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Karen Griffiths Cutline: Three horses that were rescued from abusive homes and taken to Center Valley Animal Rescue are, Tilly, front, Angel (center) and Diva where they are being rehabilitated and made ready for adoption by Sara Penhallegon and her crew of volunteers.

Life

HORSEPLAY: Animal rescue center: Home between homes

AN ARRAY OF creatures large and small, domesticated and wild, reside at Center Valley Animal Rescue in Quilcene.…

All photos by Katie Newton Out of small sizes come great teams: With just six competing member’s between them Sequim and Port Angeles WAHSET teams this year, both were allowed to partner together on team events. Maggie Anderson , left, Libby Swanberg, Haley Bishop, Sydney Hutton wait for the cow sorting competition at Grays Harbor Fairgrounds, Jan. 21-23.

Life

HORSEPLAY: Sequim, PA teams compete in district meet

MY HEART’S AGLOW at the acts of kindness and generosity of the coaches of the Sequim High School…

Life

HORSEPLAY: New horse vet sets up shop on Olympic Peninsula

THERE’S A NEW horse vet in town. Like a boomerang, Cori Youngblood has returned to her roots on…

Photo by Jennifer Bond Cutline: Knowing access to drinking water is vital to an animal’s health Lillian Bond uses a pick axe to break through the top layer of ice in her horse’s water trough.

Life

HORSEPLAY: Planning on riding in winter? Here are a few tips

CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH. That was the sound I heard as through the snow I trudged. A twice-daily task…

Jan Whitlow’s equine family gather around her in a circle wearing their new waterproof blankets to help protect them from freezing cold, wind and rain that would flatten their otherwise thick and fluffy winter top-coat that serves as an insulator to keep their bodies warm. From left are Thunder, Mulla the mini-mule, Orion, Patch, Teddy and Shetland pony Belle. (Karen Griffiths/for Peninsula Daily News)

Life

HORSEPLAY: Advice for blanketing horses for winter

SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAINS AND frost in the lowlands greeted us Tuesday morning, Dec. 21, Winter Solstice and the first…

Life

HORSEPLAY: A few thoughts on horses, weather and training

BRR! THE WEATHER outside is frightful, but the warm fire from my wood stove is just so delightful.…

PHOTO courtesy of WASART Cutline: A Washington State Animal Response Team tends to Tango, a horse who’d lain down in his stall and wouldn’t get back up. They used a tripod to lift the horse, place on a glider and then maneuvered into a horse trailer for transport to an equine hospital.

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HORSEPLAY: Animal rescue group seeks volunteers

WHEN YOUR ANIMAL is in need of a rescue, who you gonna call? Not Ghostbusters!

Visiting clinician Martin Black instructs the principles of working with cows to students earlier this month at Freedom Farm in Agnew. He’ll be back to give another clinic on horsemanship skills the week of March 16-20. For more information, call Mary Gallagher at 360-457-4897. (Submitted photo)

Life

PENINSULA HORSEPLAY: Wind, vandals wreak havoc on trails, camps

Howling winds have knocked trees and other debris down onto trails, effectively blocking the way. If venturing out,…

Back Country Horsemen of Washington Peninsula Chapter member Del Sage helps a Scout with Troop 1498 with his horse-riding skills at Layton Hill Horse Camp. (Courtesy of Linda Morin)

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HORSEPLAY: Scouts get help with horsemanship badges

“WOW! WHAT A weekend,” exclaimed Linda Morin, a member of Back Country Horsemen’s Peninsula Chapter, when she and…

Photo by Karen Griffiths Cutline; To promote healing caused by an injury Dayna Killam performs pulsed electromagnetic field therapy on Nova, a horse owned by Lori Colson George during an Olympic Peninsula Equine Network fundraising event held at Layton Hill Horse Camp in Sequim.

Life

HORSEPLAY: Alternative therapy can help equine friends

IN A SPLIT second, my life was changed forever, and not in a good way, after a table…

Photo by Kimi Robertson In August Freedom Farm’s trainer Mary Gallagher (far right) took her Advanced Hoof Beats students to camp and ride along the shore on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula in Long Beach. All came home with wonderful lifetime memories.

Life

HORSEPLAY: Hoof Beats on beach for August treat

I IMAGINE RIDING a horse on an ocean beach is a dream come true for every horse lover.…

Photo by Katie Newton Cutline: Ready for the Hunt seat class at the 4-H horse show at the Clallam County Fairgrounds are Lela Bankson, left, on Banjo, KK Pitts on Mikey and Lila Torey on Smokey.

