Volunteers Make It Work

   Since H.O.U.R.S.E. in VT is an all volunteer organization, we welcome people who wish to be part of this horse loving team. You do not need to have experience around horses, though you should not fear them. We will show you how to be safe and secure around these gentle giants as we serve to better their lives after racing. At the foster farm in Jeffersonville, volunteers are needed to help with stable chores like cleaning stalls (six in all), watering and feeding horses, and most especially grooming and loving these noble beings as they wait to discover their new homes after racing.

     Ideally, volunteers need to be able to commit to a regular day and time, be it weekly, biweekly or monthly. All chores are completed between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily. Usually, volunteers serve one or two hours per visit though longer visits are easily accommodated. After all, there is always something that needs doing on a working horse farm. Once trained, volunteers need to be comfortable working unsupervised but usually in the company of another volunteer. Some of the work can be strenuous so volunteers should be physically able to help out. This work is really suited for young adults and adults young at heart who simply love horses.

Prefer indoor work?
We also welcome volunteers for administrative and office tasks!

Winter-hardy Volunteers keep us going year round.

Groom-a-thon with Midnight Riders 4-H Club
13 horses groomed spotless by 13 kids in 3 hours!

     Volunteers who complete 20 hours of service in good standing are awarded a custom H.O.U.R.S.E. in VT t-shirt. But perhaps even more valuable is the insight people get regarding humane, responsible training and management practices for horses, as well as the satisfaction of seeing these tremendous creatures bloom in the hands of caring people. The more attention each orphan horse gets after his racing days and the better he looks and handles for prospective adopters, then the better his chances will be for successful placement.

     Once a horse is securely placed in his new adoptive home, there is room for another horse to be accepted into this protective program and enjoy the same benefits of the rehabilitative process. The number of horses we can assist is largely dependent upon the quality of volunteer staff to help prepare them for their new lives.

If you are interested in volunteering at the H.O.U.R.S.E. in VT foster farm in Jeffersonville, contact C. Terry Holden at 644 2759 evenings to find out more.

     Work-study (through student aid programs) and Internship (unpaid but often acredited) programs are available here at Infinity Farm, home of H.O.U.R.S.E. in VT. Our work is similar to Save the Greyhound! — race horse sized — and symbiotic with our work of “People helping horses; Horses helping people”. Our mission is dual duty. Our roots lie in rescuing un-raceable horses from slaughter. Along the way, through various volunteer programs, we have become aware of how the process of rehabilitating race horses into pleasure horses is much like a therapuetic learning process for the people who attend to them. On the farm we usually have more than a dozen horses going through various stages of their rehabilitation.

     We offer a number of clinics and workshops in non-competitive, healthy horsemanship for adult beginners. In 2003 we initiated two pilot programs in the field of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. One program was for team building and problem solving for kids at risk and the other was based on individuals, focusing on empowerment and self actualization for women in the middle of life's demands.

     Work-study students and interns can participate in many of the programs and operations of H.O.U.R.S.E. in VT from stable management to program development and implementation. We need motivated people who would like to learn about our farm management choices — natural horse keeping, TTouch handling and training methods, and teaching and counseling clients with various adaptive needs. Persons interested in applying for an internship or work-study project can contact Terry Holden, Executive Director, with a proposal and to discuss the project. E-mail is best.

Intern does groundwork with Merry Belle