Safe Harbor Sanctuary

19/03/2025

"Why don't you adopt free companion horses anymore?"

Long story short: We've learned it is not in the horse's best interest to do so.

Longer version: We define "companion" horse differently now than we did 5, 6, 10 years ago.

We are a much smaller organization, by design, so that we can focus on the best outcomes for our horses, versus adopting 'more' in rapid succession and placing the burden of evaluation on the adopter.

When we intake a horse from a neglect situation, we never know if they have been trained. When we intake an off the track horse, we know they drive - we assume they don't have formal riding training. Either way, we proceed with veterinary clearance, training evaluations and then professional training.

Not every professional trainer wants to take on a horse that is over age 10 and unstarted. Some trainers are completely fine with 'refresher' training on a horse that was ridden 10 years ago but has a sizeable 'pasture pet' gap on its resume. Our goals are to lay the foundation for the horse's future and to find out what type of work - and how much - is going to be suitable for each individual animal.

Because we are a lifetime safety net organization, it is our responsibility to adopt horses that have received at least basic, age-appropriate training. The most common reason for horses returning has been simple mis-match between horse and rider, so even though it takes longer, we now try to mitigate this from the start.

Horses that are un-rideable due to age and soundness related complications now receive an extra layer of protection, in that they are classified as 'sanctuary companions.'

What does this mean to you?

It means we don't transfer ownership to a new home. The horse comes to you as a friend to your lonely, only horse just as it would in an adoption, but we cover veterinary costs and provide some financial support on a monthly basis for their care. We also provide a support network as requested. We see this as a win-win, especially since companion horses are historically the most difficult to adopt into appropriate homes who truly don't wish to ride them.

18/03/2025

On Monday night, volunteers spent some time fitting Native Speed and doing a very brief riding evaluation.

He has definitely had some after the track riding. He does need just a tiny bit more evenly-distributed weight before we put him into a 30-day refresher, but the excellent news is that he moves sound and seems very comfortable moving out.

Pic in first comment for a reminder of how far he's come since intake.

17/03/2025

We are ISO a few items "used" before we invest in "new" for our After the Track program:

1) Warmblood size driving bridle. Ours somehow grew legs and walked off and horse-size just doesn't fit our bigger guys. 🤦‍♀️🤷‍

2) 5.25" and 5.5" western bits (think Argentine, dogbone mouth, "green horse" intro-to-shank bits.)

3) Wide gaited flex tree or treeless saddle in useable condition. Maybe an older Bob Marshall or a Barefoot ? 15" - 15.5" seat to fit the majority of our rider volunteers.

Nonprofit so lower prices are appreciated, can meet in Nashville/Gallatin/Lebanon/Franklin KY or cover shipping.

EMAIL [email protected] or TEXT 615.997.0697 if you have any of these items!

📸 Gallatin Christmas Parade a few years ago

17/03/2025

Train your broodmares.

Train your young mares.

Train your mares before you breed them.

So often, we see mares of a certain age 'available for rehoming' - or in mass neglect situations - with little to no training. Often, a mare's value seems to be attached to her uterus, and this creates a tremendous welfare issue because it's not one with a simple fix.

Consider:
1) Mares in their teens/20s left behind when an owner passes away or becomes incapacitated, who are barely halter trained, have almost no prospect of finding soft landings. There are so few skilled horsemen able to take on a horse like this to give them any kind of a future. People don't want a green 24 year old horse. People don't want a 24 year old mare they MIGHT be able to squeeze one more breeding out of. People don't want the extra effort that comes with 25 year old horses that haven't seen a vet in years, or old horses that go against the "old is quiet" myths.

2) Teen mares that are not sound to ride, that have only been broodmares, have very few prospects for a soft landing when they age out of 'breeding soundness'. Not many breeders (there are some) have extra pasture space for old, retired broodmares.

