Volunteering at the Barn
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We have opportunities for students to get more hands-on experience with the horses and equestrian business. We feel these opportunities are an important part of the development of confident and capable equestrians.
These opportunities are available for students that have at minimum completed our 10-week Introductory Program, or, similar number of hours of instruction in camps or other programs. This is because we need students to have a certain understanding for safety. When students first start volunteering, staff do spend quite of bit time with students, making sure that they comfortable with their tasks and capable of doing them safely. These tasks might include catching horses, grooming and tacking the horses up, leading horses in birthdays, picking poop, cleaning stalls, sweeping, cleaning tack and feeding horses grain and medicines. We do offer students a free practice ride for every 6 hours of volunteer hours accumulated. Practice rides can also be used for fun events like jump nights, polocrosse or other fun events priced at the practice ride rate (currently $54). Students are on the honor system for keeping track of their hours. Students can contact the office to book a practice ride or fun event once they have enough hours. *Special rate for winter holiday experience volunteering: every 2 pony ride shifts earn a practice ride or fun event |
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Coach Mentorship Program
We have a coach training program for ages 14 to 55 who want to become a coach in the equestrian industry! This work experience program includes hands on weekly lesson planning and supervised coaching experience, with the potential to be hired once you are completed! See our Coach Mentorship Program page for more details!
Sagehill Young Leaders Program
For those students in our EDP Program ages 12 to 30 that want to contribute to their barn community, learn to be well rounded horse caretakers and equestrians, and learn about different aspects of the equestrian industry. This extension of our volunteer program aims to rewards those who contributing to the barn in meaningful ways. Instead of just using using volunteer hours towards practice rides or fun events, 6 volunteer hours under this program can be used towards group lessons (these lessons are in additional to their EDP lessons).
In order to qualify to be part of the Sagehill Young Leaders Program, volunteers must:
In order to qualify to be part of the Sagehill Young Leaders Program, volunteers must:
- Have a recommendation from their coach
- Contribute at minimum 12 hours per month
- Contribute hours in the approximate ratio throughout the year:
- 1/3 hours of chores (includes cleaning, mucking stalls, feeding hay and water, ect.)
- 1/3 hours of horse care (includes feeding horses, grooming or ground work, first-aid, ect.)
- 1/3 hours of assisting in birthdays, events, shows or lessons (helping with birthdays or assisting with the lesson program including helping students, catching horses, care of tack, sweeping and barn cleaning as needed)
Volunteer Expectations and Rules
All volunteers and their parents are expected to read and sign our Junior Coach and Volunteer Professionalism and Expectations guidelines, in order to ensure clear understanding of what is expected by volunteers and the barn for volunteer opportunities. The fillable PDF can be emailed to us at [email protected].
| junior_coach___volunteer_professionalism_and_expectations.pdf |
