Volunteer Orientation
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 · 9:00am to 12:00pm · Free
Three hours, once a month, and you leave knowing whether this is for you.
Orientation is where a volunteer application becomes an actual role. We walk you through what the Foundation is trying to do, the safety rules that are not up for discussion, and how to be useful around a thousand-pound animal that reads you better than you read it. Then you meet the horses.
Come with questions. This is as much your chance to decide about us as it is ours to place you well. Nobody leaves orientation committed to something they are not sure about.
Hosted by Karl Watson, Founder and Executive Director of Saved by the Saddle. Meet your host
How the Morning Runs
- 9:00 Coffee, introductions, and what the Foundation is actually building
- 9:30 Safety. The rules that exist because someone got hurt.
- 10:00 Barn walkthrough and meeting the herd, including the rescues and how they got here
- 10:45 Hands on a horse: haltering, leading, tying, and grooming
- 11:30 Choosing your track, paperwork, and scheduling your first shift
- 12:00 Done
Who Should Come
Required before your first shift
- Program Volunteers
- Horse Care Volunteers
Welcome but not required
- Skilled Professional Volunteers, if you want to see the place your work supports
- Board members and board candidates
Still deciding between tracks? Come anyway. Sorting that out is part of what the morning is for.
Before You Arrive
- Closed-toe shoes or boots. No sandals, no exceptions.
- Long pants and clothes that can get dirty
- A layer. The coastal fog takes its time burning off.
- No horse experience needed and none expected
- Ages 16 and 17 are welcome with a parent or guardian consent form
Free · Twelve places per session
Apply First, Then Book a Date
If you have not applied yet, start there so we know which track you are aiming at and can plan the morning around who is coming.
Where you start
What a shift looks like
Hands on a horse before you leave