help us help others
STaRS depends on donations, grants and volunteer time. We exist both for the community, and because of the community. Our donors and volunteers are crucial to our success.
Become a STaRS Volunteer!
We are always happy to see new faces and would love to hear from you about joining our STaRS volunteer team! The following information is intended to help you understand the role of a volunteer in a therapeutic riding setting so you can determine if we are a good fit for you. We want all of our volunteers to enjoy their time with us!
What STaRS Needs
Volunteers are an integral part of the therapeutic riding team and we need people who are interested in helping children/adults with physical, developmental and mental health challenges. While interest in horses is preferred, experience with them is not a requirement. No matter the age, volunteers must be fit and able to follow direction well. Whether you have horse experience or not, potential volunteers go through a training session that explains all procedures during a typical lesson.
Our lessons range from 30 to 45 minutes. We generally ask that our volunteers be able to commit at least two hours per week (to help with lesson preparation and post-lesson clean up) for a period of ten weeks. This helps to build a strong and cohesive team, and allows our riders to get to know you!
Join Us!
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for STaRS! We have a limited number of new openings for volunteers. At this time we are looking for people who have adequate experience with horses to tack them up, lead them both on the road and in an arena, and who have daytime availability on weekdays as well as weekends.
For more information, please reach out to Susan, our Volunteer Coordinator, at ponyvolunteers@gmail.com
Volunteer Duties
Horse leader: Responsible for leading horses during lessons (previous horse experience required). As a leader, the volunteer’s responsibility is to pay attention to the horse and follow the directions of the instructor. In case of emergency, the leader is responsible only for the horse and following directions from the instructor.
Sidewalker: Responsible for physical, emotional support of the rider. A sidewalker’s responsibility is as a liaison between the instructor and the student, as required. Duties include spotting the rider or performing various holds to ensure they remain on the horse, relaying directions from the instructor, assisting with exercises, etc. In case of emergency, the sidewalker is responsible only for the rider and following directions from the instructor.
Fundraising: Help with fundraising events, public awareness, etc. STaRS is very open to community or university groups running their own fundraisers of any size for the benefit of STaRS. We will help with materials and volunteers!
Volunteer Requirements
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Must be sixteen years or older.
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Be free of major injuries/health problems.
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First aid certification is an asset (not required).
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Police records check. STaRS will provide a link and access code for online submission.