Volunteer With Us
How do I become
a volunteer?
Download and complete the volunteer application and bring it to any volunteer orientation.
Attend a Volunteer Orientation Session. Call Vicki at 301-791-6222 for the next volunteer training orientation available.
It feels great to help others, but nothing compares to seeing the joy on the face of someone you have helped rise above personal limitations. Giving someone the power to believe in themselves is a gift. Join the STAR Equestrian Center team where volunteers do something meaningful in the lives of others every day.
As a volunteer you would be involved in a variety of tasks such as horse leader or side walker in class, stable management, horse care, office assistance, janitorial work and fundraiser participation. Build new friendships by interacting with other volunteers, instructors, riders and horses. This is a great opportunity for teens to build social and leadership skills, and a great opportunity for adults to broaden life experiences.
I love to see people get better and able to do things. I love to work with all the people at STAR. I learn something new each week either about people or horses. I enjoy making new friends too. I love to see what people with challenges and the new riders can do with help from volunteers. I hope that I make people happy.
Jess Brookens is a youth volunteer who grew up riding at STAR and now volunteers.
Dear STAR,
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful place. I have so much respect for disabled kids. I learned to be patient and responsible. I love it here. I love all of you and the horses. :)
xoxo - Chyann
Chyann was a volunteer through San Mar Children's Home.
Our volunteers strive to be confident, committed and loyal. You can share in the joy of our riders and staff as they learn about horses. Volunteer orientation is offered each month. We offer volunteer opportunities for individuals age 13 and up, as well as those with challenges and high school students who need to complete graduation requirements. Training in various areas of horsemanship is offered to each volunteer who wishes to move up levels with gained knowledge. Experience with horses is not necessary but is valued. Volunteers make life long friends in an environment where all people are nurtured in the world of the equine. Volunteer opportunities are available seven days a week, during the day and in the evenings. Our programs run year round. Our volunteer coordinator engages each volunteer with meaningful incentives. We appreciate each volunteer and the gifts and talents they bring to our programs.
A Message From One of Our Volunteers
I have been riding at Star since January of 2009. I started volunteering a little while before the summer started. I have gotten so much out of my experiences at Star, both as a rider and as a volunteer. I have learned riding and medical skills at Star. Some of the skills I have learned at Star are lengthening and shortening a horse’s strides, and how to administer medicine into a horse’s eye if it gets infected. My riding lessons are always enjoyable. Riding has been one of the things that I enjoy most in life, but it is also the people that make the experience a positive one. My instructor’s name is Sarah Holland. Sarah always has a happy, peppy personality that makes her fun to be around. She explains things very well. Sarah has to remind me to breathe sometimes (especially when we are jumping) because if I don’t breathe, then I tense up and that makes my horse tense up. I have learned a lot from her. One of my other instructors is Ted. Ted has taught me about finding my center of balance, aligning my ear, shoulder, hip and heel, and having a soft eye. Each instructor has taught me something important that will help me now and later on, not just necessarily with riding but also with horses in general. I have made some very close friends at Star.
At Star, I get to ride a variety of different horses which improves my riding skills. Every horse has a different personality, so it is good to get to know them all. I usually ride a horse named Stoney. Stoney is my favorite horse to ride at Star. Stoney can sometimes be difficult, but I think that that is a good thing. Stoney is challenging because he likes to go fast, so I have to work on slowing him down. When he is being difficult, I have learned to be patient and to work him through it. One of the other horses I have ridden at Star is Patch. Patch can be testy, too, sometimes refusing jumps. When he does that, I have to give him a lot of leg and tap him with the crop.
Volunteering at Star has been as rewarding as riding. I volunteer on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. On Mondays and Tuesdays, I get to volunteer with the disabled riders. People of all ages with disabilities come to Star. I help them do their exercises on their horses, such as making circles with their arms. Helping the disabled riders has been a great experience! A lot of the riders have such sweet dispositions. On Monday nights, I teach a rider named Bryan. I tell him how to turn left and right, how to stop his horse and sit up nice and tall in the saddle. I like working with the disabled riders because I know that what I am doing is benefiting them. Sometimes it can be a difficult task but the end result is wonderful to be able to witness! Before I started volunteering with the disabled riders, I honestly didn’t think that I was going to like it as much as I do now. I love to see the joy that they get out of it. When the riders come, they are just so excited to be there.
I enjoy helping the abled riders, too. I like talking to them about which horse is their favorite and if they have any exciting plans over the weekend. Star has taught me many valuable things, such as being patient with horses and people, how to evaluate a horse on its riding capabilities and how to match up a rider with the perfect horse. A timid rider needs a gentle horse. On the other hand, a bold rider needs a tolerant horse. A beginning rider needs an older horse because they are more well-trained and calm.
I always look forward to coming to Star. Star is my favorite place to go. I love being with horses and if I had a choice I would be at Star all day, everyday!