We could not provide service to over 300 participants free of charge every year without the devotion of our tireless volunteers! We rely on our volunteers at many levels to ensure that our riders are safe, our horses are happy, our fundraisers go off without a hitch, and that our lessons remain available to all.

We welcome all volunteers! Horse experience is a plus, but not required to become a volunteer. Please complete the volunteer form, and the volunteer coordinator will contact you to discuss volunteer opportunities and to schedule a training course.  Click here to fill out our Volunteer Form!

Volunteer Opportunities

• Program Volunteers assist with lessons by horse handling or sidewalking. They also have the opportunity to groom and saddle horses for lessons. Program volunteers are asked to commit to one to two hours per week for the duration of the 8-12 week session. All program volunteers must be 14 years of age or older.

• Special Event Volunteers assist with facilitation of horse shows and other special interest camps.

• Cowboy Ball Volunteers assist with organization of our annual fundraiser by soliciting for silent auction items, serving on a committee, helping with decorations, serving dinner at the event, and helping with set up and break down.

• Office Volunteers assist with mailings, filing, and general office organization on a regular basis or as needed.

• Maintenance and Landscape Volunteers work with the facility manager to keep the grounds clean, safe and beautiful by planting flowers, raking leaves or loose hay, fixing fence, or mowing lawns.

Program Volunteer Trainings

Swiftsure offers various levels of training for every volunteer to learn how to be safe and effective around our horses and in lessons. Trainings are offered throughout the year and are usually two hours long.

Volunteer Testimonial

“I started volunteering because my daughter took lessons as part of the ranch hand program over the years, and I recognized the benefits that she gained from the experience. I decided that I wanted to give back. The more time I spent there, the greater personal reward I experienced myself and observed in the students.

The community at Swiftsure is very close-knit, like a family, and I appreciate the support and friendship that I have always encountered here. The biggest reward that I experience is spending time with the students and watching them learn and grow, especially those students with whom I’ve been able to volunteer from their very first day. I feel fortunate because being here helps me grow as well. This experience gives me patience and better understanding, it helps me to appreciate the little things in life and to not take those little things, which are huge accomplishments for our students, for granted.  And, what’s not to like about the ear-to-ear grin when a student is on the horse and things just work out? It is a rare day if I don’t leave here feeling better than when I arrived…”

~Pete Stephenson, 2013 PATH Intl. Volunteer of the Year