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Open nowFree sessions, twice a month

Helping at-promise youth through horsemanship

A free program for young people signed up by a school, counselor, case worker, youth organization or parent. Twice a month they learn to read, lead, groom and care for horses from the ground, alongside the team. There is no riding, and a responsible adult stays for the whole session.

The white barn at Ocean View Stables on a clear day

Horsemanship from the ground up

This is not a pony ride and it is not a tour. Young people learn how to move around a horse safely, how to read what a horse is telling them, and how to care for one, alongside the team. Caring for the horses is part of the lesson: feeding, water, stalls and tack.

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

Groundwork: leading, halting and reading a horse's body language.

Grooming: grooming, hoof picking and turnout, with the team alongside.

Feeding and water: feeding, watering and hay, on the horses' routine.

Stalls: mucking out and laying fresh bedding.

Tack and tidy: cleaning tack and putting the barn right before going home.

No riding: all of the work happens on the ground. No horse experience is needed.

Everything a parent or group leader needs to know

When: Two sessions a month, 4:00 to 7:00 PM: the third Monday, plus a first-of-the-month session that alternates between Monday and Saturday.

Where: Ocean View Stables, 2152 Olympic Way, Daly City. Free parking, with room for a van or small bus.

Cost: Free. There is no cost to families, schools or organizations.

Group size: Twelve young people per session, so a large group may split across two dates. Accompanying adults are not counted in the twelve.

Adults: Every young person comes with a responsible adult who stays for the whole session: a parent, teacher, counselor, case worker or youth program staff member.

Paperwork: Every young person needs a waiver signed by a parent or guardian before they start.

Wear and bring: Closed-toe shoes or boots (no sandals), long pants, clothes that can get dirty, a layer for the evening and a water bottle. If footwear is a barrier, tell us and we will sort it out.

Experience: None needed. Everything is taught on the day.

Four steps

Schools and after-school programs, counselors, social workers and case managers, parents and guardians, and youth and community organizations can all sign young people up.

1. Choose a date

Pick a session from the list below.

2. Register

Tell us who you are, how many young people and adults are coming, their ages, and a phone number for the day.

3. Get the waivers signed

Every young person needs a waiver signed by a parent or guardian before they start. We send it to you after you register.

4. Arrive ready

Come in closed-toe shoes, with a layer for the evening. Sessions start at 4:00 PM.

Next Mavericks sessions

Free. Places are limited to twelve young people per session.

Mon 19 Oct, Sat 7 Nov, Mon 16 Nov, Mon 7 Dec, Mon 21 Dec 2026; Sat 2 Jan 2027, then continuing through Mon 20 Sep 2027. All 4:00 to 7:00 PM.

See it before you refer anyone

No counselor, teacher or case manager should refer a young person to a place they have never seen. The Mavericks Preview for Counselors and Educators is ninety minutes at the barn in the late afternoon, the time of day the young people come, so you see the barn as they will.

What you will see

  • The barn, the arena and the yard where the work happens

  • A walkthrough of a program afternoon, start to finish

  • The horses the young people work with, and how each one is handled

  • How we set up supervision and where the adults stand

  • Parking and drop-off for a van or a small bus

Bring the hard questions

Supervision ratios and who is watching which group; insurance, waivers and the paperwork a parent signs; how the team and volunteers are screened; what happens when a young person is frightened of a horse, and when one is overconfident; accessibility; group size and how a class splits across two dates.

Who it is for

School counselors and social workers; teachers and school administrators; case managers and probation or court services staff; after-school and youth program staff; community and faith organization leaders; parents and guardians who want a closer look first. Bring colleagues: tell us on the form and we will plan for it.

You leave with dates in hand

You get the program calendar, the sign-up link, the waiver and a direct contact. Mavericks is free. It costs a school, a family or an agency nothing.

An empty, sunlit barn aisle at Ocean View Stables

Preview dates: Fri 30 Oct and Fri 18 Dec 2026; Fri 26 Mar, Fri 25 Jun and Fri 24 Sep 2027. All 4:30 to 6:00 PM.

Standards that apply every time

  • A two-adult rule for all youth interactions: no adult is ever alone with a young person, as required by California Business and Professions Code section 18975.

  • Volunteers working with youth complete a Live Scan background check through the California Department of Justice before their first shift.

  • Everyone in a regular role completes California mandated reporter training.

  • Every participant gets a safety orientation before going near a horse.

  • The responsible adult who comes with each young person stays for the whole session.

Safety and ethics

Report a concern

In development

Planned: an eight-week cohort for ages 12 to 18

Weekly two-hour visits, referred through schools, community organizations or a family directly with parental consent. It will be free or on a sliding scale, and no one will be turned away because they cannot pay. It has not opened, and there is no application yet.

Register your interest and we will tell you when it opens. Registering interest does not book a place and does not commit you to anything.

Tick it if you would like to hear when programs open or events are added.

Questions families ask

If yours is not here, email [email protected] and we will answer it plainly.

Who is the program for?

Young people, with a focus on at-promise youth, signed up by a school, after-school program, counselor, case worker, youth or community organization, or by a parent or guardian. Every young person comes with a responsible adult who stays for the whole session.

Why is it called Mavericks?

In ranch country, a maverick is an animal nobody has branded. The young people in this program do not carry anyone's label either. It is also why we say at-promise rather than at-risk: California's Education Code has used at-promise since 2020.

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.

Do young people ride?

No. All of the work happens on the ground: grooming, feeding, leading and caring for the horses.

What does it cost?

Nothing. Mavericks is free for families, schools and organizations. The planned eight-week cohort will be free or on a sliding scale.

What if a young person is nervous around horses?

Nobody is made to approach a horse. The team stays alongside, and watching from a safe spot is a fine way to start.

Is there anything we should tell you in advance?

Yes: anything that affects how a young person works safely around a large animal, in general terms, when you register. Please do not send medical details through the website; we will talk it through with you.

What happens in bad weather?

Sessions run outdoors in most weather. We cancel during lightning, heavy storms, or extreme heat or cold, and if conditions are questionable we contact you by 7am on the day.

Questions before you sign young people up?

Tell us about your group and we will help you choose a date.

Contact us

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