BELMONT, Vt. – The days are longer and it’s time for warm weather activities to begin. The horses and ponies are shedding their winter coats and Reinbow Riding Center is getting ready for another fun season. Besides a lot of brushing to shed the ponies of their winter coats, we’re readying the riding ring, putting up fences, cleaning tack, and clearing the trails that wind through forest and field so we can get started. And we’re looking for volunteers to assist us with our lesson program.
Reinbow Riding Center is a non-profit therapeutic horsemanship center in Belmont, Vt. Our program is designed to improve the wellbeing of individuals with unique physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges through a therapeutic equine experience. In order to do this, we need volunteers to help us in many different capacities.
We begin our program each spring as soon as the weather and ground conditions allow. To do this we need your help. Volunteers are a big part of our program, allowing us to give more individuals an opportunity to participate in this beneficial program. We kick the season off by providing our services to area school children and continue throughout the summer and fall.
Some of the fun includes grooming, tacking up, leading the horses, or being a side walker, lending a little support to a rider. Non-equine activities might include trail clearing, putting up or fixing fences, office work, photography/videotaping, helping with social media, or brainstorming to develop new games and challenges. Whatever your expertise or inclination, if you think you might like to join us to help these riders accomplish their goals, we’d be glad to have you.
If you are looking for a new experience, why not give us a try? Everyone is welcome to attend the Volunteer Clinic we will be holding on Saturday, May 14 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Stone Wall Farm, 892 Tarbellville Rd. in Belmont. You don’t need to know anything about horses. We’ll introduce you. As long as you can walk alongside a rider in case they need a steadying hand and are willing to learn, you’ll fit right in. You must be 14 years of age to work with the horses. Students and others can participate and get credit for community service requirements.
Come see what we’re all about, what you might do as a volunteer, and sign up if you’d like to have a good time in the company of beautiful horses, a dedicated staff of instructors, and children and adults that know just how cool this program really is. You can help us bring joy to kids and adults and have fun doing it.
For questions or directions to the Center check out the web at www.reinbowridingcenter.org or email janetupton@reinbowridingcenter.org. Volunteer applications and our Volunteer Handbook are available on the website and available by mail if you email us. We’ll also have them available at the Clinic. Please check us out on Facebook, Twitter @ReinbowRiding, and Instagram @reinbow_riding_center. If you would like to volunteer but can’t attend the Clinic on May 14, please contact us.