
September Volunteer of the Month: Anne Chinn
Congratulations to our September Volunteer of the Month, Anne Chinn! We are so lucky to have Anne around the farm each week, sharing her positive can do attitude and her kind, gentle smile. Anne wears many hats here at SAFE, from helping out on a facilities shift, a…

Pepper’s Return
At the beginning of last month, Pepper returned to SAFE for a refresh and restart at the request of her adopter, Sue, who had been unable to ride her for a period of time due to circumstances beyond her control. Taking a horse back into our training program who has…

Henry is Adopted!
When Henry first stepped off the trailer last November, he was a nervous gelding with his head on a high swivel. While the majority of the Graham horses we took in that day allowed us to bustle around them quite casually, gathering measurements and even some basic…

Roy and Mirana, Grazing by a Tree..
If I could add a song to this post, I would probably choose ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight?’ from a certain loose Hamlet adaptation starring animated lions. It was the first song that sprung to mind when I thought about Roy and Mirana, two horses Of A Certain Age who…

Zelly is Adopted!
Zelly was #13 in the organizational system we used for the Graham 27 when they first arrived at SAFE, but now, less than a year later, she is #1 in her adopter’s hearts. That’s right, this sweet appaloosa girl has been adopted! Zelly’s people came to SAFE looking for…

Alumni Update: Echo and Nyx
Echo’s adopter, Brittany, shared some photos and a report on an adventure she had with Nyx and his adopter, Lindsay. Nyx and Echo had fun with summer shenanigans!! Echo survived going through two bee swarms and didn’t dump my daughter Addison despite them galloping…

Halter Starting Lancelot
Maybe it had been different at one point, but the Lancelot that arrived at SAFE was not able to be haltered. He was curious, but unwilling to be approached, and very reluctant to be touched. The first step for horses like Lance, those who need to be halter-started (or…

Training Update: Frosting Moving the Hind
There are, according to Buck Brannaman whose style of horsemanship we follow most closely, multiple ways of moving the hind. 5, specifically. One of them, and in my opinion one of the most mystical, involves bending the horse using the rein only and simply… waiting…

Heart of the Horse
July 19 from 5–10pm
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Joel Conner Horsemanship Clinic
Aug 15–17
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Open House and Tack Sale
Sept 27 from 12–3pm
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Jupiter in the Outdoor Arena
Jupiter falls under the somewhat rare category of horse we get in at SAFE, which is ‘previously ridden, relatively uncomplicated.’ Don’t get us wrong, there are ways in which Jupiter needs assistance both on the ground and under saddle, and there certainly exists a…

Q1 Report Card: Artie
Notes: Artie tends towards the dull side, but has a lot of try. He will work hard knowing a break is coming. Poll shyness — can be reactive to things in that area, especially if they are sudden. Has come a LONG way with this. Can be reactive to flag by his poll or in…

Frosting Gets Floated
One of the very best things about rescuing young horses is that we are able to shape so many of their formative experiences in a positive way. Frosting had her first dental this week, and was as good as gold. She had a few little sharp points, but nothing that would…

Wren’s Soundness Evaluation
The topography of a horse tells a story, albeit usually one in a language we only partially understand. Each scar, bump, and blemish they arrive with has a history attached. We can draw assumptions, make educated assessments based on professional opinions and our own…

Unicorns Get Ulcers Too
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that unicorns don’t get bellyaches. Scotty, our grey arab gelding, is short only the horn when it comes to resembling a mythical creature. His stately figure and long, flowing locks are something out of a story book. His personality,…

Poppy in the Arena
Each horse at SAFE has a different timeline when it comes to getting where they’re going — be it to live out their days as a companion or to wear a saddle and carry a rider — but for the most part, the milestones they complete and the skills they learn are…