Volunteer Positions
Horse Leaders and Side-walkers are a very important part of the team. Volunteers who work in the arena must be 14 years of age or older.
We also need junior volunteers to help clean the barn, clean the tack, clean the volunteer office, clean the grooming drawers, and the helmet cabinets. All junior volunteers need to be able to work with little assistance and these positions are limited.
The Team Leader is asked to sign a TEAM LEADER Agreement. The Team Leader is responsible for coordinating all activities of all volunteers on a specific day of the week during lessons.
At H.I.S. we have 3 team leader positions:
Saturday Leader - Jayme Hansen
Monday Leader - Lea Ann Reynolds
Thursday Leader - Open
The team leader must arrive at the farm before lessons begin and stay to help clean up at the end. The team leader will be in charge of contacting volunteers, as requested by the Volunteer Coordinator. The team leader will help coordinate activities in the barn between lessons and assure that the correct horses are tacked up and ready for their next lesson.
The Left Sidewalkers are responsible for meeting the rider upon arrival. When 2 Sidewalkers are required, the instructor will advise where they should position themselves and which hand-hold (if any) to use. The Sidewalker nearest the instructor should help the rider understand what the instructor has said, when the rider cannot hear or needs reinforcement of the exercise at hand.
Sidewalkers should keep their talking to a minimum, as much as possible. Too much information from too many sources can become confusing to the riders. Sidewalkers can switch sides when necessary, being sure to never leave the rider unattended.
The job of the horse leader is to be responsible for the horse. Guiding the horse and reading his body language are skills that will be required of all horse leaders.
H.I.S. horses are trained with natural horsemanship, which means they have been exposed to variable stimuli and are conditioned to be quiet and calm. Knowing that horses are large prey animals and that they are constantly monitoring their environment is knowledge that every horse leader must understand.
H.I.S. prepares all horse leaders to be familiar with the disposition and behaviors of the horse they are leading. In an emergency dismount, the leader is responsible for moving the horse away from the rider.
H.I.S. horse leaders should participate in groundwork training lessons that are provided several times during the year. They will learn the 7 games of Parelli Natural Horsemanship which provide a safe way to handle and communicate with the horse.
H.I.S. VOLUNTEERS
PROGRAM
Next Volunteer Orientation & Training
Horses In Service provides new volunteer training prior to the start of the riding session.
Our next Volunteer Training will be:
Date: Saturday February 4th, 2012
Time: 2:00 - 5:00 AM
Location:
Fox Chase Farm
6301 Hines Road
Richmond, VA 23231
Volunteer Appreciation
Every year we try to show our appreciation to H.I.S. Volunteers. Without the volunteers our program would not be possible. We would like to say THANK YOU !!
If you have
volunteered for
H.I.S. you should
have a H.I.S.
T-Shirt. If you
don't have one,
please let
Sue Ellen Hargadon or Martha Wagner know and we will make sure you get one.
Volunteer Appreciation Day
Every year we have a Volunteer Appreciation Day. It is usually in the summer and our Volunteers get a chance to ride the horses. Our special day this year will be held on:
SATURDAY ~ JUNE 25th, 2011
We hope that all the Volunteers who are able to attend will also be able to ride and enjoy the cook out. There is always a wonderful buffet of sides, salads and desserts.
MORE
Volunteer Opportunities
JUNIOR BARN VOLUNTEERS
There are many barn chores that can be assigned to our barn volunteers. Junior volunteers may work in the barn on a trial basis. Junior volunteers must be able to listen and follow instructions without constant supervision. Barn volunteers will receive instructions on an individual basis. All junior volunteers must be 12 or 13 years of age and must have their guardian on site during the volunteer time.
FACILITY VOLUNTEER
There are many facility chores that can be assigned to volunteers. The facility volunteers will receive instructions on an individual basis.
FUND RAISERS
Volunteers are often needed for our FUND RAISERS that are held throughout the year. If you are interested in volunteering for a specific fund raiser, please contact Martha Wagner.
OFFICE WORK
Volunteers are often needed for OFFICE WORK. There is a lot of paperwork and filing involved in administering the H.I.S. program. If you are interested in helping with our administration, please let me know.
MARTHA WAGNER
H.I.S. Executive Director
6301 Hines Road
Richmond, VA 23231
804-795-1721
