
May Volunteer of the Month: Vanessa Bassett
Congratulations to our May Volunteer of the Month, Vanessa Bassett! Vanessa began volunteering at SAFE in October 2022, just as the cold, rainy, and muddy season started. Since then, she has been a ray of sunshine on cloudy days here at the farm. Vanessa is a…

No Cavities for Sugar
How do you float the teeth of a mini horse? Creatively. The concept is the same with all horses: support the head in order to keep the mouth open and file down the teeth. But when you’re just shy of 9 hands high, your support needs to match your size. Luckily, our…

Mirana is Amazing!
Meghan N has been working with Mirana for some time now, and has been helping her gain confidence and transform into the sweet mare who was hiding beneath her nervous exterior. Here is what Meghan says about their time spent together: “It has been such a privilege to…

Violet is Adopted!
April showers bring May flowers, and they also bring adoptions. We are very pleased to say that SAFE’s resident flower, Violet, has been adopted to none other than long-term volunteer Lexee N! Lexee had been patiently awaiting her prince (or princess) charming to come…

Alumni Program — Q1 Update
SAFE’s Mission Statement is more than just words. It contains the promises that we have made to the horses we serve. We promise a lifetime of safety, which is provided through the SAFE Alumni Program. But as you might be able to imagine, there is a lot that goes in to…

Alumni Update: Otto
Otto is spending time growing up and doing groundwork with Gabby. Gabby is planning to haul him to a few play days this year for exposure. Otto enjoys hanging out with his BFF, Zeus, an Appy gelding and all the other animals on this happy farm — goats, cats, rabbits,…

A Spoonful of Sugar
We welcomed a new member to our herd this week: Sugar, who at 8.2 hands is certainly close to the size of a sugar cube! This mini horse was originally part of the seizure of horses that brought us such familiar faces as Jupiter and Theo. Sugar was in rough shape when…

Volunteer Education: Animal Control Class
As part of our continuing education series for volunteers, this past weekend we were lucky enough to be able to host Officer Brian Boman from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Animal Control Department. Brian has over 20 years of experience in Animal Control, and is a…


Alumni Update: Flynn
Adopter Kirsten shared an update on Flynn: A few pictures of Flynn. We recently had a “Painting with the Ponies” event at the barn and he was a popular pony. I think Flynn was very impressed. .

Upcoming WASART Presentation
Saturday, September 7th from 12–3 at SAFE Harbor Stables As part of our educational opportunities for volunteers, we are excited to host The Washington State Animal Response Team (WASART) at SAFE next month for an afternoon of learning how they help animals in need.…

Alumni Update: Freya
Freya is enjoying her retirement and living out her days as a companion to herd mate Mocha. Manuela loves Freya very much.

Brandy’s Manure Mystery
Trying to troubleshoot a horse’s gut, when it’s in disarray, can feel sometimes like assembling a puzzle acquired from Goodwill. With missing pieces and dog-eared corners, trying to figure out how to put it all together can be daunting. Recently, seemingly out…

Alumni Update: Doolin (Finn)
Finn, formerly known as Doolin, lives with three full size horses, one being Inula, a SAFE foster. They are all healthy and happy and get along well together. Shannon enjoys working Finn in the round pen regularly and sometimes ponies him along when she rides the…

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…