Sauvetage et Sérénité

Association à but non lucratif relèvent de la loi 1901 HelloAsso

The “Why” of Sauvetage et Sérénité

Where it all started

I know what Dizzy and the other horses in this video felt like. I have lived in a state of hypervigilance for 5 years, never ever letting my guard down, unless I am with my horses. The slightest threat would send me straight back into full lockdown.

With all my training and experience, I did not realise what was going on.

These horses’ story is MY story.

It was only as I watched Dr Jay Komarek working on Dizzy in this video, that the penny dropped. Dr Komarek is a chiropractor, but I think, and this is just my opinion, what he does for the horses in this video goes way beyond chiropractic treatment.

It’s about releasing and recalibrating, in the fullest sense of the words.

Sauvetage et Sérénité was born because I wanted the same for myself, for others and for horses.

Now, I provide lifelong sanctuary for horses while offering equine-assisted support to people during life’s toughest challenges. I have always firmly believed in the transformative power of the horse-human connection to restore hope to both species – it has now just become much more specific.

At the moment, I’m funding this work by hosting retreats at my farm in the southwest of France during the summer months. The winter cold makes it impossible to continue through the year, and as my sight continues to deteriorate, I’ll increasingly rely on donations to keep going.

Leo’s Legacy

The phone call came like a screaming siren late one night: Leo, once a magnificent Lusitano stallion—proud, powerful, unstoppable in the bullfighting ring—desperately needed help. In the ring, a bull’s horn had found its mark, injuring not just Leo’s body, but also shattering his spirit.

Deemed worthless, broken, too expensive to keep, he was condemned to the most horrific of fates: the killing pen.

But in that broken body, something extraordinary remained: a flicker of the noble spirit that makes Lusitanos legendary.

When he arrived here, he was skeletal, lice-infested, barely able to stand, his once-fiery eyes hollow with despair. Just another casualty of a world that values horses only for what they can do, not who they are.

A testament to the brutal realities many horses face.

I immediately knew, with every fibre of my being, that I had to help him.

For five precious years, Leo taught me the true meaning of resilience. Though he could never be ridden again, he became something far more valuable—a healer of hearts. Every person who met him felt his gentle wisdom, his capacity to see straight through our masks into our souls.

When colic suddenly took Leo, the hole he left wasn’t just in our hearts—his passing ripped a hole in my universe that time can’t seem to mend. His gentle and generous nature, his profound capacity for affection, touched every soul fortunate enough to cross his path.

Leo died just before COVID. I had a lot of time to think – and to watch videos, like the one above.

The Sauvetage and Sérénité Foundation was the result of all that thinking.

A Legacy Forged in Love and Loss: The Foundation of Sauvetage et Sérénité

Leo’s story, though steeped in sorrow, became the blazing forge from which something extraordinary emerged. In his memory, I created Sauvetage et Sérénité – a sanctuary not just for horses, but also for the broken spirits of people, especially the hypervigilant ones.

The Problems We Solve

For Horses: Every year, thousands of horses face abandonment when they’re no longer profitable. Injured ex-competition horses, older animals, and those with behavioural issues resulting from trauma are often discarded to kill pens or left to suffer in inadequate conditions. These intelligent, emotional beings—who can live 25-30 years—are treated as disposable equipment rather than sentient creatures deserving of dignity.

For People: Meanwhile, traditional therapy doesn’t work for everyone facing life’s toughest challenges—grief, trauma, depression, anxiety, the whole spectrum of major life transitions. Many people feel disconnected, judged, or unable to open up and let go in conventional settings. The support they need requires something more than words: genuine, non-judgmental connection.

My Unique Solution

Sauvetage et Sérénité addresses both crises simultaneously through our dual-purpose sanctuary:

Lifelong Horse Sanctuary: I provide permanent homes for horses—complete veterinary care, proper nutrition, safe shelter, and most importantly, the dignity of being valued for who they are, not what they can do.

Equine-Assisted Healing Programs: I offer therapeutic experiences where people connect with my horses. These programs help them process trauma, build confidence, and rediscover hope through the horses’ intuitive wisdom and non-judgmental presence.

Why This Works: Horses naturally read human emotions and respond authentically—they can’t be fooled by the masks we wear. This creates genuine therapeutic breakthroughs that traditional methods sometimes can’t achieve. Meanwhile, giving these horses purpose in healing others provides the ultimate second chance.

My mission at Sauvetage et Sérénité is about a vital connection between two species in need:

• A Lifelong Haven for Horses: We offer a permanent, safe harbour for horses like Leo, those abandoned, abused, or simply forgotten. These sentient beings, often stripped of their dignity, deserve nothing less than a life of love, respect, and unwavering care.
• A Path to Healing for Wounded Souls: We provide a unique journey for people going through difficult times. Through the profound, intuitive wisdom of my horses, I offer a path to serenity. The carefully designed equine-assisted activities are crafted to nurture mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

At Sauvetage et Sérénité, my horses and I offer more than a sanctuary; we are fostering a sacred space where two wounded species can find solace in each other’s presence, where trust is rebuilt, and where true healing can begin. I believe in justice for horses, in healing for humans, and in the transformative power of interspecies connection to change the world—one rescued soul at a time.

