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…
July Volunteer of the Month: Miranda Cannon
Congratulations to Miranda Cannon, our July Volunteer of the Month! Since September 2021, Miranda has been dedicated to improving the lives of SAFE horses. Her kindness, dedication, and uplifting spirit are invaluable to her Friday morning team, and we are especially…
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…
October Joel Conner Clinic Report: Edward
Kaya M has been riding Edward for the last year, and has the following reflection regarding their last clinic together of 2024: “Edward had a wonderful last clinic of the year! He really showed how much he’s learned and was starting to “play with the big dogs” working…
Alumni Update: Rae
Christina provided a couple of new photos of Rae. She wrote: Hard to pic a favorite… but I can always share more later. Looking back at photos from the March 2024 to August 2024 clinics at SAFE it’s no wonder some folks had to ask if it was really Rae! She’s…
Esme’s Clinic Adventures: A Summer of Growth
This little pony has so much heart! Summer has been eventful for Esme, filled with new experiences and learning opportunities. She earned her position as my riding partner at both the Spanaway and Ellensburg Buck Brannaman clinics, and she rose to each challenge…
Alumni Update: Nyx
Lindsay shared this update and photos from September. Had an amazing weekend at Quinn Meadows in central Oregon with Nyx. He’s just the best trail buddy I could have ever dreamed of…still some work to do with mountain bikers, but we can’t be perfect at everything.…
October Joel Conner Clinic Report: Winter
Paige N has been spending some time working with Winter, and has the following to say about their time spent together over the last two Joel Conner clinics: “Over the past two Joel Conner Clinics Winter has made phenomenal progress both mentally and physically. …
Week in Review: November 10 — 16
Another week has passed at SAFE, and with it we are already halfway through November! The weather is changing (re: darker, colder) but as always, the varied personalities of the horses and the busy, busy days around the barn keep us warm. Check out what we got up to…
















