Volunteering!

Looking for ordinary people, to do EXTRAORDINARY things!

Volunteers are the heart and soul of non-profit equine therapy. They are the ones who make it possible for these programs to exist and provide much-needed services to people of all ages and abilities.

Volunteers provide a variety of services at non-profit equine therapy centers, including:

  • Side-walking during therapy sessions
  • Leading horses during therapy sessions
  • Grooming and caring for horses
  • Maintaining the facility
  • Raising funds
  • Organizing events

Volunteers also provide emotional support to participants and their families. They are often the first people to greet participants when they arrive at the center, and they provide encouragement and support throughout the therapy process.

The work of volunteers is essential to the success of non-profit equine therapy programs. Without their dedication and hard work, these programs would not be able to provide the valuable services they do.

If you are interested in volunteering at a non-profit therapeutic horseback riding center, I encourage you to contact your local center and see how you can help. Your time and talents will be greatly appreciated!

Here are some additional benefits of volunteering at a non-profit equine therapy center:

  • You will have the opportunity to learn about equine therapy and its benefits.
  • You will get to meet and work with horses, which can be a rewarding experience.
  • You will make a difference in the lives of people who are struggling with physical, emotional, or cognitive challenges.
  • You will gain valuable skills and experience that you can use in other areas of your life.

What to expect when being a Stirrups ‘n Strides Volunteer!

Each horse taking part in a session, is assigned a trained leader. The leader is responsible for that horse for the duration of the session. For independent riders, the leader works with the rider to groom and tack the horse and in general facilitate the rider’s experience.

Some riders require one or two side walkers to walk alongside the rider for safety purposes. Side walkers focus on the special needs rider and rider safety.

Our Veterans come to us for equine therapy and a combination of therapeutic riding. This is a flexible program focusing on the horse connection and the best approach each week that will enable Veterans to reach a goal or simply a place of peace. Volunteers are assigned a Veteran/Horse and we try to ensure the same volunteer for the period of weeks that Veteran is coming to us.

Horse care can range from bringing in horses to stalls or taking out horses to pastures, grooming, tacking, and bathing. Volunteers are needed to assist with these and other general activities before, during and after each session.

All of our equipment needs upkeep and maintenance. Please let us know if you have interest in helping with this.

We are always in need of maintenance for our extensive grounds, barn, arena, fencing, etc. We also can use help preparing the facility for shows. So if you’re handy with a toolbox or equipment and would like to help out, please let us know. Occasional or regular volunteers appreciated!

Don’t have time to volunteer on a regular basis? We can still use your help to prepare for and run horse shows. There is much to do when preparing for horse shows…from tack cleaning, to bathing and trimming horses, food court bake sales, BBQ cookers, registration, painting to spruce things up and setting up arenas. Stirrups ‘n Strides hosts Special Olympics and other shows each year and it is an exciting time to be involved!

We have some participants who come for therapeutic riding through carriage driving. This requires a certified instructor and two volunteers to help with equipment, gates and be spotters.

We are always in need of help with administrative support for our programs, events and fundraisers. Some activities may include filing, data entry, help with registration at events and special projects. We also would surely welcome your technical, web or social media skills!

Volunteers pitch in at fundraising and community events, and volunteer recruitment activities. We are always looking for Grant Writing assistance. We would love to have a skilled PR/fundraiser to join our efforts to support our riders and horses!

Our volunteers are nothing short of amazing! We are always looking for new and fun activities and ways to show appreciation and let them know just how important they are. We are also continually recruiting volunteers as our programs grow. If you enjoy getting creative, planning fun events and recruiting, you may like to help out in this area! Click the button below to fill out a form and we can reach out to you as soon as possible! or reach out to us in a message on Facebook. We greatly appreciate your interest!

Contact our Volunteer Coordinator:

Anita Gossett at 352-817-6446 or email volunteercoord@stirrupsnstrides.com
or Stirrups ‘n Strides office:  352-591-1042