Here are a few answers to frequently asked questions we get at SAFE about adoptions:
- 9/18/2020: Due to the smoke inhalation from wildfires our horses have recently experienced in the Pacific Northwest, we have currently CLOSED all riding horse visits and adoptions. We hope all our horses have an easy recovery but need to give them the time required to heal before working them. Our vets recommend a 4–6‑week recovery time. We are able to continue to adopt our companions horses at this time.
- We are a heavily volunteer run organization. Our general business hours are Monday through Friday 9–5pm. If you call or email outside these hours, we will reply to you as soon as we are back to the office
- We are location in Redmond, Washington USA and only able to adopt with in a reasonable driving distance. Some exceptions are made but as a general rule if we can’t drive to you within a day, it is very difficult for you to move through the adoption process.
- Our website is UPDATED weekly! The horses available are located on the https://www.safehorses.org/meet-the-safe-horses/ page of our website and categorized as follows:
- Riding available for adoption
- Companion (non-riding) available for adoption
- Horses in Training NOT available for adoption
- Horses Pending Adoption currently on trial and NOT available for adoptionIf a horse is listed as not available we are not accepting applications or visits at this time. Due to COVID-19 and restrictions we are only showing horses that are available for adoption at this time.
- We love offering tours of the property and gathering for Open Houses, unfortunately due to COVID-19 restrictions we have had to limit these types of events. You can email us to schedule a private visit. Remember, office hours are Monday-Friday 9–5pm. If you call the main line or email outside of these hours, you will need to wait until the next business day for a response.
- Please read our adoption policies carefully. Many questions will be answered here: https://www.safehorses.org/adopt/
- Once you have read and agree to the adoption policies, please fill out the application at the bottom of that page. We will review and call the number you provide us on the application.(Please make sure your voicemail box is open and set up. We will likely leave a message the first time we call you and you will need to return our call. Again, we are only available normal business hours Monday through Friday 9–5pm.)
- The hard truth is rescue horses are rarely suitable for kids or beginner riders. The neglect or abuse they experienced in their life before coming to SAFE can leave them with permanent scars that they carry with them for the rest of their lives. To help match horses with their ideal partners, each horse’s page clearly states their ideal match. If it does not say beginner friendly, they are NOT suitable for a young rider.
- Do you have a horse that will fit my size? Good rule of thumb is you should only expect a horse to carry roughly 20–30% of their body weight. This includes both the tack and rider. All horse’s pages include their body weight and you can do the math to see if this horse would work for your size.I hope this information was helpful and if you are interested in one of our horses, we will be seeing an application from you soon! Thank you again for considering a rescue horse.
Kindly,
Terry Phelps
Operations Director
terry@safehores.org
