Volunteer

Everyone associated with the 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program classes is a volunteer from the community, including riding instructors, physical therapists, special educators, scouts, retired citizens, state troopers, parents, students, and a whole host of people who volunteer their time and energy to make this program a success!

What are the benefits of being a TRP volunteer? Different for each person, whether youth or adult, in their first year or 25th year of service, volunteers have shared some of their reasons for committing their time to the riders. The reasons mentioned include the satisfaction of helping in the community, gaining an understanding and appreciation of what it means to live with a disability, learning about the care of horses, acquiring community service hours for high school or college, church, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc., personal growth, and developing new friendships.

Who can volunteer? Anyone who has reached the age of 14, can attend required training sessions, and is willing to make a commitment to attend class each week for the length of a session is welcome. Horse experience is preferred but not mandatory. Volunteers need to be able to walk for at least one hour (indoors or outdoors) on uneven surfaces, have the ability to hold their arm raised and out to the side for up to an hour at a time, hear and understand instructors in English, and have adequate vision to ensure safety of horses and participants. Volunteers need to have the ability to adapt to change, be flexible, and be comfortable working with riders with disabilities (including physical contact).

How are volunteers trained? New volunteers attend an orientation session before classes begin. Instructors and Master Volunteers continue with hands-on training during class sessions. Everyone is encouraged to ask questions!

What do TRP volunteers do? Three hours a day, one day a week for 10 weeks, a volunteers is assigned responsibilities by the instructor. These responsibilities may include preparing horses for class (grooming and tacking), assisting with a rider during mounting and dismounting, leading a horse, walking next to the rider throughout class, providing physical support as necessary, helping the rider follow directions given by the instructor

Our Community Supporters

Charitable gifts play a vital role in TRP’s annual operating budget. Feed and health care for our horses, professional development opportunities for instructors and volunteers, and overall facility costs and maintenance are some of our ongoing expenses. As an adjunct program of the Carroll County Agricultural Center, 4-H TRP is a 501 (c)(3) program so all donations are tax deductible.
What follows is a brief overview of the most common ways of supporting TRP. Your efforts will guarantee the future success of our therapeutic riding program.

Donations

Donations are important to TRP, providing immediately expendable funds for daily operations. These funds benefit riders’ scholarships, feed and health care for the horses, training for instructors, repairs to the riding arena, and numerous other operating expenses. Donors can sponsor a rider for $350 or a horse for $800. Virtually all areas of the program benefit. Donations are most commonly made in cash directly to TRP but your United Way contributions can go to TRP. When you complete the form with your company, specify 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program of Carroll County for your designated gift. Please consider a contribution as a way to support TRP's mission

Horses and Equipment
Great care is taken in selecting our stable of horses and ponies. If you have a horse or pony you feel might be a good fit for our program, please contact us. Additionally, we invite you to consider donations of horse blankets, reins, grooming supplies, etc.

Memorial and Honorary Giving
Another wonderful giving opportunity is to make a gift in memory of a loved one or to honor someone on a special day (birthday, anniversary, graduation, etc.). These gifts can be given for unrestricted or special purposes.