Volunteer
Be Part of the Healing
There is more than one way to help. We need people who can help us build the organization, and people who can help us do the work. Pick the one that fits you.
Why Volunteer Here?
Volunteers make the first cohort possible
Saved by the Saddle is being built right now, from the ground up. That means we need two very different kinds of help at the same time: people with professional skill who can help us stand the organization up properly, and people who can be at the barn doing the daily work.
Volunteering here is not only about giving. The work is real, the barn is quiet, and the horses ask you to be present. That is worth showing up for on its own.
Make a meaningful difference in your community
Learn horsemanship and animal care skills
Be part of a supportive, purpose-driven team
Help shape how the program runs from the start
Put professional expertise toward something that matters
Enjoy peaceful time with horses in a beautiful setting
What We Provide
Training and orientation
Clear expectations
Ongoing support
A meaningful community
Four Ways To Help
Choose Your Track
Each track has its own application, so you can apply for the specific thing you want to help with. Every role below is unpaid, including our board seats.
Board of Directors
Unpaid · Four to six hours a month
Govern the Foundation. Set strategy, approve the budget, oversee leadership, adopt policy, and make sure we meet our legal and reporting obligations. This is not a ceremonial seat.
Good fit if you have
- Nonprofit governance or 501(c)(3) compliance experience
- Accounting, audit, or CFO-level oversight
- Nonprofit or equine law, or fundraising
- Veteran services, youth services, or equine welfare background
Skilled Professional Volunteer
Unpaid · Flexible, mostly remote
Give us your skill rather than your Saturdays. Pro bono work in your area of expertise, on your own schedule, with no board obligation. No horse experience needed.
Where we need help
- Legal: formation, bylaws, waivers, contracts, insurance
- Financial: bookkeeping, reporting, budgets, Form 990
- Structure: policy, risk management, safety protocols, systems
- Admin: grant writing, donor database, communications
Program Volunteer
Unpaid · One shift a week, two to three hours
Be in the arena with the veterans, youth, and horses. Sidewalk and lead, support groundwork sessions, mentor, and help people feel welcome on a day that intimidates them. You do not need to be a rider.
What we ask
- Age 18 or older
- Background check and mandated reporter training required
- Commit to one full program session, eight to twelve weeks
- Patient, reliable, and calm around people working through something
Horse Care Volunteer
Unpaid · One shift a week, three to four hours
Care for the horses directly. Feeding, mucking, turnout, grooming, tack, and health monitoring. If you would rather muck a stall in the quiet of the morning than stand in front of a group, this is your track.
What we ask
- Age 18 or older to work independently, 16 and 17 with supervision
- Able to lift 50 pounds and work outdoors in any weather
- Closed-toe boots, no exceptions
- Weekend and holiday coverage is our hardest need
Not Sure Which One?
A quick way to decide
If you want a vote and a fiduciary role in how this organization is run, that is the board. If you want to do work in your profession without joining the board, that is skilled professional. If you want to be with the participants, that is program. If you want to be with the horses, that is horse care.
Still unsure? Get in touch and we will help you find the right fit.
A Shift At The Barn
Quiet work, on a schedule
Hay, water, clean stalls, hands on a horse. Volunteer shifts are built around the routine the horses already keep.
Horse care
Program support
Board and professional
The Process
How to Get Started
Program and horse care volunteers follow the steps below. Board and skilled professional applicants go through a different process, described on their own pages.
01
Choose Your Track
Pick the track that fits you and submit that application. Each one asks different questions, so you go to the right place from the start.
02
Background Check
Volunteers working with youth, vulnerable adults, or on site complete a Live Scan fingerprint background check through the California Department of Justice before their first shift, as required by Penal Code section 11105.3. We cover the cost.
03
Orientation
Attend an orientation session covering our mission, safety protocols, and horse handling basics. We run one on the first Wednesday of every month, 9:00am to 12:00pm, and you can book your date online.
04
Training
Complete track-specific training with our staff and horsemanship instructors, and shadow an experienced volunteer before you take a shift on your own. Everyone in a regular role also completes California mandated reporter training in identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect, which we provide free.
05
Start Volunteering
Begin your regular shifts and help build this community from the ground up.
Ready to Help?
Whichever track you choose, we ask for consistency. Showing up on a schedule is what lets the horses settle with you, lets participants build trust, and lets us actually plan.