Volunteer Form
Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Horseplay Therapeutic Riding Center! No experience with special needs children or adults is required—just patience and enthusiasm! The minimum age for participation as a volunteer is 14 years old.
Volunteer Orientation
Our next volunteer orientation is scheduled for Saturday, September 11, 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. at the Horseplay barn, 5949 Silveyville Rd., Dixon. Please e-mail or call, 707-447-8733, if you're interested in attending.
It's helpful if you download, print and fill out the volunteer form (Word, pdf) prior to your first visit. For your safety, you must wear closed-toe shoes to work in the barn and arena. No flip-flops or sandals are allowed.
Volunteers primarily "sidewalk," i.e., walk alongside the horse.
At the orientation you'll watch a video, Volunteering At a Therapeutic Riding Center, then receive hands-on training for sidewalking. You'll then be prepared to participate in future sessions.
The sessions take place in an indoor arena, so we we operate year-round. However, sessions are not held on Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day weekends. View the calendar for updates. In addition, we close the center the last two weeks of December for winter break and the month of August for summer break.
Volunteering for Horseplay
Volunteering at the Horseplay Therapeutic Riding Center is an opportunity to help children, youth and adults transform--and have fun!
A mother of twin daughters, who are both enrolled in the program, recently remarked that if she started to talk about how much she loves Horseplay, she would cry. Her daughters' physical therapist found their upper-body strength dramatically increased after they began riding.
As well as physical strength, riders gain confidence from being able to guide and control the horses, and from being able to follow the instructor's directions. Praise from instructors and volunteers helps riders persist and progress. We strive to make each rider as independent as his or her capabilities allow.
Each riding session is supervised by a certified instructor. The sessions begin with warm-up exercises that may include reaching, arm circles, touching the horse's neck or tail. The main part of each session is a game that lets riders have fun while improving their skill. Games usually involve learning about horse equipment and practicing using the reins. When weather permits, the session ends with a short, supervised trail ride outside the arena.
Please visit! You are welcome to observe a riding session without committing to volunteering. We hope to meet you soon!
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Horseplay! Phone: (707) 447-8733, e-mail: horseplay.riding@gmail.com