GET INVOLVED
Volunteer
Along with our horses, volunteers are the heart and soul of the CTREE program. CTREE provides unique and rewarding volunteer opportunities for those interested in working with special needs individuals and horses. Volunteers assist with therapeutic riding lessons, equine assisted services, office work, and fund-raising, including the following:
Horse Leaders – Responsible for grooming, tacking and leading horses during lessons
Sidewalkers – Responsible for the rider and the rider's safety by providing support as needed throughout the lesson and helping to facilitate instruction
CTREE operates Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Lessons are private or semi-private and are offered Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday in the late afternoon as well as on Saturday mornings. CTREE also offers group activities throughout the year.
Previous horse experience is helpful, but not necessary. Please note, that volunteering with our therapeutic riding program requires some physical activity, such as walking and jogging alongside the horse and participant.
The minimum age for program volunteers is 14. For more information about volunteering please contact us.
Orientation
For the safety of our staff, volunteers, and riders orientation is required for all volunteers. Orientation includes a tour of our facility, plus instruction in hands-on grooming and tacking, learning and practicing leading and side-walking, and an overview of safety procedures. You will also receive a link to watch a mandatory video prior to orientation. This video is approximately 20 minutes long. Orientation runs on an as needed basis. After you apply, you will be contact to sign up for an orientation.
Lesson Volunteering
After completing orientation, you will be added to the list to sign up to volunteer for our riding lessons. Please add both info@ctreeny.org and volunteer@ctreeny.org to your contacts in your email program/application to ensure you receive our emails.
We ask that lesson volunteers commit to volunteering on same day each week for the duration of a session. Volunteer slots are generally 2-4 hours a day. This helps avoid complications for our staff and also gives our riders consistency. If volunteers need miss a day they are scheduled to volunteer, please contact us by emailing volunteer@ctreeny.org or call us at 631.488.0142 ahead of time so that we can find a replacement.
We have four sessions per year. Session run 6-10 weeks. See our Lesson Riding Session Schedule.
Apply
To apply to be a volunteer please fill out the Volunteer Information form and click the Submit and Continue button to complete the Emergency & Medical Release Form. These forms are to be filled out by the applicant if 18 years old or over, or a parent/legal guardian if under 18 years old. If you have any questions or haven’t heard from us, contact us.