Program Volunteer (Veteran and Youth Programs)
Daly City,
CA,
United States
For people who want to be in the arena, with the veterans, youth, and horses. You do not need to be a rider. Some of our most valuable program volunteers have never sat on a horse. What you need is patience, reliability, and the ability to stay calm and present around people who are working through something.
Program volunteers sidewalk and lead during mounted sessions, support groundwork and grooming activities, prep and reset the arena, greet participants and families, mentor youth, and hold steady space during veteran sessions.
We ask for one regular shift a week, two to three hours, for at least one full program session of eight to twelve weeks. Consistency matters more than volume here. Participants build trust through repetition, and a volunteer who shows up every Tuesday is worth more to them than one who shows up whenever.
After you apply: someone from the founding team will contact you. The first program session is still taking shape, so we will keep you posted on background check, orientation, and training dates as they are set.
Every Role Here Is Unpaid
Saved by the Saddle Foundation is a nonprofit. Board seats and volunteer roles are all unpaid, including our board.
What You Would Do
- Sidewalk and lead: walk alongside a rider for support and safety, or lead the horse while an instructor teaches
- Support ground sessions: many sessions never involve riding, and you help with groundwork, grooming, and horsemanship activities
- Prep and reset: tack up and untack, set arena patterns, put everything away after
- Greet and orient: help new participants and families feel less intimidated on day one
- Mentor: be a consistent adult in our youth programs
- Support veteran sessions: hold space without pushing
- Help at events: shows, open barn days, and community demonstrations
Time and Requirements
- One regular shift a week, two to three hours, during a program session
- Commitment of at least one full program session, typically eight to twelve weeks
- Must be 16 or older. Under 18 needs parent or guardian consent and works alongside an adult volunteer.
- Background check required for anyone working with youth or vulnerable adults
- Able to walk on uneven ground for extended periods and move quickly if needed
- Comfortable being near horses. We teach you the rest.
Unpaid position
Training We Provide
- The Foundation's mission and safety rules
- Horse handling basics
- Sidewalking and leading technique
- How to work with participants without taking over
- Confidentiality and boundaries
- Emergency procedures
You shadow experienced volunteers before you take a role of your own.
Why Consistency Matters Here
Participants build trust through repetition. A volunteer who shows up every Tuesday is worth more to them than one who shows up whenever. If you cannot commit to a regular weekly shift right now, consider the Horse Care Volunteer track instead, where the schedule is more flexible.