“Why do I volunteer? The smiles… It’s a gift to me…it’s totally absorbing — all the noise in my life fades away during TRI time.”
VOLUNTEERS
We could not provide this amazing program without the assistance of over 100 volunteers every week. Volunteers share in the success of their students, meet the challenge of new experiences and feel they make a difference in someone’s life.
Arena Volunteers
Volunteers serve as sidewalkers and horse leaders. They directly assist participants with riding or ground lessons.
Sidewalker
Sidewalkers have the BEST volunteer job at TRI, and no horse experience is required! As a sidewalker, you will work directly with your riders to make sure they have a safe, fun, and progressive riding lesson. Sidewalkers must be comfortable walking in sandy, uneven footing for about 30 minutes at a time, and jogging in the sand for brief periods while our riders trot their horses. We ask our sidewalkers to make a weekly volunteer commitment, so they can work with the same riders each week.
Horse Leader
Do you have experience with horses? Are you comfortable handling a variety of different horses? If so, this job might be for you! Our horse leaders assist riders with their lessons, by helping facilitate communication with the horse. Horse leaders need to pay close attention to what their riders are asking for, and help our horses understand those aids! This role requires attendance at one of our Horse Leader Training sessions, which will be offered to you after you complete a general orientation. All of our Horse Leaders must be approved by the Volunteer Manager and/or Head Instructor.
Lesson Prep Crews
Volunteers help get horses ready for classes. They groom, prepare tack and get horses saddled.
Grooming Assistant
If you don't mind getting dirty, and working around horses, this job may be for you! Grooming Assistants are essential to getting our horses clean and ready for their work. You should have a basic idea of how to groom a horse and maintain safety while in a stall with a horse.
Tack Coordinator
Do you thrive on organization? Do you enjoy learning new things? Tack Coordinators are essential to keeping our riding lessons running smoothly, as you'll be responsible for making sure our horses and riders are matched with the right equipment they need. We use a variety of saddles, bridles, stirrups (all called horse "tack") to adapt to our riders' needs. If you have some basic knowledge of horses, this might be the role for you!
Other Volunteer Roles
In addition to helping with horsemanship lessons, volunteers often help us out in the office and for other special projects!
Administrative Projects
We often need help with scanning, shredding, mailing, marketing, barn tours, and social media campaigns. Combine your existing skills with our opportunities to make TRI more successful.