3) A young mare, let's say under 10, who is never trained to ride but has had multiple foals, is really only marketable to a small sub-set of people. Breeders who will not train her, backyard breeders who will get one foal and pass her on, and maybe an intrepid soul who wants a project.

And then you consider whether the mare in question should have made lots of babies - where are they and what are THEY doing? If she was never trained, what did she produce? Was she bred on rare special bloodlines alone? What sort of soundness (issues) and temperament was she putting out into the world?

When you train your horses, you might have a better idea of these answers, so it can really be a benefit to do so...

Please train your mares. It gives them a future beyond the breeding shed. It gives them some safety if something happens to you. It gives them a value beyond what they might produce.

14/03/2025

Many riders of a certain age likely share a similar 'life experience." When we were growing up, we learned to ride by trial and error, falling off, and riding anything we had permission to sit on - with or without a saddle. Some of us never had access to an arena, some of us rode our horses down the road to the closest thing resembling a saddle club or formal stable, some cleaned innumerable stalls for the occasional riding lesson, and some of us only had access to the "horses in the city" trail riding stables. If we were lucky, we may have had a 4-H program in our school or a friend who had a horse we could ride.

Most of us didn't know about saddle fit, or what made a 'good' saddle pad, or that there were bits outside a plain 2-piece snaffle and the generic 'grazing bit' that came with every off-the-shelf western bridle at the local Ag-Way. Dewormer consisted of the vet tubing the horse during annual vaccination day. There was sweet feed, and later, there was Purina Senior.

If a horse bucked, reared, was spooky or reactive or didn't want to move forward, he was a 'problem' or 'needed training' - we could not test for underlying causes of these behaviors, such as genetic diseases like HYPP or PSSM, stomach ulcers, or the ever-important and simple saddle fit.

Somehow, we survived. Our childhood horses were truly saints - if they had not been, many of us would not be here to tell our tales.

But, see how far we have come? Today, we have horses that regularly live beyond 30 - many of whom compete well into their 20s. We have the capacity to test for underlying causes of behavior - from the simple 6-panel test to gastric scoping to back x-rays and standing MRI. We routinely look for ways to ensure our horses are comfortable - with better equipment that fits them correctly, and a team of professionals for them as well as for us.

When you look at recent history, you come to understand why we encourage education. Owning horses is more than your grandfather's knowledge, or your neighbor who had a sweet gelding you climbed on and rode around his pasture 40 years ago. It's the lessons, the clinics, the research, the case studies from veterinarians and farriers shared across social media, the local knowledge from those open to offering it.

Horse ownership is a lifelong learning process, and every horse who crosses our path has the capacity to teach us something more.

13/03/2025

Why choose a Standardbred?

One of the main traits of this breed is their amazing temperament. They are TOLERANT horses. Take an animal that is born wanting to please and 'be quiet,' they go on to life as a racehorse, being hauled, bathed, shod, exercised amid tractors and loudspeakers and track activity, then transition them to saddle ... it seems like a no-brainer.

An off the track Standardbred already has a good amount of training. They will bathe, lead, load, tie, they are used to a girth and tack and left/right/whoa/go cues, and in general, we saddle up and 'go' when starting them under saddle, simply adding buttons and education in the same way we would when starting a baby from scratch.

* This is where it's easy to mess up, because they are like any other horse that is green under saddle. They have never had someone "above and behind" them, they have never carried weight on their back, they've had sulky (cart) shafts bump their sides but leg doesn't mean anything to them, they are not allowed to canter in harness, and they have not been worked alone much, if at all. In general, they are so kind and quiet, it's easy for a novice to sort of take advantage and just kick-n-pull ride, without adding formal education to the mix.

Being aware of the positives and the 'needs' can help make the transition into owning a new-to-saddle Standardbred even more rewarding, because they do take to riding so easily when someone is willing to invest the time.

