We
all seem to lead such busy lives ... it can be difficult to
set aside time for other commitments.
If you would like to do something where you can truly make
a difference in someone's life,
we'd like you to consider joining our volunteer family.
In addition to the satisfaction and joy of helping others,
our volunteers find benefits in many other ways as well.
They gain job skills and experience, get a better
understanding of individuals with special needs,
build self-confidence, make new friends and ...
HAVE FUN!
How can I volunteer at Ridin’
High?
Volunteers truly are the heart and soul of a therapeutic
riding program. Anyone who has the desire to help, love,
and have a wonderful time is welcome; however, you must be
at least 14 to work directly with our riders. No previous
experience is necessary. Our skilled instructors will teach
you everything you need to know.
What do volunteers do?
Volunteers
assist in a variety of ways: Leading horses during lessons,
Sidewalking (walking alongside the horse to offer the rider
support when needed), grooming horses, tacking up horses,
cooling out horses, cleaning tack, horse care, helping with
fundraisers, assisting with administrative duties, planning
of special events, and … anything else that needs doing!
Click Here to see a list
of areas and descriptions for our current needs.
What
is involved in the training?
To assist in
providing the safest environment possible for everyone
involved with our program, new volunteers are required to
attend a volunteer orientation and training workshop. These
are generally held on a Saturday and last approximately 3
hours. New volunteers are provided with:
• an
introduction and orientation to the facility;
• an overview of the field of therapeutic riding and the
population the program serves;
• hands-on training in the various volunteer roles and
their responsibilities; and
• a review of the general rules and regulations regarding
all aspects of the program.
Do
I have to have experience with
horses?
Though experience with horses is not necessary, it is
important that volunteers are not afraid of horses. More
importantly, it is critical that volunteers are willing to
learn about horses and are committed to following the
safety guidelines we set forth.
All volunteers begin as Sidewalkers -- assisting with
stabilizing riders during their lesson. Sidewalkers also
help by reinforcing directions given by the instructor and
by providing encouragement to the rider.
Sidewalkers who would like to become Horse Leaders should
talk with the Volunteer Coordinator or the Director. Horse
Leaders receive additional training in horsemanship and
horse handling skills.
Is
there a certain time commitment
needed?
We try very hard to create a safe physical and emotional
atmosphere at Ridin’ High. One of the ways we do this is to
make a strong effort to assign the same volunteers to work
with a rider each week. For this reason, it is very helpful
if a volunteer can commit to a full session (8 weeks) and,
of course, we would like you to be with us as much and as
long as you are able. Volunteers need to be able to commit
to one to three hours per week and, ideally, for the entire
Session.
If you are
interested in volunteering with us,
you can download this form: Volunteer Application
and return it
to our office.
Click
Schedule to see when
our next Volunteer Training will be
held.
