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The standards behind every session

Trust is the foundation of everything we do. These are the standards that protect participants, horses and our community, set before the first session, not after.

A chestnut horse with a white blaze looks out over its stall door down the sunlit barn aisle at Ocean View Stables

Safety is foundational, for people and horses alike

  • Clear horse-handling protocols

  • Youth protection boundaries

  • Non-clinical, trauma-aware practices

  • Incident reporting and review

  • Ongoing training for everyone in a regular role

Horse safety standards

  • Every horse is evaluated before any program participation

  • Daily health checks and regular veterinary care

  • Horses are never overworked: rest and wellbeing come first

  • Clear written protocols for horse-human interactions

  • Equipment maintained and inspected on a set schedule

Participant safety

  • A safety orientation for every participant before they go near a horse

  • Appropriate supervision ratios

  • Emergency procedures and first aid training

  • Clear behavioral expectations and boundaries

  • Supervised interactions at all times, with no adult alone with a young person

Youth protection

  • Background checks for everyone in a regular role before they work with participants

  • A two-adult rule for all youth interactions, as required by California Business and Professions Code section 18975

  • Clear reporting procedures for concerns

  • Safeguarding and mandated reporter training for everyone in a regular role

  • Parent and guardian communication protocols

Honest about risk

Horses are large, powerful animals. While we take every precaution to ensure safety, working with horses carries inherent risk that cannot be eliminated. All participants (and guardians for minors) must acknowledge these risks and sign appropriate waiver documentation before participating in our programs.

We are committed to being straightforward about both the rewards and the risks of horsemanship.

What guides every decision

Horse welfare first

Horses are partners, not tools. Their physical and emotional wellbeing is never compromised for program goals. If a horse isn't having a good day, they don't work.

Informed consent

All participants (and guardians for minors) receive clear information about what our programs are and aren't. We never promise clinical outcomes or medical benefits.

Dignity and respect

Every person who comes through our gate is treated with unconditional respect. We meet people where they are, without judgment or expectation.

Transparency

We are open about our practices and our finances. We have no outcome results to report yet, and we would rather say so than overstate.

Continuous improvement

We review and update our practices as we go, guided by participant feedback, recognized standards and emerging best practice.

Raising a concern

If you have any concern about safety, ethics or conduct, tell us. Reports can be anonymous, and every one is taken seriously.

Help build it properly.

Gifts fund free sessions, the training and safety work behind them, and the groundwork for a rescue program done right.

The green bluff above the Pacific beside Ocean View Stables in Daly City