Across the globe, off the track Standardbreds compete in almost every discipline you can imagine, from competitive driving to endurance to hunters and dressage to gymkhana and jackpot barrels. You'll find them serving on police forces and participating in Civil War reenactments.

13/03/2025

Food for thought.

You Aint No Cowboy and You’ll Never be Successful.
Shopping Carts

Successful people put their cart up. Know why? Bc they aren’t lazy.
Successful people put their cart up. Know why? Bc they are considerate of others.
There are traits of successful people just as there are traits that make you a Cowboy (including ladies). Sometimes those things go hand in hand. A lot of times they do.
I grabbed this cart yesterday and went in for fly spray and dog food. That’s my truck. I went out of my way to pull the cart from the parking lot as opposed to getting one from inside. First, it kept staff from having to go out there. Second I didn’t want it to roll and hit someone’s car. Third I thought whoever left it was a self centered jerk and I would have been in that same category had I ignored it.
Anyway, went and got my stuff (WHY IS FLY SPRAY SO EXPENSIVE!?!?) and went to check out. Elderly gentleman in front of me had 2 bags of bird seed. Cane, slightly hunched over, wearing a white felt hat. Cashier ask him if he needed help out. I could tell that the gentleman wanted to say no, as he hesitated, and then said yes. The bird feed bags were small. Idk, 10 #’s each? MAYBE 20? Idk but they weren’t big. Older Cowboy walks out as I move up and the cashier calls for load out assistance. Just then a gentleman, prob in his late 40’s, walks in and said to cancel that, he helped the gentleman and it was taken care of. Cowboy #2. Real Cowboy’s help the elderly, and aren’t lazy.
I checked out and went to leave, as I glanced over I saw the older gentleman, cane in hand and being used, walking back to his truck from returning his cart. If that doesn’t explain the difference in people that leave their carts in the middle of a parking lot and one’s that take them back, just stop reading bc it’s pointless.
Go do successful Cowboy things. There’s no room for lazy and inconsiderate in our lifestyle. Yes, there are some but they aren’t successful and they dang sure aren’t respected.
Be different than folks these days.
Be a Cowboy.

12/03/2025

Ah, springtime in Tennessee.

The peeper frogs hatch, the pollen gathers, and the grass becomes dangerous to founder-prone horses.

When we're having days in the 60s and 70s and nights in the 30s and 40s, metabolic and laminitis-prone horses should be monitored if turned out on grass.

The temperature swings and the "restart" of the growing season means sugars in the grass are high - even higher if the pasture is short, stressed, and overgrazed.

Horses that have not seen pasture all winter are especially at risk, while those with no founder history who are used to living out 24/7 are at lowest risk.

Talk with your equine veterinarian and hoof care professional with any concerns!

11/03/2025

Help is available!

*We do NOT ask for demonstration of financial "need" - in fact, we don't ask for any financial information at all.

Charlie's Fund exists to assist horse owners in Middle Tennessee / South Central Kentucky with the costs of castration, euthanasia, and some 'emergency' bills (such as a horse injured in a natural disaster).

Thanks to our friends at Hickory Hill Farm rescue, we have funding for 10 grants in 2025 - plus a couple more thanks to private donations.

If you have been waiting to geld your stallion due to costs, or if you have an older horse who is ready for the Rainbow Bridge but finances have delayed the decision, please do not hesitate to apply today!

We pay the veterinarian directly. MOST area veterinarians are aware of this program. If you don't have a vet - we can also help make those arrangements on your behalf.

11/03/2025

This weekend, we hosted a "Horses 101" training for current volunteers and a volunteer orientation for new volunteers.

Participants learned how to catch a horse in a "herd," safely and correctly lead a horse, and the basics of grooming, ground safety, body condition, and common illnesses a volunteer might discover at feeding time.

One of the equine participants was our very own happily adopted chonky Paso, Sarah.

10/03/2025

Ride or drive an off the track Standardbred?

Looking for a way to earn cool prizes while having fun with your horse right here in Tennessee?

