
Introducing Wren
Wren came to SAFE back in May as part of a 7 horse rescue from the Gig Harbor area. She was living in a 4‑horse herd, and while initially curious, she was somewhat cautious around people at first, preferring to keep her distance. But after her arrival here and those…

Jet-Setting Addie
Here’s a limerick for you: There once was a young mare from Graham, Whose coat was a dark shade of tan, And if ever you knew What was good for you You’d adopt sweet miss Addie from Graham! Me calling Addie, a bay horse, ‘a dark shade of tan’ aside, I am very serious…

Tiva These Days
Recent observations regarding Tiva: Her shoulders, in particular, are rather itchy this time of year, and she is not opposed to a little mutual grooming if you would be so inclined to scratch, yes, just there, above the elbow. A gentle mare, she rarely ever uses…

Introducing Lancelot
Lancelot, along with his 6 other cohorts, were living in squalor in the area outside of Gig Harbor when we picked them up this past May. Lance’s paddock was a mud pit surrounded by broken and bent panels. His only source of water was from a dirty trough, and the ribs…

Alumni Update: Ben
Here’s an update from Ben’s adopter, Lisa G: Uncle Ben, the ever-melty when kids are around. My niece is a horsewoman in the making and helped me muck stalls, feed, and groom! She led both my horses all around the field and Ben was just soooo gentle with her (much…

Training Update: Artie Changing Eyes
Much like watching a plant grow, it is difficult sometimes to see the change in something unless you can clearly see from where you began. Sure, you know it’s different, but how different can be hard to quantify without a comparison. We first met Artie as a untouched…

Training Update: Riding Veronica
Veronica has a mane nearly as long as she is tall, with a forelock that practically tickles her nostrils. On hot days, she loves to splash in her water trough, both front feet fully in and pawing, giving herself a two-for-one pedicure and face wash. She loves a good…

Pen Click Training
Trypanophobia is the fear of needles — and while I’ve yet to meet anyone who is fond of getting poked, some have more of an issue with it than others. The same goes for horses. Some hardly blink. Be it IM or IV, you’d be hard pressed to get a reaction out of our more…


2023 Volunteer of the Year: Joan Yankis
We’ll say it again and again, volunteers are the heart and soul of SAFE; without them we couldn’t do all that we do, for horses! In 2023 we had over 180 active volunteers who came together and shared their time, skills and hearts, all to better the lives of horses.…

Theo’s First Trim
This golden boy deserves a star to match his pretty coat for how well he did for his first trim this week! Given his gentle personality and sweet nature, we weren’t too worried, but having your legs handled can be a bit of a challenge for even some of our more…

Edward’s Flexion Tests
Have you been wondering what to expect from a soundness evaluation? Wonder no more — Edward is here to demonstrate some of the things that may be asked of your horse at a pre-purchase exam or lameness evaluation. Some good boxes to check before the appointment date…

What do you do…?
What do you do if you are concerned about the condition or treatment of a horse that you’ve seen? Often people will contact SAFE about it, not knowing that we do not have the authority to seize animals from private individuals. We can advise you, but most likely we…

Harrisa, Blanketed
With this recent snap in cold weather, we are doing our very best to keep the horses warm and happy. Extra feedings, steaming sweet waters and hot mashes, blankets with fill — we set our herd up with these things and more to help them combat the cold. Harissa is…

Sandy Jupiter
It seems an inevitability of horses and horse ownership (or stewardship) that there will come a time when your horse suffers from the most base of afflictions: a stomachache. We can talk about how cruel it is that the design of horses is such that their digestive…