Places to Enjoy Your Horses

Have you ever taken your horse down the trail and stopped to think how the trail was cleared and built, the trees trimmed, the signage maintained, and the trash picked up? Many of our horse parks have a volunteer core of folks who help out with these efforts. Vicki Lawry is President of the Sunshine State Horse Council, and coordinates the Friends of the Little Manatee State Park. "It's so important to have volunteers to help keep our parks horse friendly. The staff appreciates the assistance, and the volunteers from the equine community help make sure that parks keep trails open for horses."

If we want to continue enjoying equine trails in our local, state, and national parks, it is important that we pitch in and help instead of complaining when trails are shut down. You should also do your part when using the trails by picking up your trash and reporting any safety problems. It helps to bring along a trash bag, and even some marker paint to mark a spot that needs attention.

Competitions

Have you ever entered a horse show and thought about how the grounds were prepared, how your entry forms were filed, how scores were recorded, or even chairs set up? Most of these activities are done by volunteers. Volunteers for competitions are critical for these events to run smoothly and safely, and in some cases to even run at all! As a show organizer and volunteer coordinator, I have come close to canceling events because there was not enough volunteer staff to safely conduct the event. Luckily at the last minute, neighbors and relatives pitched in to keep the competition going. Volunteers for competitions help keep costs down as well. In an estimate I made for the Live Oak International Combined Driving event, I calculated that entry fees would have to be ten times as much if volunteer man hours were paid at minimum wage.

John Porter of Cypress Keep Farm has competed with horses all his life, including jumping, three-day eventing, cross country, and currently combined driving. John says, "I know that every event I have been to would not have happened without volunteers. Those volunteers made it possible for me to compete and have fun. For that reason, I have a personal philosophy that for every event I compete in, I will also volunteer in one. It's the only way to keep our competitions alive and the costs down." John is the volunteer coordinator for the Sunshine State Combined Driving Event held at the new Florida Horse Park in Ocala April 7-9, 2006. This international-level event will require the assistance of about 100 volunteers.

Equine Organizations

Beth Davidson is an officer of the Lakeland Dressage Association. She points out, "of course, you can't volunteer during a show if you are competing. But you can still volunteer - there is so much to do before and after an event. And there are so many needs all year long for any equine association, group, or club. Volunteers allow our associations to work, and allow everyone to enjoy their breed or their sport."

"Think about what you might be able to offer to your local horse club. The club may be breed specific (such as Arabian, Thoroughbred, Welsh, etc.), or sport specific (such as trail, saddleseat, hunter, dressage, or driving). Can you help set up a clinic? Help at a competition? Assist at a meeting? Even if you don't have time to be an officer of an organization, think about what you can do, even if it is simple phone calls, envelope stuffing, or bringing coffee to a meeting.

Benefits of Volunteering

So what's in it for you if you volunteer? There are many benefits of volunteering, but you need to volunteer only because you feel it is worthwhile and you sincerely want to help out. If you start worrying about your "payback," you might get some unrealistic expectations about what volunteer work is all about.

All the same, volunteering can be a fun and rewarding experience. You can meet new people and form new friendships. You can learn more about a particular breed, a certain sport, or a charitable organization. You can figure out how to make things tick when organizing an event. Some people's volunteer experiences have even helped them find a new job!

Volunteering is also a good way to help your non-horsey friends or relatives get involved in your sport while you compete. Instead of dragging them along to watch you (which they think is boring), get them involved in doing something important. Even your children can help out by picking up trash, delivering water, running scores, opening/closing gates, or other tasks. Involving a spouse can also make them feel important and supportive, and many a non-horsey spouse has been converted to more involvement in the sport after volunteering!

Volunteering will cost you money. You will need to buy gas and possibly lodging for traveling. You often need to provide your own food, water, chairs, or equipment. You may be able to deduct some of these expenses on your tax return - check to see if your volunteer organization is nonprofit, and check with your tax advisor.

Most organizations try to take care of their volunteers, with food, free parking, or free event admission. You may also be able to get a closeup view of a top equestrian, learn from a famous clinician, or get a rewarding hug from a child whose world has changed because of horses. Regardless of the many benefits of volunteering, volunteer because you want to help out, with no strings attached.

How Do I Volunteer?

Before volunteering, you need to take inventory and assess what you are realistically able to do. How much time do you have? How long do you want to be involved - short term for one event or long term over the course of the year(s)? Is your schedule flexible or fixed? You need to decide how much time you have to offer and whether you can commit to those times. Remember that horse organizations and events are dependent on volunteers, and if you can't show up, you need to provide a substitute, or plenty of notice so a substitute can be found.

What skills do you have to offer? You may have some unique skills, such as veterinary training, announcing, website administration, or advertising design that you can offer. But you can also do many other important jobs that don't take special skills, such as timing with a stopwatch, helping people park, or even taking out the trash. Be honest about your level of expertise and your ability to handle a particular duty. If you don't feel comfortable, say so. It is better to find the right person for the job than to do the job badly.

Once you have assessed your time, skills, and interests, it's time to find the right organization. Try to volunteer in an area most closely associated with what you do. If you are a trail rider, contact your local park and see what might need to be done with their trails or facilities. If you adore quarter horses, see what you can do for the breed organization. If you are an animal activist, look up rescue organizations and see how you can help. If you love eventing, contact the competition organizer and volunteer your time. If you want to be a judge one day, volunteer to assist one and learn more about it.

To volunteer in many organizations, you may need to do some training or certification, especially in therapeutic riding programs. For particular events, you may need to learn how to use equipment, or understand the rules of the competition. And for others, you simply may need to offer your time, your effort, and your smile!

There are many websites and publications that list equine organizations, clubs, rescues, charities, associations, parks, shows, and trails. Don't wait for them to contact you - they don't know you want to volunteer! Actively seek out an opportunity to volunteer, and help keep our world of horses accessible and enjoyable to all.