Volunteer With Us

We Love Our Volunteers

Valley Volunteers are committed, compassionate individuals from all walks of life who offer their time so that our clients can get the help they need. If you are seeking an opportunity to give back to your local community in an impactful, fulfilling way, consider joining our ever-growing volunteer base. We will provide the training you need whether you would like to join us for an hour a day, or every now and then according to your schedule.

Valley is a family, and we welcome you with open arms. You can expect to create lasting bonds with clients, horses, other volunteers, and staff.

We provide Letters of Recommendation where applicable.

Take a moment to read through the volunteer positions below, and decide what is best suited to you and your lifestyle. When you are ready, use the form at the bottom of the page to sign up.

I Am Interested In…

 

Leading
(training provided)

Our horses are handled by many different people. They have a difficult job to do as many of our riders are unbalanced, moving around, can be very loud and may have sudden outbursts. The Leader’s primary responsibility is the control of the horse. The Leader must have the ability to recognize potential problems and take appropriate action to avoid an adverse reaction; ensure proper leading techniques; and be quiet with their hands in order to be effective and not cause stress and pain to the horse’s mouth.

The Leader plays a pivotal role in every session, and not just for the horse, but for the client, as well. Ultimately, we want to promote confidence and independence in our rider’s abilities.

 

Storytelling

Working project-based volunteer hours, these individuals are community-minded artists who believe in Valley’s Mission and Vision, and use their artistic skills to support the work we do.

As a Valley Storyteller, you would use your artistic talents to showcase how important Valley’s work is. Much of the work performed by a Valley Storyteller can be done remotely and virtually, with limited visits to the site.

What can you create? The possibilities include:

  • take photos of our horses

  • cartoons, sketches, posters, paintings featuring horses helping people

  • a short story about a horse hero

  • a letter to a frontline worker participating in our Front Line Heroes program thanking them for the work they do

  • spread the word online by liking, commenting, and sharing three Valley posts or stories per week

Have a bright idea? Get in touch!

Side Walking
(no horse experience necessary)

Inside the arena, it is important that our clients feel secure and comfortable. The Side Walker’s primary responsibility is the safety of the rider. The Side Walker assists the rider in maintaining a balanced and secure position, with the amount of intervention and support varying depending upon the rider’s ability. The Side Walker passes along the comments or needs expressed to them by the rider to the instructor, and may also be asked to assist the rider during mounting and dismounting.

Side Walkers work alone or in a group, depending upon the comfort level of the rider. Side Walkers establish lasting bonds with our clients and make their experience at Valley a memorable and happy one.

 

Micro-Volunteering

Have a spare five minutes? Twenty minutes? Two hours? Dedicate that time to Valley and become a Valley Micro-Volunteer.

Micro-Volunteering is not a new phenomenon—it is pitching in when you can, however you can. When you help out as a Valley Micro-Volunteer, you do so on your own terms, when and how you want.

Here are a few of the tasks you might like to do as a Micro-Volunteer.

  • barn work, grooming, and maintenance*

  • lawn care and trail maintenance

  • office and administrative duties

  • board and/or committee membership

  • sorting recycle

*works directly with the horses, will require training — please indicate Therapeutic Riding Assistant - Barn Worker in the dropdown list on the Leading and Side Walking form.

We appreciate all the help you can offer.

 

Some Important Information:

  • Volunteers at Valley are required to be at least 14 years old. If you volunteer with us and are under 19, we will ask for parental consent. Volunteers who are 14 and 15 need a guardian on site while they are here.

  • Training is provided as required for all positions.

  • You must fill out the Waiver & Release Form and Consent to Criminal Record Check for all on-site volunteering.

Volunteer At Valley: Leading and Side Walking

If you want to offer your time in support of the work we do at Valley, then please enter your name, email, and phone number in the contact form below, and indicate the role you are interested in.

If you have no prior horse experience, we will start you as a side walker and make a note of your interest to train into leading!

We thank you for your interest, and will get back to you promptly!

Please note that all volunteer Leaders, Side Walkers, and Barn Workers are required to Consent to a Criminal Record Check, and to sign a Volunteer Information Form and Waiver. You will be redirected to download, sign, and scan those PDFs to our Volunteer Coordinator, Rachelle Mitchell, at volunteers@vtea.ca, after filling out the form below. Please note that the Consent to a Criminal Record Check will need to be brought into the office and will be submitted by Valley.

Volunteer At Valley: Storytelling or Micro-Volunteering

If you want to offer your time in support of the work we do at Valley, then please enter your name, email, and phone number in the contact form below, and indicate the role you are interested in.

We thank you for your interest, and will get back to you promptly!