SAFE’s Alumni Program

SAFE’s Mission Statement is more than just words. It contains the promises that we have made to the horses we serve. We promise a lifetime of safety, which is provided through the SAFE Alumni Program.

We call our adopted horses “Alumni” because each of them graduates from our rescue program and heads off into the real world. But they retain a connection to their alma mater in many ways.

Alumni Follow Up Visits

The heart of the Alumni program is the alumni follow up visits. After an adoption, SAFE maintains contact with each adopter to make sure things are going well for them and their adopted horse. It isn’t because we don’t trust our adopters to properly care for their horse. These people have gone through an extensive approval process as adopters, so they’ve already proven themselves to be the best person out there for their horse. Follow ups are an opportunity for us to see an old friend and offer support to their adopter. We feel a responsibility to every horse we rescue, and it’s important to us, and to our donors and supporters, that we maintain a connection to our horses.

The Alumni Team at SAFE is a large group of volunteers who manage the process of following up with adopted horses. Team leaders schedule and assign follow ups; other volunteers conduct these in-person site visits throughout the region. The team also maintains a database of all our adopted horses, and keeps records up to date.

When a SAFE horse is adopted, the first 30 days are considered a trial period, with the adoption being finalized at the end of the trial if all goes well. We then do a three month and six month check in via email or phone. After the first year of adoption, we will always do an in person site visit to the horse’s new home. Subsequent visits are scheduled as needed, depending on the situation and the horse. For most horses, we strive to see them in person at least every 2–3 years. In between the in-person visits, we maintain contact with adopters via phone, email, and social media. We also created “virtual visits” during COVID, using photos and videos for checking in, and we still use this method for horses that have moved out of state. We encounter many SAFE Alumni at horsemanship clinics and other equestrian events, giving us even more chances to see how well they’re doing.

Alumni Community

Horse ownership is not always easy, and it’s good to have friends you can rely on for help when you need it. That’s what the SAFE Alumni Community is all about. Every SAFE adopter is welcomed into the Alumni Community with a letter that outlines the benefits of the program (WELCOME TO THE SAFE ALUMNI COMMUNITY) along with an invitation to join the SAFE Alumni Facebook group.

The SAFE Alumni Community has helped adopters find resources for training, boarding, vet & farrier care, and a whole lot more. They’ve also helped when adopters were struggling to be able to care for their SAFE horse, and helped find new homes when that became impossible. With SAFE staff involvement in the Alumni Community, we’ve been able to be assist with difficult decisions, and do what’s best for the horse, even if that means stepping in and taking a horse back. SAFE adopters are not alone, and that’s always a positive for the horse.

Meet the SAFE Alumni

Each of our adopted horses has a story. Those stories are saved on our website, and allowed to grow. We’re not sure you could find another equine rescue organization that does this. These stories and histories are important to us because we are dedicated to making sure that any horse that comes into our barn is never again forgotten.

