Volunteers

There are many volunteer opportunities available at the Back Bay Therapeutic Riding Club and prior experience with horses is not necessary. Volunteers must be a minimum of fourteen years of age and to ensure consistency with our program, everyone must attend an orientation and training class prior to volunteering. 

The training class is approximately two hours and covers a brief history, our policies and procedures, a facility tour and hands-on training so everyone learns how to safely halter, groom and tack a horse.  As lesson a volunteer, your most important training will cover how to become a sidewalker or a horse leader.    

Lesson volunteers assist our instructors and our riders by either sidewalking, to ensure rider safety and a fun lesson, or by leading the horse.  Both jobs require the ability to walk and jog on uneven ground throughout the entire 30-45 minute lesson.  We do ask for a weekly commitment, but will put you on our "floater" list if you are unable to make a regular weekly commitment. 

If you would like to take the next step toward becoming a volunteer, please complete the following:

1. Contact us by email to request the dates of our training classes.

2. Schedule your training class.

3. Get familiar with who we are, what we do:
   Watch our videos 1 and 2
   Watch and learn how we groom a horse at the BBTRC
   Watch and learn how to sidewalk and lead at a therapeutic riding center
   You can learn more about horses and horseback riding here.

4. Complete your volunteer paperwork and bring it with you to your training class.

5. Select your regular, weekly volunteer time-slot after your training class.

We look forward to meeting you!