not do…
Poppy for Adoption
If Poppy arrived at SAFE as a flower, it was as the first little green tendrils that come poking up through the dirt. Poppy was the shy little shadow to her near-twin Moshi, evasive about being caught and touchy about being handled. She had a bit more trouble to work through than the majority of her Graham counterparts, and unlike a fair number of them, had no experience under saddle. But like…
Arrow Thrives at Foster
Over the hill and through the woods, Arrow is living his very best life at his foster home. He has a vista of rolling hills to look out at from where his shelter sits, friends to share his hay with, and plenty of cozy places to nap in. Nap time is a sacred time for Arrow, who is often spotted having a lie down when not participating in his other daily horsey activities. Recently, in an effort to…
Dorothy’s Family Tree
Dorothy has no white markings. Her coat is comprised of a spectrum of browns, ones that Pantone labels as ‘shaved chocolate’ and ‘molé’ and ‘ganache’ — rich, chocolatey adjectives. However, if you were to curl up her top lip, you would find the mark that humans have left on Dorothy, a faded, blown-out tattoo that identifies her as a race horse. The legibility of thoroughbred tattoos varies. In…
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…
Alumni Update: Henry (James)
James over the past month. He’s been making some friends at the barn.
Alumni Update: Rae
From Christina: Rae says pre-dinner/post-ride snacks hit different on these chilly fall days (especially when your friends aren’t invited to the buffet and are jealously thundering around their paddock!)
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 7‑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…
Alumni Update: Dale
November 2023 Laura reports that Dale gets very, VERY furry for winter. With the new haircut, he resembles a mini baby bison!
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…
Alumni Update: Quincy
November 2023 Quincy is all tucked in for winter and doing great on pellet soup and soaked hay.
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…
