Looking for some horse time? How about a way to make horses more affordable? Do you enjoy watching or competing in an equestrian discipline? Your time is valuable and is needed more than you know! As a horse person, I often hear from people who grew up around horses and really miss that time. Or someone who has a horse crazy kid and they are trying to find a way to spend more time with horses, not just in a riding lesson. There are also those who are interested in equestrian sports, but are not sure how to get involved. Whatever your motivation may be, here are some ways to help you, horses, and others!
“Locally, you may find a facility or horse owner that would welcome some help with chores like feeding, watering and cleaning.”
Equine therapy centers, as you can imagine, are costly to run. There are therapists, horses, feed, hay, facilities, vet bills, farm help, and the list goes on. Many of the clients who benefit so greatly from equine therapy have their own financial burdens with medical and therapy bills. One client typically needs 2-4 people for a session, and if each position is paid, you can imagine the cost would prevent most people from affording this extremely valuable therapy tool. With volunteers, the cost is significantly reduced resulting in a much more affordable therapy. On the flip side, those volunteers are helping people as well as getting in the horse time they have been wanting. One volunteer at a local therapy facility stated, “Working with the horses has been just as therapeutic for me as it is for our clients. The calmness I see in their faces when they ride is the peace I am finding in my own heart, and I look forward to seeing them and the therapists each week as much as I look forward to working around the horses.” Volunteers can come from a background with horse experience, but many start with just a love for horses and helping people, and learn from there. The tasks for volunteers range from leading horses, stabilizing clients, getting horses ready for appointments, farm maintenance, and general horse care such as feeding, watering and cleaning, aka picking up poop.
Maybe a chance to ride or take lessons is what you or your kiddo are looking for. Like horse therapy centers, boarding and training facilities require constant care of the horses as well as farm maintenance. Locally, you may find a facility or horse owner that would welcome some help with chores like feeding, watering and cleaning. In exchange, you may be able to brush, hang out with, or maybe even ride horses, depending on your commitment. Lesson barns sometimes have older kids who work off lessons and/or the cost of board for their horse. Young adults who are passionate about riding and learning can take on a position as a working student for a well-known trainer. This could be more locally for a large-scale boarding and training facility or even for an international trainer who travels around the country and/or world competing. Some working student positions offer compensation in the form of room and board for the working student and one horse. One might look at this as a college-type learning opportunity where you may need to pay some expenses. You are putting in the time in order to share the experiences and glean the knowledge from the trainer and their staff.
All equestrian competitions locally, nationally and internationally rely heavily on volunteers to make it happen. The people needed to put on a successful competition far surpasses any income the competition may bring in. The income from competitions goes to facility rental, required officials, judges, fees, equipment, awards, supplies, and more. The core team that puts on a competition does it for the love of the sport—certainly not the money. Then there are the team of volunteers who show up on the day of the competition. These volunteers are crucial and so needed. Do you have a sport you are interested in? Reach out to the competition contact and let them know you would like to help. Most positions require no prior experience, and you have a front row seat to the competition action—not to mention the people you meet and the friends you will make! If you are a competitor already, you know the need for volunteers and are likely to spend some of your time at the competition filling in where needed when you are not riding. Jenny started pursuing a sport she was interested in over 10 years ago. She shared, “I didn’t realize the need for volunteers until I went to a couple competitions. I started volunteering and picked a different position each time. I learned so much about the inner workings of the show that it helped me be a more successful competitor. Through the shared experiences of working alongside other people in the sport, I have also made an amazing group of friends! By being a volunteer, I have rubbed elbows with my idols and had free tickets to national and international competitions.”
Is it time for you to get in some horse time? There are so many pathways to horse needs available that won’t cost you a dime, although the rewards and benefits to you and others are priceless! Jump in and see where you can get involved!
Heather McWilliams © 2024
