Minnie

2020 dark bay Pony filly
Type of Rescue:  Animal Control Surrender
Intake Date: 1/26/20
Adoption Date: 3/18/22
Length of Time with SAFE: 1 year, 3 months

ADOPTED!! by

Minnie came to SAFE with her mother and two other horses when they were seized by Animal Control for severe neglectThey were part of a bigger herd that came to SAFE the month earlier. The previous owner had hidden the 4 ponies on their property when Animal Control picked up the first group. Minnie became friends with our pony foal, Coco, and the two were turned out with SAFE’s favorite “auntie” mare: Teddi. The three girls were adopted together to a beautiful farm on the Kitsap Peninsula, and a family who loves them!

Alumni Update: Teddi, Coco and Minnie

Alumni Update: Teddi, Coco and Minnie 

Pure cuteness of “Aunt” Teddi, Coco and Minnie!  Such a wonderful success story!

All is well in Lakebay!! The weather is warming up and I imagine that feels good for them after all the rain!! They sure love being out in the pasture on the weekends!! The Littles are fun to watch and run around like crazy when they first get out there — FREEDOM 😄” ~Marti and John

Three’s Company Forever

Three’s Company Forever 

Teddi, Minnie and Coco are adopted together! When the volunteers and staff heard the murmurings of a possibility that Auntie Teddi and her two littles might get adopted together, smiles and glee spread through the barn. The three friends have been adopted together to their new home in Kitsap County where they get to enjoy the good life in each other’s company. Their new family simply adores them, and while we miss them here at SAFE, we’re happy to know that they’ve landed in a great home where they can be together!

Training Update: Groundwork with Minnie

Training Update: Groundwork with Minnie 

Check out this video of Minnie doing some groundwork. She works on leading on a float through three gaits (walk, trot, lope), transitioning through those gaits smoothly, and staying straight on her united circle. She also works on being touched by the rope and the flag, on yielding her hindquarters, on bringing her front quarters across, and on backing up.

Coco’s First Snow!

Coco’s First Snow! 

As most of you remember, we had quite a bit of snow over the holidays. Being that Coco is new to life and born in April, it was the first time this little lady experienced the magic of a winter wonderland. Luckily our Barn Staff captured the moment to share with all of us. Check out the short video of Coco, Minnie and a brief appearance by Teddi, who cares more about the food than the white stuff on the ground.

Coco is Weaned

Coco is Weaned 

Coco blew out the candles on her 6 month cake at the end of last month, ushering in a new era of her young adulthood. Coco: the baby, is still visible — those high-pitched whinnies and acrobatic feats that come especially easy to young things remain front and center — but there is also Coco: the pony, who has stood to have her feet trimmed and has been haltered to have her mane (no longer just a wisp) brushed. It is becoming increasingly apparent that while Coco will always be our baby, one day soon she will no longer be a baby. 

Right around the time of Coco’s 6‑month, Teddi’s Daycare opened its gates to its newest student. It was time for Coco to be weaned. 

The process was gradual. On a Tuesday afternoon, Sundae was temporarily relieved of her responsibilities as a mother, which is just a fancy way of saying that we haltered her and let her graze outside of the paddock. Coco was left ‘home alone’ with snacks (a pile of alfalfa) for only about 10 minutes, and still within eyesight of her mother. This experiment with independence went extremely well — when we brought Sundae back, Coco barely lifted her head from her meal. Wednesday we made official introductions between Coco and her neighbors, who had previously only been able to interact through the safety of the fence. Minnie was first up to shake hooves with Coco, and the two broke bread (again, just two piles of alfalfa) without much incident. Minnie showed that she is also still a young creature, performing several floppy displays of dominance in Coco’s general direction, but never with any mal intent. Then, it was Teddi’s turn to meet with Coco. 

If you were anticipating anything dramatic, snorts and kicks and stomps, then I’m afraid you will be disappointed. It was a wholly mellow affair — Teddi was drawn immediately in by an unexpected happy hour (that same alfalfa the kids were munching on), and Coco, given free reign of her next door neighbor’s place, was drawn by the thrill of exploration. It was actually quite a few minutes that passed before the two were even properly introduced, and that too was without incident. Coco, who had been accustomed to being a pushy young lady around her mother, was a quick study when it came to taking cues from both Teddi and Minnie — at the slightest tilt of their hindquarters or flattening of their ears, Coco zipped away. The three spent an hour together, and after a fair bit of zooming around their new expanded space (with a highlight being Coco and Minnie using Teddi as a kind of maypole, running circles around her), settled right into what would soon become their herd dynamic. 