Life

HORSEPLAY: Time to get 4-H, other groups going again

SMASH AND GRABS are on the rise at Olympic Peninsula trailheads. Recently, there were a number of break-ins…

Photo by Denise Hupfer Cutline: Back Country Horsemen of Washington members Linda Morin, left, Ray and Rochelle Sutherland had a grand time leading the equine Joyce Daze Parade entries from three local chapters on Aug. 7

Life

HORSEPLAY: Summer full of blackberry joy and wildfire fears

WHO DOESN’T ENJOY a parade? Especially one centered on fresh wild blackberries and homemade blackberry pie? This year…

Nose to Toes Certified Acupressure Practitioner Bridget Stumbaugh, left, applies finger pressure to a meridian point on Laurie Corson’s horse Nova to aid in releasing pain caused by an injury and restore the body's qi, or positive energy flow. Aroma therapy with therapeutic herbal oils also helped turn the usually nervous horse into a relaxed and happy equine. (Karen Griffiths/for Peninsula Daily News)

Life

HORSEPLAY: Acupressure helps horses with physical pain, mental well-being

WATCH OUT! IS your horse sounding the alarm that it’s in pain? Untold injuries to humans have been…

Photo by Katharyn Rivers Cutline: Congratulations to PA’s high school equestrian team for winning medals at the WAHSET State Finals held last weekend in Moses Lake. Sara Holland, left, won the bronze while Sydney Hutton’s high score gained her first place and the gold medal in Hunt Seat Equitation over fences. Amelia Kinney, right, triumphed over all with a first place time of 3.89 that helped her bring home the gold in Breakaway roping.

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HORSEPLAY: Port Angeles equestrians place at state finals

SUMMER FUN, BLUE skies, green pastures and long days of sun are finally upon us. It’s certainly a…

Sequim and Port Angeles high school equestrian teams take a break at the Washington High School Equestrian Team District 4's third and final meet in Elma before state finals. They are bottom row, from left, Haley Bishop (PA), Katie Marchant (PA), Libby Swanberg (S), Keri Tucker (S), Sydney Hutton (PA), Abby Garcia (S), Sara Holland (PA) and Amelia Kinney (PA); top row, from left, Susannah Sharp (S) and Rainey Bronsink (S). (Photo courtesy of Katie Newton)

Life

HORSEPLAY: Port Angeles, Sequim equestrians ready to head to state finals

SEQUIM AND PORT Angeles high school equestrian teams did an outstanding job at the third and final state…

Photo courtesy of Andrea Gold In Port Townsend Sarah “Sally” Dean, seated, helps prepare Juelie Dalzell and her horse Jack to pull the cart Dalzell and her husband Jeff Chapman took this month for a 18-day, 240-mile journey on The Palouse to Cascades trail.

Life

HORSEPLAY: Putting the horse before the cart

WHILE MY BACK cries out in pain at the thought of it, my spirit soars with envy hearing…

Jefferson County high school senior Emily Kilgore, on Antonio, is the first in the area to qualify to compete at the Interscholastic Equestrian Association’s National Dressage Finals this coming weekend in Texas. To up the competitive skill needed, riders compete on unfamiliar horses whose names they’ve drawn from a hat. (Karen Griffiths/for Peninsula Daily News)

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HORSEPLAY: Jefferson senior goes to Interscholastic Equestrian Association finals in her first season

AT HER INTERSCHOLASTIC Equestrian Association’s (IEA) regional competition in April, Jefferson County equestrian Emily Kilgore placed first in…

Photo courtesy Katharyn Rivers Port Angeles' and Sequim’s high school equestrian teams gained three first-place and four second-place wins at their second meet held April 9-11. The Port Angeles team, from left, are Amelia Kinney with Gus and Cupcake, Sara Holland with Diesel, Katherine Marchant with Smokey, Coach Nancy McCaleb, Sydney Hutton with Ginger and Haley Bishop with Speckles and Flash.

Life

HORSEPLAY: Equestrian teams do well at district meet

BITTER COLD SEEMED to make for better fun at last weekend’s Washington State High School Equestrian Team competition…

OPEN board members and volunteers are full of smiles after a recent anonymous supporter asked how she could help. She paid the veterinarian’s fee to fully exam four horses, float the teeth on three and ended up taking home two of them, agreeing to provide them a forever retirement home in her ample pastures. (Karen Griffiths/for Peninsula Daily News)

Life

HORSEPLAY: Olympic Peninsula Equine Network offers new chances for abused, discarded horses

SARGE IS A horse who took charge of his own fate after his owners no longer wanted him…