"Nothing Is More Precious Than The Heart of A Volunteer"

NEC's success relies on the generosity of our wonderful volunteers.  In 2008, our cadre of generous volunteers contributed  more than 24,000 hours to our organization.  Most of our volunteers assist with the therapeutic riding program as sidewalkers, leaders, and groomers/tackers.  Each rider typically requires 2 sidewalkers and a leader.  Each lesson has between 4 or 5 riders in a group.  Therapeutic riding requires many committed, responsible, and enthusiastic volunteers, but also provides a very sociable and supportive atmosphere for riders and volunteers alike! 

There are also volunteer opportunities in fundraising, property improvement projects, and office help.  Many folks start volunteering as a sidewalker, which is someone who walks beside the rider during the lesson and assists with safety and various lesson tasks.  Each rider also typically has a leader who is responsible for the equine.  We offer advanced training sessions to those volunteers who are interested in becoming a leader, groomer, or tacker.

No experience is necessary is become a sidewalker.  The minimum age to volunteer at NEC is 12.  Our 12 year old volunteers assist our Volunteer Manager with various duties during the program.  Once a volunteer reaches the age of 13 they may attend our Grooming & Tacking Clinic.  Anyone 14 years of age or older can participate as a sidewalker, groomer, or tacker.  There is no upper age limit for our program volunteers, however all volunteers must be able to raise their arm to shoulder height, walk for 30 consecutive minutes, and run for short distances. 

We ask that all our volunteers go through our trainings, even if they have years of horse experience or have volunteered at another therapeutic riding center.  This way, we can explain all of our methods and procedures and no important details are missed.  Consistency is key to keep our program running safely and smoothly.