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.