The next day, Thursday, was when Coco officially flew the coop. Sundae was taken to her child-free paddock, and the panels that once separated Coco from her neighbors were removed. An ubershelter was created, giving all three enough room to comfortably be under cover, and Coco: the weanling, was born. 

Since then, the three have settled into an easy routine with each other. They all eat side-by-side like nesting dolls, big to smaller to smallest. Both Minnie and Teddi even allow Coco to scrounge for hay scraps, a true kindness. Coco and Minnie oftentimes kick up their heels together as mother hen Teddi observes from the sidelines, and sightings of Teddi grooming Coco have even been reported. All-in-all, everyone seems quite content with the new living situation, and in the days and weeks to come, we fully expect to see Teddi, Minnie, and Coco grow into a little family.

Minnie: Smart AND cute

Minnie: Smart AND cute 

Minnie is growing up to be a fantastic, smart little pony! Stunning, too! Minnie and SAFE volunteer, Lexee, participated in the Groundwork session of the most recent Joel Conner clinic and Minnie was a rock star! She was soft and easy going in a large class of other horses. She stayed attentive to Lexee and made great progress in working with the flag and learning to be treated with fly spray. She’s only one year old and she has a lot left to learn (obviously!) but with her sweet demeanor, she will make someone a great partner one day. Since the clinic, Lexee has continued to work with her with the flag. The two have graduated to working in the round pen, and Minnie is learning to feel Lexee’s cues from a longer distance away. In her second session, Minnie responded as if she’d been doing it for weeks. She’s very smart and progressing very well. And she’s cute. The full package!

Minnie’s Growing Up

Minnie’s Growing Up 

Minnie came to SAFE in January 2021 as a 6‑month-old filly with her mother, Checkers. We recently weaned Minnie from her mother, but we were sure to give her an Auntie to comfort her. Aunt Teddi now shares a paddock with Minnie and the two get daily grass turnout together. You will always find Minnie right next to Teddi, being her shadow, as they make their way around the large grass field.

When Minnie first arrived, our vet let us know she was low on vitamin E, so we added Nano E to her evening grain. After about 11 weeks on the supplement, she showed improvement so we have started to slowly cut back on the dosage. We have to watch her for any unusual behaviors, such as excessive licking, but so far so good.

Our plan for Minnie is to spend a couple years growing up at SAFE. Once our little baby Coco is 6 months old and ready to be weaned from her mother, we will put Minnie and Coco together. They will grow up together as “sisters”, hanging out with the Aunt Teddi who will teach them horse manners.

Four (more) new ponies at SAFE

Four (more) new ponies at SAFE 

A few days back, we introduced three ponies and a full sized horse who were seized by Animal Control due to neglect and signed over to SAFE. Animal Control found four more ponies hidden on the same property, and their owner surrendered them. One of SAFE’s top priorities is supporting Animal Control agencies so they can be most effective when dealing with animal cruelty. So when asked if we had room for four more ponies, including two stallions, we said we’d make room for them.

The two pony stallions are Doolin, a 4 year old pinto, and Quincy, a 15 year old palomino. Both ponies are about 11hh, and somewhat reluctant to be caught. Our plan is to gentle them as soon as possible so they can both be gelded. They each had extremely overgrown hooves, so farrier work is being done to correct this problem.

The other two ponies are a dam and filly named Checkers and Minnie. Checkers is about 15 years old and is very shy. Her daughter is about 6 months old and is quite curious about people. She’s adorable. Checkers has already had her teeth floated and she’s been checked for pregnancy, which thankfully she seems to have avoided.

The four ponies are in quarantine for the next three weeks, with the two stallions housed separately next door to each other and the mare and filly well separated from both of them. We’ll be able to report more about them when we know them better. Right now they’re enjoying lovely hay, dry paddocks, and comfortable shelter, which is just what they need!