Volunteers

Volunteers are vital to our program and we could not operate without our fabulous team of people! There are a wide range of opportunities to volunteer, whether you prefer being with the horses, children, in the office or even helping us to bring in much needed funds. Volunteering can provide a great opportunity for you to learn new skills, meet some new people and perhaps get a little bit of physical fitness, all while giving back to your community.

We are looking for volunteers who are patient and have positive attitudes! Volunteering at an equestrian therapeutic center is mildly physical. You must be able to walk for at least one hour and jog for short distances. However, if you are unable to participate in the program for physical reasons, there are many other ways to get involved! 

Experience is required for our horse handler positions. Volunteers can be trained in side walker, barn team and other volunteer positions.

For volunteers to come without a parent, youth must be a minimum of 14 years old, but anyone can come as long as a parent is present. 

Session Volunteers must commit to attend on a consistent schedule, same day and times each week. Session volunteers, therapists, instructors and clients often develop relationships and bond, so being consistent is important to this building this relationship and trust. We may ask that you also assist with feeding (if sessions are around meal times) or setting up/breaking down the arena.

Session Side Walkers assist the rider with balancing on the horse, as well as in helping to keep the rider focused on the instructions being given by the instructor. Side walkers focus on the riders and often develop very close relationships with the riders they assist. Side walkers may be asked to not only walk, but also jog/trot beside the horse while assisting the rider with balance.

Session Horse Handlers lead and handle the horse during a session; including helping get them groomed, tacked up and warmed up prior to the session. The horse handlers attention remains on the horse during sessions. Everyone starts out with our program as a side walker, but may attend horse leader training after a minimum of one month of volunteering.

Special Skills Volunteers: 

Barn & Pasture Maintenance volunteers will help with maintaining the facility property; some of which may include fencing, tractor work, filling the hay palaces, pasture maintenance and other barn maintenance or improvements. 

Our Barn Team is a group of people who come out on Saturdays to keep our barn and horses looking great! 

There are many other ways to volunteer and use your talents! We would love to hear about your special skills in marketing/fundraising, landscaping, photography, or videography. We also have a community outreach team which attends booths and various events to raise awareness about our organization. If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please fill out the interest form below and we will get in touch!