Volunteer Opportunities
Help in Class
Leaders and side-walkers are needed for all of our classes.
The leader's responsibility is the horse at all times, which means that they maintain the horse's pace, calmness, and focus while allowing the client to do as much as he or she is able. This role is perfect for those that are familiar with horses, or are interested in learning how to work with a horse.
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The side-walker's role is to help the client with balance and reinforce instructions in the lesson. The side-walker's responsibility is the client: Interpreting instructions, providing physical support, offering encouragement, and supervising. This role is perfect for those that enjoy interacting with the client hands on.
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Help with Events
We heavily rely on our team of volunteers to help with event preparation, execution, and break-down. We also need volunteers to be on working event committees.
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This role is perfect for those with seasonal availability, or skills in event planning or fundraising.
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Annual events:
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Gala in the spring
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Boots & Salutes (veteran program fundraiser) in the summer
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Equest Women's Auxiliary Luncheon & Style Show in the fall
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RideFest (fundraiser for therapy horses) in the fall
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Jingle & Mingle (Holiday
Open House) in the winter -
Angel Tree in the winter
Help in Barn
Barn help involves maintaining the cleanliness, orderliness, and function of the barn as well as individual horse stalls, paddocks, and arenas.
Activities include mucking stalls, cleaning water buckets, feeding and haying the therapy horse herd, sweeping the barn aisles, cleaning out the cross ties and wash stalls, turning out and bringing in the horses from paddocks, and assisting the facilities manager with subsequent projects or tasks.
This role is perfect for those with varying schedules, or prefer taking care of the horses.
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Barn helpers are needed seven days a week, especially on holidays. Each day, barn work begins at 7am, and continues until the lunch break at noon. Work continues at 1pm and ends around 3pm, depending on what needs to be finished. Come help in the morning or all day!
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Barn helpers do not need to schedule work hours, but are welcome to help when their schedule permits.
Help Fix Things
Do you have a knack for fixing things? We need you!
We need those brave individuals willing to tackle electrical, plumbing, fence repairs, hammering, and everything else that goes along with running a state-of-the-art equine facility.
If we break it, and you can fix it, please let Facilities Manager Bobby Valdez know (214) 878-5529.
Help in Office
Tasks vary, and may include database entry, mailings, preparing for and clean up after events, researching recruiting events and grants, etc.
We are looking for skill-based volunteers in the following areas:
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Database entry and maintenance - experience in Salesforce, Excel, or similar programs preferred, but not necessary
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Volunteer recruitment - Knowledge of Dallas and the surrounding areas is helpful; desire to actively seek out potential volunteers or partner organizations and companies in the area; experienced Equest volunteer comfortable speaking to potential volunteers at recruiting events
Help with Minis
Perhaps you’ve seen them around. Our Mini Ambassadors are becoming well-known Equest celebs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
As regulars on television and in news interviews, these friendly mini equines reach out to children and adults who might be intimidated by a large horse.
The ultimate goal of the Equest Mini Ambassador Program is to help people of all ages learn about the unique healing bond between humans and horses.
Our team of specially trained miniature therapy horses delivers the message of therapeutic horsemanship to people at locations that cannot accommodate a full-sized therapy horse, even indoors.
Our Mini Ambassadors Program is growing rapidly, and we need to add to our team of experienced mini handlers to keep up with the demand!