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…
Introducing Ciara
Before she came to SAFE, Ciara was living alongside her filly, Inula, in a mud pit of a paddock. She was yet another of the Gig Harbor horses to arrive here back in May, and yet another who was afflicted by the same poor coat, long hooves, and lack of clean living…
Introducing Harissa
Some stories, by their very nature, take a bit longer to tell than others. Harissa’s story will be one of these, especially when framed alongside the others she came in with, who are steadily trucking along in their training, checking off boxes and working towards…
Introducing Inula
Inula was the youngest of the Gig Harbor horses, and despite not being a literal baby, she still had a youthful element about her that we made note of from our first meeting. A subsequent dental put her in her 4th year this year, but when you compare her to a horse…
Introducing Mirana
Mirana, along with Meadow, was one of the matriarchs of the Gig Harbor horses we picked up this past May. She was part of the largest herd on the property, a group of four mares living in a scrubby paddock. They, like the others on the property, were lacking in clean…
Jax is Adopted!
Yet another happy ending for a member of the Graham 27, as we said our goodbyes to Jax last month as he made the journey to his new home. From the beginning he proved himself as one of the most easily adoptable of the bunch (not that a horse’s singular value is in…
Remembering Meadow
Meadow was one of the 7 Gig Harbor horses who came to SAFE in May. Likely the oldest of the group, she was believed to be somewhere in her 20s. She was the most gentle of all the horses on the property, allowing us to halter her from day one, and give her a nice…
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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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…
Nova’s Spay
Nova’s journey from foal to adulthood has been a tumultuous one to say the least. She was a delightful and friendly girl for the first two years of her life…but then we started to see changes. Her heat cycles, which started out normal, became problematic. She began…
February Volunteer of the Month: Blake Hart
Congratulations to our February Volunteer of the Month, Blake Hart! We feel so lucky that Blake is part of our community, where they have made caring for SAFE horses part of their regular weekend plans for the last year and a half! Blake is super busy between school…
