Our Mission:
Empower.
We give young men and women the tools to become positive members of their community through mentorship and equine assisted activities.
Our Mission
To provide a safe place to promote healing for youth in our community by empowering youth, through outdoor and equine assisted activities, to become leaders who inspire hope in their communities.
Our Impact
It's clear that many teens across our country and in our communities are struggling. Depression and mental health disorders are increasing at staggering rates and teens are becoming more and more disengaged from our world. Our youth are often turning to substance abuse, technology and unhealthy relationships making them unable to connect to the real world, solve problems and be positive members of society.
We believe in a varied approach to support struggling teens which includes long term & consistent mentorship, therapeutic horsemanship, spirituality and recreational activities. Our goal is for every student who visits our farm to walk away with a positive spirit and feel empowered to positively take control of their future.
2014
Founding
After working with youth groups and young people for several years, Allie Barnett dreamed of building a non-profit to help teens struggling with depression and emotional issues. Safe Haven Equine Ministries was officially a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2014.
2016
building
SHEM found a home on a small farm at the junction of Fayette, Bourbon and Paris counties, a board and volunteer base were formed and needed repairs and facility updates were made. Several horses were rescued or adopted to establish a small herd of therapy horses.
2017
serving
With the Safe Haven Farm ready to go, 2017 was the first full year of providing programs and services to our community. Most of the year was spent with a small group of students to help pilot our programs such as the Core Program and Bareback & Bible Study.
Our Programs
Our programs provide a safe haven for students to come heal from the chaos of the world, find hope in their future and learn to care, ride and love horses. Even if a student has never been with a horse before, we teach them at their pace and skill level.
stable moments
Focused on helping those who have experienced trauma, this program offers mentorship and equine assisted learning activities with a custom care plan to help students learn: independence, emotional awareness, responsibility and more.
core program
Our Core Program will pair each student with a SHEM horse and mentor to guide students through an 8-week program where they learn who they are and find purpose, passion and a positive self image. This program will include horse care and guided fun rides.
summer camps
New as of Summer 2018, we are now offering week long camps with a variety of interests and activities including horse riding, horse care, yoga, gardening, outdoor activities and more!
“
2017
I’ve learned that horses are great listeners. I’m worth a lot more than I think I am.
-14 year old female participant
Get Involved
Sign Up For a Program
We'd love to have you! Enter your contact info and we will let you know more about our programs and enrollment process. We also accept referrals if you have a student or family member you think would be interested.
Volunteer opportunities
We're always looking for people to join our mission and be an agent of change in Central Kentucky. If you have a passion for serving youth and natural horsemanship, you're probably a great fit!
Make a Donation
We GREATLY appreciate any and all donations and thank you in advance. We accept monetary donations, item donations (tack, hay, etc.) and have a small shop for SHEM items. We are a 501(c)(3) and all donations are tax deductible.