Abby

Abby

Addie

Addie

Aiden

Aiden

Ajax

Ajax

Alder

Alder

Amber

Amber

Amira

Amira

Anakin

Anakin

Anderson

Anderson

Angel

Angel

Annie

Annie

April

April

Ariel

Ariel

Aries

Aries

Arnie

Arnie

Arrow

Arrow

Asha

Asha

Atticus

Atticus

Aurora

Aurora

Autumn

Autumn

Banjo

Banjo

Banner

Banner

Baxter

Baxter

Bean

Bean

Beauty

Beauty

Belle

Belle

Ben

Ben

Benedetto

Benedetto

Betty

Betty

Billy

Billy

Biscotti

Biscotti

Blanche

Blanche

Bliss

Bliss

Boone

Boone

Bowie

Bowie

Brandii Bask

Brandii Bask

Breve

Breve

Bridgit

Bridgit

Bucky B Lucky

Bucky B Lucky

Butters

Butters

Cali

Cali

Cameo

Cameo

Camille

Camille

Caramel

Caramel

Cassidy

Cassidy

Champagne

Champagne

Chance

Chance

Charmeon

Charmeon

Checkers

Checkers

Chip

Chip

Coco

Coco

Cookie and Harper

Cookie and Harper

Corona

Corona

Cosmo

Cosmo

Cramer

Cramer

Cyrus

Cyrus

Daisy

Daisy

Darla

Darla

Declan

Declan

Deeds

Deeds

Delilah

Delilah

Dixie

Dixie

Dolly

Dolly

Doolin

Doolin

Dottie

Dottie

Duchess

Duchess

Dyna

Dyna

Echo

Echo

Ego Afire

Ego Afire

Einstein

Einstein

Eleven

Eleven

Emma

Emma

Evie

Evie

Emmy

Emmy

Fancy

Fancy

Farley

Farley

Finn

Finn

Flynn

Flynn

Freya

Freya

Gabby

Gabby

George

George

Ginger

Ginger

Glory

Glory

Gracie

Gracie

Gunnar

Gunnar

Harley

Harley

Harley Star

Harley Star

Hazel

Hazel

Heidi

Heidi

Henry

Henry

Hickory

Hickory

Hopper

Hopper

Irene

Irene

Jasper

Jasper

Jax

Jax

Jazzy and Joker

Jazzy and Joker

Jessel

Jessel

Jewel

Jewel

Jill

Jill

Jollie

Jollie

JR

JR

Justin

Justin

Kai

Kai

Karma

Karma

Kat

Kat

Kayla

Kayla

Kelly

Kelly

Khianna

Khianna

King

King

Krabask

Krabask

Leonardo

Leonardo

Lola

Lola

Louie

Louie

Lucca

Lucca

Lucy

Lucy

Luna

Luna

Mac

Mac

Maggie

Maggie

Mara

Mara

Marta

Marta

Mason

Mason

Mesquite

Mesquite

Miah

Miah

Millie

Millie

Mina

Mina

Minnie

Minnie

Misty

Misty

Montana

Montana

Moon

Moon

Moonshine

Moonshine

Mr Pibb

Mr Pibb

Nala

Nala

Nashville

Nashville

Noah

Noah

Nora

Nora

Nyx

Nyx

Opal

Opal

Orion

Orion

Oscar

Oscar

Otto

Otto

Owen

Owen

Pearl

Pearl

Pepper

Pepper

Phoenix

Phoenix

Picasso

Picasso

Piper

Piper

Pippi

Pippi

Pippin

Pippin

Pogo

Pogo

Pomme

Pomme

Portland

Portland

Prince

Prince

Pyrrha

Pyrrha

Quincy

Quincy

Rae

Rae

Razin

Razin

Redmond

Redmond

Renee

Renee

Remy

Remy

Rhythm

Rhythm

Rico

Rico

River

River

Roscoe

Roscoe

Rosie

Rosie

Ruach

Ruach

Ruby

Ruby

Ruckus

Ruckus

Ruger

Ruger

Sage

Sage

Savannah

Savannah

Scarlett

Scarlett

Scooter

Scooter

Sebastian

Sebastian

Shiloh

Shiloh

Shortbread

Shortbread

Sierra

Sierra

Sinatra

Sinatra

Skittles

Skittles

Skye

Skye

Sophie

Sophie

Sparrow

Sparrow

Star

Star

Stella

Stella

Stevie

Stevie

Stormy

Stormy

Strider

Strider

Sugar

Sugar

Tabitha

Tabitha

Sundae

Sundae

Tasara

Tasara

Teddi

Teddi

Tess

Tess

Tilly

Tilly

Tilt

Tilt

Topper

Topper

Trey

Trey

Valencia

Valencia

Valentine

Valentine

Vida

Vida

Violet

Violet

Whisper

Whisper

Willow

Willow

Zanadu

Zanadu

Vivian

Vivian

Whiskey

Whiskey

Whisky

Whisky

Zelly

Zelly

Zoë

Zoë