The volunteer team is what makes therapeutic riding possible for many riders. Without a volunteer team, many of our students would not be able to participate. Leaders and sidewalkers form a team to support their rider during a lesson. Consequently, the quality of the volunteers directly affects the quality of the lesson. We are thankful for all of our volunteer teams and the oportunities they provide for our riders. Characteristics of a Good Volunteer
Reliability: regular attendance and/or advance notice of absences is a must!
Punctuality: late arrival can be very frustrating for a student who has looked forward to their weekly ride. Tardiness will affect the whole day, not just one rider.
Physical Fitness: please know your physical limitations and stay within them. Notify staff if they affect your volunteer duties.
Be Relaxed: an anxious volunteer contributes to a nervous rider
Alertness: despite your outward relaxation, always anticipate an unexpected emergency.
Empathy: avoid false sentimentality. It is important to have genuine empathy and regard for riders.
Patience: endless patience is necessary to adjust to both equines (who let's face it, are not robots) and clients with different physical abilities.
Safety First, Common Sense Always!
All individuals must complete Eloheh Equine's volunteer training to be considered for any volunteer position. Additional training may be required for specific volunteer positions.
Side-walker is a person who walks beside the horse and offers stability to the rider. This person must be attentive to the rider and the instructor. Qualifications for a side-walker are:
Commitment to attend class each week for the duration of a session
Able to walk and periodically jog, for up to an hour on uneven surfaces
Able to hold your arm raised and out to the side for extended periods of time
Must have adequate vision and hearing to ensure the safety of horses and participants
Able to work as part of a team and be flexible to changes
Comfortable working with individuals of all ages and abilities, including physical contact
Minimum age of 14 years
Able to attend initial volunteer training and additional training throughout the year
Horse Leader is a person who is responsible for leading the horse and/or assisting the rider in controlling the horse. Qualifications for a Horse Leader are:
Horse experience -- volunteer should be knowledgeable and comfortable around a variety of horses and have experience working directly with horses or have attended a Leader Training session at Eloheh Equine.
Able to walk and periodically jog for up to an hour on uneven surfaces
Able to work as a team and be flexible to changes
Minimum age of 14 years
Able to attend initial volunteer training and additional leader training throughout the year.
Floater is an extra person in a class who helps the instructor and fills in for other volunteers as needed. Qualifications are the same as for Side-walker and Horse Leader.
Barn Volunteer is a person who chooses to work in barn operations, such as grooming, tacking, warming up horses, cleaning and maintaining equipment, or performing general barn tasks such as picking stalls, watering, sweeping, etc. Qualifications for Barn Volunteer are:
Horse experience preferred, with knowledge of and comfort around a variety of horses, and with direct experience working with horses
Able to halter, lead, and cross-tie a horse
Able to groom and tack a horse without direct supervision
Able to work as part of a team and be flexible to changes
Minimum age of 14 years
Ability to attend initial volunteer training and additional training throughout the year.
Grounds Crew are those who keep our pastures, arena, and outside barn area in great shape. We are a sustainable farm, which means we don't use any chemicals that can cause harm to our soil, wildlife, animals, or people who serve and are served here. We believe God's creation deserves the best care we can give. That means pulling weeds which we have found to be therapeutic in itself. We also need the occasional landscaping such as collecting fallen debris and other grounds work.
All volunteers must have on file with Eloheh Equine a Release of Liability, and a Non-Disclosure Agreement, in addition to the Volunteer Application Form. These are all electronically signed documents which will be sent to your email address, if they haven't already been executed.
When you attend Volunteer Training, your available times, skills, and interests will be confirmed, and then you will be assigned volunteer duties based on your schedule and our needs. Continuity is very important for our clients, and we hope that you will fulfill your assigned volunteer duties consistently once the session begins.
We do understand that there will be times when you will have to miss your scheduled volunteer duties. If you know in advance, please inform staff as soon as you know you will be missing your assigned volunteer time(s), for reasons such as vacations, school commitments, or other scheduled events.
In the event you are unable to come at the last minute due to illness or family emergency, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can try to find some to fill in for you, by phoning or texting our Volunteer Manager. If the Volunteer Manager is unavailable, contact the Instructor. If phoning and there is no answer, please make sure to leave a voice message or text Suzanne at 706-631-2886.
If any parts of the schedule with Eloheh Equine must be canceled for any reason, you will be contacted by phone, text and/or email as early as possible. Please make sure we have current contact numbers where you can be reached at the last minute.
Volunteering at an equestrian center is dirty work, so please don't wear your fancy sweater or designer jeans! Dress sensibly, wearing clothing that allows free movement, such as bending and stretching to support your rider, lead the horse, or work in the barn. We encourage you to wear branded clothing provided to you if possible -- this identifies you as part of the Eloheh Equine team for participants and visitors to our facilities.
For safety as well as comfort, volunteers should not wear loose, floppy clothing that could get caught and tangled with equipment. Please zip jackets, and secure any loose items. Dress in layers that you can shed as you exercise, especially during cooler months. Bring a jacket, even if you don't need it in town, as it can be cooler at the barn than you may think. During the summer, be sure you dress cooly, and you may want to wear a hat that will not fly off. Sunglasses are a big plus in the sunny months, and sunscreen and bug spray might be a good idea. Avoid dangling earrings, necklaces and bracelets that can hamper your movements, get pulled by a rider, or distract a horse.
You will be doing a lot of walking and possibly some jogging on uneven surfaces, so comfortable shoes are important. It hurts when a horse steps on your foot, so make sure your footwear has closed toes and backs, and is sturdy. High heels, sandals, and open heel shoes such as Crocs or clogs are not safe footwear around horses, so they will not be allowed. The best bets are boots or athletic shoes.