Harley

description: 2001 chestnut Quarter Horse mare
registered name: Laurel Lees Last
type of rescue: Snohomish County Animal Control seizure
intake date: 4/20/2017
adoption date: 6/30/2017
length of time at SAFE: 2 months

ADOPTED!!

Harley was one of two horses seized from their owner by Snohomish County Animal Control due to neglect and starvation. Happily, Harley made a full recovery, and proved to be a well trained and easy to ride mare. Several SAFE volunteers enjoyed riding her in the arena and on trails while she was with us. Harley’s adopter Jennie is a long time horsewoman who was ready to get back to horse ownership. Jennie was looking for a horse she could have a friendship with and enjoy trail riding. Harley was the perfect fit!!

Adoption Announcement: Harley 

We are excited to announce the adoption of Harley! Jennie came out to see Harley and Ruger early on in their rehabilitation. She understood we needed to get them both healthy before we could figure out if they were sound and rideable.

Harley moved easily through her recovery and was able to go to Joel Conner’s for a quick training refresher. We knew right away that she was going to be a very nice riding horse and that she would make someone a great partner!

The day Harley came back from training, Jennie came out to ride and loved her. They did really well together and Jennie rode her very nicely. We were able to move forward with the site and reference checks quickly and she came to pick her up just a few weeks later. Since then Harley has been enjoying her big new field, lots of trail rides and tons of love and affection from Jennie! We are so happy for this mare who had been forgotten and is now in a safe and loving forever home!

Clinic & Photo Update: Harley 

Volunteer rider Erika worked with Harley in the Joel Conner clinic last weekend. Here is what she had to say about working with her:

This was my first time working with Harley. She is a very nice horse, who has obviously been through a lot of training in her life. She picks up a soft feel very quickly, and she responds well to minimal pressure with legs and seat. She moves very smoothly and always has a good expression. As she is such a nice mare, I don’t imagine it will be long before she finds a great forever home!

Training Update: Harley 

We have seen a great transformation in Harley over the weeks she has been with SAFE. She is up to a good weight, her rain rot is cleared up, her hooves are trimmed, and she is sound.

Since we don’t have a lot of information about what she had done in the past, we asked Joel Conner to help us assess her as a riding horse. We took her over to his place in Ellensburg last Monday. She did AMAZING! Jumped into the trailer and was quiet and settled into her paddock easily. Joel checked her out and while it was clear it had been a while since she’s been ridden, she was accepting and very well behaved. We decided to leave her at Joel’s for a few weeks to continue working with her and see what else she knows.

From what she has shown us so far, she is going to be an easy horse to get along with and hopefully easy to place. She will be back at Safe Harbor for the Joel Conner Clinic June 10–11th. We are taking applications now and setting up times to meet her the week of June 12th. Please fill out an application or email adopt@safehorses.org with any questions.

Rehab Update: Harley 

It has been a few weeks since Harley and Ruger were dropped off by Animal Control. Both are doing very well settling in and getting healthier every day. Harley is very sweet and calm. Herd Health Manager Melinda has taken her on as a special project. Melinda has been getting to know Harley and nothing but good things to say about this mare. We don’t have much history on her so we are taking things slow. Once she is completely healthy, we can assess her as a possible riding horse.

We had both the vet and farrier work on her and she did very well. Her teeth were in decent shape with just a few sharp points causing ulcers on her cheeks. Dr. Fleck was able to correct her teeth so she will be able to chew her food better. She is getting turned out daily, and even getting some time on the grass pasture. Everything is going smoothly and she is on track to begin saddle work later this month. We hope to have her available for adoption by the middle of June.

Harley and Ruger Intake Photos 

Harley and Ruger were seized from their owner in mid January 2017 by Snohomish County Animal Control. Both horses were emaciated, suffering from rain rot, with overgrown hooves. They were both found standing in deep mud and manure on their owner’s property and appeared to have been abandoned. They remained in county custody for several months while their court case began, and were signed over to SAFE in late April. Ruger, who was a stallion, was gelded by the County at the end of March.

Intake Photos:

Ruger, prior to intake

Harley, prior to intake