Nonprofit Spotlight

Horse Harbor Foundation

Kitsap & Jefferson County Nonprofits — With the Donor in Mind
April 17, 2025 - Around West Sound, Blog, Featured - Comments: 
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Nonprofit Spotlight

Washington state is gifted with almost 45,000 registered and legit not-for-profit organizations. Their missions are wide ranging, but all attempt to address a significant community need, often relying completely on donor funding and an active cadre of community volunteers to do so.

For many residents, the nonprofit world can seem like a confusing, amorphous bag of missions, volunteers, fundraising, staff and activities, often seeming to overlap. But these groups provide or supplement essential and usually underfunded resources, direct services and programs that address critical community needs, bringing added value their service areas and hope to those who need it most.

Nonprofit Spotlight provides a snapshot for you as readers, residents, potential volunteers, donors and clients with the basics, the info you need to make an educated decision on whether to support or participate. These are often community-based organizations, so you can bet that both will be highly valued and greatly appreciated. Check them out, ask questions, stop by, call or email for further info. They’ll be delighted to hear from you!

This month:

Horse Harbor Foundation

  • horseharbor.org
  • Founding president and CEO: Allen Warren
  • Executive director: Maryann Peachey-Warren

Recently celebrating its 30th anniversary, Horse Harbor Foundation provides lifelong sanctuary for horses that have been abandoned, neglected or abused, or are facing premature euthanasia and slaughter. The organization provides shelter and care for up to 30 horses at a time, all of which are provided care to ensure that they live out the rest of their lives in a comfortable and loving environment.

“Horse Harbor Foundation is a small nonprofit organization that has strived in its 31 years of operation to make a major difference, not only for the horses we actually rescue and allow to live out their lives in safety, love and dignity, but also in our community, the state and nation,” said Founding President and CEO Allen Warren. With Maryann [Peachey-Warren] and our daughter, Aria, now fully committed to carrying on, we hope to continue this important work well into the future.”

Horse Harbor FoundationHorse Harbor does not adopt out horses to the general public, but helps horse owners in its region rehome their horses when possible. Those that are elderly, unsound or retired simply live out their lives with quality care and daily love and attention. The sanctuary was recognized in 2010 with the highest level of achievement by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and still is one of only a handful of equine rescue sanctuaries in the United States to earn fully accredited status from this international organization.

In addition to rehabilitation, the foundation trains younger horses that have become at risk because they have not been prepared for a productive role in life and incorporates them into a year-round education program that emphasizes developing competent future horse owners and riders. The foundation also offers free consultation to local horse owners on issues of proper care and keep and is actively involved in horse welfare issues and community outreach. It also intervenes in situations of horse endangerment.

Horse Harbor FoundationKey Programs and Services

Equine assisted therapy: Offering individuals with mental and physical disabilities the opportunity to experience horsemanship firsthand. With the help of staff, participants walk through each step in the riding process, including grooming, tacking-up and riding one of the lesson horses. Bonds are formed between the individual and their equine partner. In addition to offering this service to private families, the foundation works with clients of both the Washington Department of Social and Health Services and area mental health providers.

Weekly riding lessons: A way to support the herd, as well as to teach and promote good horsemanship to the public. Providing students four lessons a month at a fraction of the cost of private riding stables in the area. In addition, every student is taught the basics of equine care and keep, including nutrition, first aid, health maintenance and stable management.

Summer day camps: Popular series of summer horse day camps for young people interested in learning about and experiencing the wonderful world of horses firsthand. During these four-hour, four-day sessions, campers learn about horse health and nutrition, stable management, grooming and tacking up and receive beginning riding instruction. Camp sessions in 2025 are on July 8-11, July 22-25, Aug. 5-8 and Aug. 19-22.

This Nonprofit Spotlight column is designed to inform you about our community’s highly respected 501(c)3 organizations. We highly recommend potential clients, volunteers and donors access further information via the charity’s own website or via independent watch groups like GuideStar, Charity Navigator, GreatNonprofits or Charity Watch, all available online. And for an updated list of nonprofits in our community, check out the links provided by community foundations in Kitsap and Jefferson counties.