Step Up - Volunteer!
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for The Right Step, Inc.! As a volunteer, you will help make our lessons safe, productive, and fun for our clients. You will help clients develop riding skills, become physically stronger, improve communication skills, and become more confident. Outside of lessons, you may also help with the daily care and maintenance of our horses and facility, fundraising, or administrative work. You will form lasting bonds with clients, volunteers, staff, and our horses!
Horse care and Lesson Volunteer Opportunities:
Volunteers assist in the daily care of our horses and serve as side walkers and horse leaders during lessons. All volunteers start by getting to know our program by training and working to help care for our horses. They then can train to assist as a side walker who walks alongside the client on horseback, is responsible for the safety of the client during the lesson, and supports the client as needed. Volunteers who would like to become horse leaders must assist with five lessons as a Side Walker, attend additional training, and demonstrate equine knowledge and skill through an evaluation by an instructor. Horse Leaders are responsible for grooming and tacking up the horse before lessons, leading the horse during lessons, and untacking and grooming the horse after lessons. Each lesson requires a Horse Leader and up to two Side Walkers depending upon individual client needs.
All volunteers must complete training to learn unique client assistance techniques and horse handling methods. Horse experience and experience working with people with disabilities is a plus but is not necessary. Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age to serve as Side Walkers or Horse Leaders. Volunteers under the age of 16 can assist with horse care outside of the arena and other barn tasks but must be accompanied by a trained adult volunteer when volunteering.
Volunteer Opportunities other than horse care and lessons:
Each opportunity listed below has a team member assigned to it. For more information, please contact the team member listed.
Fundraising - Our fundraising efforts primarily support scholarships for our clients who would otherwise be unable to afford our lessons and care for our horses. Volunteers help with small events, large events, online fundraisers, and our annual direct giving campaign. For more information, contact Executive Director Sharon Smith at executivedirector@therightstepinc.org or 720-893-0650.
Administrative Support - Volunteers help organize the office, answer the phone, do data entry, write thank you notes, and help with "non-horsey" part of the program. For more information, contact Admin Maggie Voss at admin@therightstepinc.org or 720-893-0650.
Apply to volunteer:
Please complete the online application. Once your application is received, our Volunteer Coordinator, Regina Lane, will email you a link to our online volunteer orientation. Upon completion, she will email you additional forms and waivers to complete. You must also complete a background check. Volunteers must update forms each January.
Questions? Contact Volunteer Coordinator, Regina Lane, at volunteercoordinator@therightstepinc.org or 720-893-0650. Thanks!
Horse care and Lesson Volunteer Opportunities:
Volunteers assist in the daily care of our horses and serve as side walkers and horse leaders during lessons. All volunteers start by getting to know our program by training and working to help care for our horses. They then can train to assist as a side walker who walks alongside the client on horseback, is responsible for the safety of the client during the lesson, and supports the client as needed. Volunteers who would like to become horse leaders must assist with five lessons as a Side Walker, attend additional training, and demonstrate equine knowledge and skill through an evaluation by an instructor. Horse Leaders are responsible for grooming and tacking up the horse before lessons, leading the horse during lessons, and untacking and grooming the horse after lessons. Each lesson requires a Horse Leader and up to two Side Walkers depending upon individual client needs.
All volunteers must complete training to learn unique client assistance techniques and horse handling methods. Horse experience and experience working with people with disabilities is a plus but is not necessary. Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age to serve as Side Walkers or Horse Leaders. Volunteers under the age of 16 can assist with horse care outside of the arena and other barn tasks but must be accompanied by a trained adult volunteer when volunteering.
Volunteer Opportunities other than horse care and lessons:
Each opportunity listed below has a team member assigned to it. For more information, please contact the team member listed.
Fundraising - Our fundraising efforts primarily support scholarships for our clients who would otherwise be unable to afford our lessons and care for our horses. Volunteers help with small events, large events, online fundraisers, and our annual direct giving campaign. For more information, contact Executive Director Sharon Smith at executivedirector@therightstepinc.org or 720-893-0650.
Administrative Support - Volunteers help organize the office, answer the phone, do data entry, write thank you notes, and help with "non-horsey" part of the program. For more information, contact Admin Maggie Voss at admin@therightstepinc.org or 720-893-0650.
Apply to volunteer:
Please complete the online application. Once your application is received, our Volunteer Coordinator, Regina Lane, will email you a link to our online volunteer orientation. Upon completion, she will email you additional forms and waivers to complete. You must also complete a background check. Volunteers must update forms each January.
Questions? Contact Volunteer Coordinator, Regina Lane, at volunteercoordinator@therightstepinc.org or 720-893-0650. Thanks!
We look forward to working with you!
