Volunteer: Horse Care Barn Volunteers Spring/Summer Months

Spring Reins of Life (SRoL) is a non-profit 501c3 organization. We are an EAGALA Model program offering Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) and Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) which incorporates the use of horses for therapeutic intervention toward promoting emotional growth and healing. We do not offer any riding or mounted work in our program. While there are many benefits to horseback riding, the EAGALA model is a solution focused base that enhances the emotional benefits of behavioral rehearsal and experiential component that is displayed when observing the horses in free will interacting with clients. The core populations that we serve are combat veterans, at risk/high risk teens & young children with grief.

Animal assisted therapy with horses combines the positive emotional effects gained from the human/horse bond with opportunities to challenge and explore one's thoughts and internal struggles during activities with an equine partner. It is a therapeutic intervention that defeats the stigma often associated with traditional counseling, but more importantly, it is an intervention that works.

Visitors and Volunteers Welcome! We do have a strict policy of keeping all visits to a scheduled appointment or meeting time. No walk-ins are allowed, this is for your safety, the safety of the horses and the farm. Thank you for understanding.

We need superstar volunteers who a love for horses (experience appreciated yet not necessary) to assist our Equine Specialist with basic barn chores. If you enjoy taking care of animals, being outdoors, and doing some hard work - we invite you to come and help care for a very special small herd of horses and donkeys who change and save lives for a living.

HORSE CARE BARN VOLUNTEER Duties Include

Helping to take great care of the Herd who as animal therapists do help trauma survivors heal and are award winning service animals. Our budget is always tight yet we do our best to give them the best care. As a barn volunteer you can help us do that. Horse experience is appreciated, yet not required. What is required is a gentle attitude, patience, interest to learn, reliability and a love for animals.

Horse Care duties feeding, grooming, leading to pasture, sometimes hand grazing outside. Barn Chore duties empty and scrub water buckets, fill hay nets, prepare morning feed, sweeping, tidying up client spaces for next day, if time allows - some stall cleaning. Outside Sunset duties maintenance of outdoor water sources, cleaning up manure from barn lot, donkey pen, indoor/outdoor arenas - if and as needed before it gets dark.The herd includes 3 horses, 3 donkeys,1 therapy cat.

Barn volunteers are taught the patterns, the tools and the specific chores needed in the SRoL barn.

All barn volunteers on a trial run in the beginning to determine fit.

Spring and Summer Evenings (April through October)

Spring / Summer Barn Shift times can range from late afternoon to night time. The core shift time is approximately 600-830pm each evening. However we can be somewhat flexible on shift times if you can commit to one (1) shift per week yet only if at 6-730pm (for example), we will see if that can work out depending on day of week, etc. SRoL does require reliability, dependability, and commitment to the Horse Care Barn Volunteer position. For the continuity and routine of the Herd we ask for a steady shift commitment of one (1) shift per week, the same day each week. In return we will offer an opportunity to learn horse keeping skills, a zen way of being with horses, and the accomplishment that you are a part of the service we provide to others in that these animals are our esteemed colleagues and we honor that.

For the 2024 Season we are searching to fill the following evening shifts with space for (#) of volunteers

Sundays (2), Mondays (1). Possibility of adding to other evenings if a fit.

Note Other Shifts Available, IF You Are Available -

There is also a shorter Weekday Midday (early afternoon) shift available to students, retirees, or adults who have this time available. Duties would include maintain outdoor pastures in preparation for night turnout (cleaning manure and setting up hay and water, and indoors checking water for the horses, giving lunch hay, and other dinner-prep chores. If interested please inquire with us.

There is a Monday and Thursday Morning shift open. This requires ample horse experience as well as training with our team, as eventually this shift is done unsupervised. If interested please inquire as it would be a case by case basis and we would need to meet in person initially.

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This is a volunteer opportunity provided by VolunteerMatch, in partnership with LinkedIn for Good.