Saddle Up! requires all volunteers to be at least 12 years-old. Volunteers age 12 – 15 are eligible to serve as Stablehands and Feeders with a trained parent who is also volunteering. Volunteers age 16 and up are eligible to serve as Sidewalkers and Leaders in lessons. Volunteers in these roles must be able to serve independent of their parents and demonstrate maturity and effective communication skills.

Volunteering safely in our riding programs and the barn requires physical strength and endurance, balance, ability to make mature and quick decisions, ability to bend, twist, lift, hear, and run on uneven surfaces. Volunteers must be able to communicate with our Instructors and participants to support lesson goals and ensure the safety of the participant. Feeder and Stable Hand volunteers must be able to lift 50 lbs.

If you are a current rider at our facility, you are not eligible to volunteer.

Our riders and horses have the best outcomes when consistent volunteers commit to one lesson per week for the same rider for a sixteen week session of lessons. Saddle Up! gives scheduling preference to long term volunteers who can meet this commitment.

The primary responsibility of a Sidewalker is to ensure the safety of the rider. It’s also the volunteer role that is the most interactive with our special children. Saddle Up! tries to provide as independent an experience as possible for each rider. Sidewalkers are assigned based on what each rider needs. Some riders have no sidewalker, most riders have one and a few riders need two. This role includes helping the rider get their horse ready, get on the horse, and learn to ride. Sidewalkers must be at least 16 years old and able to walk briskly beside a horse for an average of 30 minutes.

New volunteer training required.

Leaders are the volunteers who are assigned a horse in a riding lesson. They need to arrive ahead of time and make sure to have the horse and its tack ready. They are responsible for the horse throughout the lesson and should make sure the horse and equipment are put away before leaving. Leaders must be able to walk at a fast pace for 30 minutes and jog intermittently during the lesson. Leaders must be at least 16 years old, have previous horse experience, and should be very comfortable handling horses. Training required includes the New Volunteer Training and the Leader Training class.

Our horses are fed each morning and each evening by a team of trained volunteers. Feeders should be able to make a weekly commitment to their shift. Feeder duties include feeding the herd according to the prescribed diet and methods, moving horses from pasture to barn or vice versa as needed, cleaning stalls and other barn areas, checking all waterers and troughs, putting on or removing blankets or fly masks.

A volunteer Feeder must be at least 12 years old. Volunteer Feeders under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult that is either volunteering feeding or in lessons.

Being a feeder requires Leader Training and Feeder Training, in addition to New Volunteer Training. Prior horse experience is required

Stable Hands help take care of barn chores. Stable Hands report to the Barn Manager. They also ensure that stalls are cleaned each day. 

A volunteer Stable Hands must be at least 12 years old. Volunteer Stable Hands under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult that is either volunteering feeding or in lessons.

In addition to New Volunteer Training, Stable Hands must complete Stable Hand Training, provided by the Barn Manager. Prior horse experience is helpful.

Farm Hands help out with other chores and projects around the farm. Farm Hands report to the Property Director. If you have special skills (e.g. prior experience as an electrician, carpenter, with HVAC, welding, lawn care, etc.), this is the volunteer opportunity for you!

In addition to New Volunteer Training, Farm Hands must complete Stable Hand Training and Farm Hand Training to review relevant information about tools/machinery in use at Saddle Up!. The minimum age to be a Farm Hand is 16. Prior horse experience is helpful.

A Pony Pal must complete New Volunteer Training, Leader Training, and pass a riding evaluation by the Equine Operations Director. Prior horse experience is essential, as a Pony Pal’s skill level must be at or above the level of the horse’s training. A Pony Pal must:

• Have already been volunteering in at least one lesson per week as a leader or sidewalker for at least 3 months prior to applying to be a Pony Pal
• Fill out a Pony Pal application and have prior riding experience
• Upon becoming a Pony Pal, you must be able to commit to a weekly Pony Pal schedule for a duration of at least 3 months, including continuing to volunteer as a leader or sidewalker in at least one lesson per week.
• Must follow a conditioning plan provided by the Equine Operations Director and provide conditioning notes
• If you are not able to attend your scheduled slot, you must let the Equine Operations Director know ASAP.

It is beneficial for the horse, and in turn for our riders, to have people assigned to each horse that can deliver consistent attention and conditioning. Each Pony Pal must follow the Conditioning Plan provided by the Saddle Up! Equine Operations Director, as well as the organization’s Rules and Best Practice procedures for handling the Saddle Up! horses. You will report directly to the Equine Operations Director about your horse’s progress and needs. You must be able to make a weekly commitment to your assigned horse and take good, detailed notes.

New volunteer training and rider skill assessment required.