What Our Community Says

Marie, retreat participant, “After my husband’s sudden death, I felt completely lost. Friends kept telling me to ‘move on,’ but I couldn’t even get out of bed some days. When I discovered Sauvetage et Sérénité during a retreat, I asked for a session with Tooske, a gentle broodmare who’d been abandoned after years of breeding. She didn’t judge my tears or try to fix me with words. She just stood quietly beside me, letting me cry into her neck. Toos taught me that healing isn’t about forgetting—it’s about acknowledging your scars. I’m not the same person I was before, but I’m okay with who I’m becoming.”

Marianne, monthly donor, “I’ve been giving a monthly contribution for a year now, ever since I visited and met Loki, a rescued gelding. What struck me wasn’t just his physical recovery, but how he’d learned to trust again. As a small business owner, I know the power of predictable income—it lets you plan, grow, and sleep at night. My monthly gift might seem small, but knowing it helps keep Loki’s world stable feels enormous. Every month when that donation goes through, I picture him munching hay in his pasture, safe and valued. That image is worth far more than my contribution to me.”

Why Your Support is Our Lifeline

Leo, though he carried the scars of his past, never lost his immense and entirely non-judgmental generosity, nor his boundless capacity for love. There are countless other Leos out there, magnificent creatures teetering on the edge, desperate for a second chance. And there are countless people grappling with unseen burdens, yearning for the non-judgmental connection that only a horse can offer.

Every moment you’ve spent reading this, another horse somewhere is facing abandonment, and another person is struggling alone with pain that words can’t heal. But you have the power to change that story.

Your choice today creates tomorrow’s miracles.

Will you be the reason an abandoned horse like Leo gets a second chance? Will you be the bridge that helps heal a broken heart? The horses in my care—and the countless others still waiting for rescue—are counting on people like you who understand that true compassion requires action.

Choose Your Impact:

• Life-Saving Rescue and Rehabilitation: Providing urgent veterinary care, nourishing food, and safe, comfortable shelter for my equine residents.
• Sanctuary Upkeep: Ensuring the daily operations, maintenance, and ongoing creation of an enriching environment for both horses and humans.
• Transformative Support Programs: Developing and delivering the vital equine-assisted activities that foster profound emotional and spiritual well-being for people.

Your Impact in Action: Where Every Euro Goes

• €50 provides nutritional supplements for all horses for one month
• €75 maintains pasture care for one month, keeping my horses safe
• €150 covers farrier care (hoof trimming/shoeing) for one horse/year
• €200 funds essential veterinary check-ups and vaccinations for one horse/year
• €300 covers facility maintenance and utilities for one month
• €400 provides administration for our programs/year
• €800 funds shelter improvements and infrastructure development
• €1000 sponsors a transformational retreat for one person

Financial Transparency:

• 85% of donations go directly to horse care and programs
• 10% supports essential operations and maintenance
• 5% covers administration and fundraising costs

Why Monthly Giving Has Such An Enormous Impact

I host retreats here at my farm in the southwest of France, but only during the summer months – due to the cold, it is impossible to do so during the winter – but as my sight continues to deteriorate, I will depend more and more on donations to keep going.

Monthly contributions are the lifeblood of this sanctuary because horses need care every single day, not just when donations come in. When you commit to a monthly gift, you’re giving us something invaluable: predictability. I can confidently promise Leo’s successors that they’ll have food tomorrow, veterinary care when needed, and a warm shelter through winter storms—because we know your support is coming. This reliability transforms how I operate, allowing us to focus on healing rather than constantly worrying about next month’s hay bill.

Monthly giving also maximises your impact through consistency—€50 once might feed a horse for a week, but €200 monthly feeds that same horse for an entire year while helping us plan long-term improvements, expand my programs, and say “yes” when that desperate midnight call comes about another horse in crisis. For horses who’ve already experienced the trauma of abandonment, the security that monthly giving provides isn’t just financial—it’s emotional peace of mind that their sanctuary will always be here, no matter what.

A generous mindset requires us to see giving not as depleting our resources, but as creating wealth. Dr Margaretha Montagu

Will you stand with us? Will you help me create this haven where horses find peace and hurting people can rediscover hope?

Join Our Mission of Hope

We invite you to become an indispensable part of the Sauvetage et Sérénité foundation. Your involvement is the heartbeat of our sanctuary.

• Make a Donation: Every single contribution, no matter the amount, creates a tangible ripple of hope in the lives of our horses and the people they will touch.
• Become a Monthly Subscriber: Your recurring gift is our bedrock, providing stable, predictable support that allows us to plan for the future and ensure consistent, exceptional care.
• Volunteer Your Heart and Hands: Bring your skills, your time, and your energy to help maintain the sanctuary. Your dedication is not just invaluable; it’s desperately needed. Email me at OpenLockedDoors@gmail.com for more information.

Some chances to make a difference are just too precious to waste.

There are 3 ways to donate:

• Directly here on the website – see below
• Via HelloAsso
• By bank transfer: please get in touch with me for the charity’s bank details at openlockeddoors@gmail.com

Another way to support Sauvetage et Sérénité would be to buy one of my courses:

Healing Horses. Healing Hearts. Healing Lives. Sauvetage et Sérénité offers horses a safe haven and helps hurting people find hope through the profound wisdom of equine connection.