Open nowCoffee and Horsemanship: free mornings, second and fourth Mondays
Heroes and Horses
Coffee, other veterans, and horses. Twice a month the barn opens to veterans for Coffee and Horsemanship, a couple of hours in the morning. Groom a horse, learn horsemanship from the rail, or drink coffee and talk. You can be as involved as you want to be.
Come once. Come every time.
There is no riding at these sessions, no cost and no commitment. Bring someone who would not come on their own.
Coffee and a place to sit. The coffee is on. Sitting with it is a perfectly good way to spend the morning.
Hands on a horse. Groom and handle horses with someone from the team alongside you.
Horsemanship technique. Reading a horse, groundwork, and why a horse does what it does.
From the rail. Watch a session from the rail if that is more your speed.
Other veterans. Walk the property, meet the herd and talk to people who have worn the uniform.
Your pace. Involvement is your call, session by session. Stepping back is always fine.
Before you come
When: Second and fourth Monday of every month, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Where: Ocean View Stables, 2152 Olympic Way, Daly City. Free parking on site.
Who: Any branch, any era, any length of service. Guard and Reserve included.
Cost: Always free for veterans.
Experience: None needed, and none expected.
Wear: Closed-toe shoes: boots are ideal, sneakers are fine, sandals are not. Dress in layers; the coastal fog burns off late.
Registration: Your name and email. Every question about your service is optional.
Company: Bring a friend or a fellow veteran. You do not have to come alone.
Horses do not ask questions, and they do not need the story. For a lot of people, that is exactly the point.
Next Heroes and Horses mornings
Free. Register for a date so we know to expect you.
Mon 26 Oct, Mon 9 Nov, Mon 23 Nov, Mon 14 Dec, Mon 28 Dec 2026; Mon 11 Jan 2027, then every second and fourth Monday through Mon 27 Sep 2027. All 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Where riding fits in
Coffee and Horsemanship mornings stay on the ground. Riding is part of Saved by the Saddle too: at some special events, and in programs we build with partner organizations around what their groups need. Depending on the group, a day is riding, groundwork, or both.
Wherever riding is offered, it is your choice: ride, stay on the ground, or do a bit of both. Nobody has to ride.
Fleet Week at the Barn, October 6, 2026
Fleet Week at the Barn was a Heroes and Horses special event. More than 30 uniformed military members came to the barn. Everyone set their own pace: ride the trail down to the beach, stay on the ground with the herd, or do a bit of both, then lunch together.
Separately, Ocean View Stables, the privately owned stable where our sessions take place, offers veterans a free ride of their own. It is Ocean View Stables' benefit, with its own terms: it covers the veteran's own ride, and proof of service is required. Coming to Coffee and Horsemanship asks for nothing beyond a registration.
On the beach below the bluffs, Fleet Week at the Barn 2026. The appearance of U.S. military personnel does not imply endorsement by the Department of Defense or any branch of service.
In development
Planned: Heroes and Horses weekly sessions and intensives
The next stage of Heroes and Horses: group or individual formats, ongoing weekly sessions and shorter intensive formats, with veteran-led sessions planned. It will be free. It has not started yet.
Register your interest and we will tell you when it opens. Coffee and Horsemanship continues either way.
Nothing is rushed. Nothing is forced.
Sessions are taught from the Leyden Horsemanship methodology, the established horsemanship program at Ocean View Stables, rooted in calm leadership, consent and mutual respect. The same principles that govern how we work with horses govern how we work with people.
This is not therapy and not a substitute for care from a licensed health professional. Saved by the Saddle does not use fear-based training, does not force participation, does not rush outcomes and does not promise clinical results.
Straight answers
If yours is not here, email [email protected].
What is Heroes and Horses?
Heroes and Horses is Saved by the Saddle's program for military veterans: free and non-clinical. Today it meets as Coffee and Horsemanship, two mornings a month on the ground at Ocean View Stables in Daly City. Weekly sessions and shorter intensives are planned. Some special events, like Fleet Week at the Barn, include riding.
Who can come?
Veterans of any branch, any era and any length of service, Guard and Reserve included. No horse experience is needed.
Is this therapy?
No. Saved by the Saddle offers horsemanship, not therapy. Our programs are educational, experiential and wellness-focused. We are not licensed therapists and our programs are not a substitute for mental health treatment. We encourage participants to work with qualified healthcare providers for clinical needs.
Do I have to ride?
No. Nobody has to ride. Coffee and Horsemanship mornings stay on the ground. Riding is offered at some special events and in some programs built with partner organizations, and there it is your choice. Separately, Ocean View Stables offers veterans a free ride of their own, with its own terms and proof of service.
What does it cost?
Nothing. Coffee and Horsemanship mornings are always free for veterans, and the planned Heroes and Horses sessions will be free too.
Do I have to talk about my service?
No. Registration asks for your name and email; every other question is optional. Nobody will ask you for your story.
Who hosts the mornings?
Karl Watson, Co-Founder and CEO of Saved by the Saddle, hosts the sessions, and the horsemanship is taught to the Leyden Horsemanship methodology. Everyone working with participants completes a background check.
Can I bring someone?
Yes. Bring a friend or a fellow veteran, especially one who would not come on their own.
Come down to the barn.
Pick a Monday, register, and come as you are.
Help build it properly.
Gifts fund free sessions, the training and safety work behind them, and the groundwork for a rescue program done right.
Healing horses. Healing people. Creating second chances.
2152 Olympic Way
Daly City, CA 94015
[email protected]
Get involved
Saved by the Saddle is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation organized for charitable and educational purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, EIN 41-3846131. It is a separate legal entity from Ocean View Stables, a privately owned business, and operates at Ocean View Stables under a written facilities agreement. Donations to Saved by the Saddle fund its charitable programs only and are not used to support or improve the private business.
Photographs show Ocean View Stables in Daly City and the horses that live there.
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