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A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization

Where horses and people find their way back to wholeness.


Saved by the Saddle rescues horses and partners them with inner-city youth and military veterans through horsemanship-based healing and education, creating second chances for all.

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Our Mission

Healing horses. Healing people.


Saved by the Saddle exists to heal both horses and people through rescue, horsemanship, and ground-based programs that serve underserved inner-city youth and military veterans. Through trust, responsibility, and connection, we create second chances for people who have been overlooked or unheard.

A rider on a bay horse crossing a wildflower meadow on the ridge above Ocean View Stables in Daly City, California

What We Do


Three interconnected pathways to healing: for youth finding their voice, veterans finding their peace, and horses finding their home.

Children gathered at the rail with their hands on a pale horse during a youth session at Ocean View Stables, Daly City

Youth Programs

We provide young people with structure, mentorship, and purpose through hands-on horsemanship experiences that build confidence, emotional awareness, and responsibility.

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A line of riders standing quietly at the arena rail in low afternoon light at Ocean View Stables

Veteran Programs

We support military veterans through calm, non-clinical ground-based horsemanship that fosters grounding, connection, and reintegration at each individual's pace.

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Three loose horses walking through golden pasture grass at sunset on the ridge above Daly City

Horse Rescue & Rehabilitation

We rescue at-risk horses and provide patient, humane care, honoring their stories while giving them the dignity of a second chance.

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How It Works


A simple process of rescue, connection, and growth.

01

Rescue & Care

Horses receive safety, consistency, and rehabilitation in our sanctuary environment.

02

Connection

People engage in guided, ground-based horsemanship, building trust one interaction at a time.

03

Growth

Trust develops, confidence grows, and healing happens, on both ends of the lead rope.

Where We Stand Today

What we are building


Saved by the Saddle is a newly launching 501(c)(3). Our first cohort has not started yet, so we have no results to report. Here is what is already real, and what we are committing to.

Veterans ride free at Ocean View Stables

That practice exists today, at 2152 Olympic Way in Daly City, California. The veteran program grows straight out of it.

Built on Leyden Horsemanship

The horsemanship we teach is based on the established Leyden Horsemanship program: the same ground-based methods, taught the same patient way.

We will show our numbers

Once cohorts begin we will publish what actually happened: who we served, what we spent, and what did not work. Not estimates.

Our Philosophy


These beliefs guide everything we do at Saved by the Saddle.

No one is broken beyond repair

Healing is not rushed

Trust is built through consistency

Responsibility restores dignity

Horses and people can help save each other

Second chances matter

The Place

Ocean View Stables, Daly City, California


Aerial view of Ocean View Stables showing the arena, barns and paddocks on the bluff above the Pacific in Daly City
A mare and her foal standing together in a deeply bedded stall at Ocean View Stables
Riders strung out along a green coastal trail high above the ocean south of San Francisco
The Saved by the Saddle gold shield emblem

Ready to Make a Difference?

Whether you are seeking a place to start, want to volunteer your time, or wish to support the work financially, there is a place for you here.