This could be the program for you!

10/03/2025

Why (in general) do Standardbreds have such good ground manners?

It's competent, consistent handling like this from the time they are tiny until the time they retire from the track!

is "our" adoptable Hanover "baby" with this upbringing.

07/03/2025

Today, we want to address "compassion fatigue" and the related pitfalls.

The world we're living in has become boldly nastier. We get a few troll-y nasty posts but thankfully not a lot. We see some larger rescues getting slammed and second guessed and ripped for decisions they make in the best interest of the horses. Then we see the other side, where people have "given" their horses to a rescue and slam the rescue for not giving them adopter information.

Let me ask you: Who would want to adopt a horse from an organization who went back and told the surrendering party "Jane Smith in Nashville adopted her in April last year." - ?!?! Our adopters are free to disclose whatever information they want on social media and in the real world - but they are under no obligation to do so. We take our contract and confidentiality seriously.

We see vets getting beaten up for not responding quickly enough, charging "too much" or not being capable of working miracles in chronic issues, or for using the "e word" when it is very much part of a responsible conversation.

Enough is enough. It's exhausting to do all that we do and then have to deal with the thoughtless, uninformed nastiness here.

Think before you type. Ask questions rather than making assumptions. Read the available information on a horse's background before jumping to a conclusion on the current post. The world is ugly enough. Make it a little nicer. ✌

07/03/2025

Important information heading toward spring trail riding season!

University of Guelph's experts offer tips on checking floor safety as part of regular maintenance

06/03/2025

We've had a few questions about when our next tack sale will be -- so we thought we'd take the opportunity to share a high-level overview of our calendar for the rest of the year.

April-May: Consignment tack sale at Ascada Arabians, Cross Plains
May-June: Horses 101 ground handling clinic, location TBD
September-October: Writers for Racehorses II, Nashville
October-November: BIG Middle TN event, details coming....
February 2026: Southern Equine Expo

This isn't a "complete" list but it gives you an idea.

** An additional reminder: FREE castration certificates are still available; complete a Charlie's Fund application on our website and we will provide additional information. These are scheduled at your convenience.

📸 Between the Ears with Western Toro

04/03/2025

They are therapeutic, really.

04/03/2025

While we are all looking forward to warm spring days and lush green pasture, the transition from winter hay to spring grass should be planned carefully to mitigate any health risks to your equine. In other words — just because your equine friend is not obese or suffering from a nutritionally related disease, doesn’t mean you should just forget about hay entirely and let your horse eat their fill of spring grass.

Feeding high-quality hay is a good way to satisfy a horse’s urge to chew when they can’t graze and provide essential nutrients at the same time. A mature horse will eat 2-2.5% of its body weight per day; roughage should contribute to at least half of this percentage, but most agree forage should be a minimum of 75% of the horse's diet. Please remember that not all horses are made equal, so a horse's total nutritive requirements will ultimately depend on the individual's age, stage of development, metabolism and workload.

Take-home message: Before making any changes to your equine companion's diet this spring, consult your veterinarian to determine their current weight/body condition score and to formulate a balanced and nutritious ration that meets your horse’s specific nutritional needs!

03/03/2025

It's important to understand what really happens when a horse is listed for 'free to good home' - especially if they are an untrained, born-on-that-farm senior.

Horses rarely die of old age. Horses that are not trained are rarely desirable to any home but the one who made the decision to have a 1200 pound pet.

Once they enter the auction cycle, they often bounce from sale to sale until they starve, suffer critical injury or illness, or one of the 10 'real kill buyers' spends $75 and ships to he!! in Mexico.

Be a responsible steward, or ride a bike instead.

That old horse standing in your pasture, the mare with the arthritic knee who your kids saddle clubbed on until they got cars and jobs and significant others. That horse you “rescued” from a “kill pen” that’s 26 instead of 12, with an old tendon injury and fusing hocks. That horse you “r...