HorsePower! Therapeutic Riding Program

HorsePower! has two main duties for volunteers. One is as a sidewalker, the other is as a horse leader.  Most of our riders require 3 volunteers (1 leader, and 2 sidewalkers) .  Which role you take is determined by your interest, skills and abilities with the horses and with our kids. 

All volunteers have the opportunity to groom our horses, are expected to assist with stall care (cleaning), and are given the opportunity to participate in workshops on equine care, therapeutic riding, and youth with special needs.

How much time is involved?

That depends on how many sessions and classes you volunteer for.

HP! runs four -7 week riding sessions each year, starting in March and running through the end of October.  Each session has up to 10 classes, 3 on Tuesday, 3 on Wednesday and 4 on Saturday morning/early afternoon. During the school year, Tuesday and Wednesday classes are during after school hours. In the summer, they are earlier in the day.  Each class is 1 hour. A volunteer is expected to arrive 30 minutes before the class starts and to stay 30 minutes after the class finished (to help with preparing the horses for their classes, and then settling them back in their stalls/pasture after their class). So, plan on 2 hours of volunteer time for every 1 hour of class time, on average.

You can volunteer for as many classes as you would like.  Ideally, volunteers will select a class time that works for them, and volunteer for the entire 7 week session.