Volunteer at Grace Rides
Opportunities abound all around the farm….you can save us energy and precious funds by helping with tasks around the farm that fit your vocation, experience, personality and available time.
Volunteer Opportunities
Session Volunteer
Barn Chores
Facility Maintenance
Work Days
Marketing/Fundraising
Contact us if you want more information on how you can help out!
Session Volunteers (14 years and older)
As a session volunteer, you will be assisting riders during the riding lessons. You will work as a 3 person team comprised of a horse handler, and 2 side walkers, who help support the child. For a lot of good reasons, it is our policy that all volunteers involved with riding sessions must be at least 14 years old and have completed our GRACE training programs. A training video and a volunteer handbook are available to help you get ready for this work.
REQUIREMENTS
Minimum commitment of 1 hour per week; same day/time for duration of session
Dependable & responsible
Positive attitude
Able to walk for 30 minutes; some jogging required
No horse experience necessary
Horse Handler
The horse handler provides our equine partners with consistent handling and direct commands. This is essential in providing a safe environment for our riders, volunteers, and horses. The horse handler helps guide the horse during the mounted portion of the lesson while being respectful of its needs. To be a horse handler, you MUST complete a horse handler training class offered at the beginning and end of each session.
Side Walker
The side walkers assist the rider before, during, and after the lesson. No horse experience necessary. To be a side walker, you MUST attend a volunteer training class offered before every session.
Barn Chores
Must be age 12 years & up. Duties available: sweeping, dusting, general facility cleaning & maintenance, stall & paddock area sanitation, cleaning/refilling water buckets, pasture cleaning, and more. If you just want to be around horses, or want to sweat and get dirty, then this is the job for you! No horse experience is necessary!
There are daily opportunities Monday-Saturday mornings, by 8 through whenever, or Monday-Sunday evenings, by 5 through whenever.
Facility Maintenance
There are a variety of regular maintenance and special project opportunities that arise every month. If you are a painter (utility or artistic), carpenter, plumber, gardener, forester, welder, electrician, raker, mower, mechanic…there is an opportunity for you or a team of you here. We are interested in big upgrades to our facilities that will improve our ability to serve our riders and families, but until they come we have a new beautiful barn to maintain and improve. If you are interested in green and sustainable stable management and gardening, we are interested in talking with you about our hearts desire to make the barn and farm a model for our neighborhood and our area in these areas.
Work Days
We gladly welcome corporations, large or small groups, community organizations, church groups, etc. to assist with special projects or events, and to help maintain our farm.
Marketing/Fundraising
If you have a talent for photography, videography, social media, or fundraising PLEASE let us know!