Make an impact on the lives of our riders, gain valuable experience, help support people with disabilities, and become a part of our compassionate and dedicated community.
We also offer corporate group and high school volunteering opportunities.
Please read the information below for key information you need to know before applying to volunteer at SARI.
Volunteers are the backbone of keeping SARI running, and with 250 volunteers a week coming through our doors, it’s easy to see why!
We rely on our dedicated volunteers to help SARI support our participants, and we have many opportunities for you to participate. Below are some examples of areas where you can help us keep “Changing Lives, Stride By Stride”.
Our lesson volunteers play a crucial role in supporting participants during their lessons, ensuring a safe and enriching experience. Lesson volunteers assist in various roles, including:
Volunteer Instructors guide and teach riders, helping them develop their skills and confidence while working closely with our professional staff to provide a structured and supportive learning environment.
Horse Leaders are responsible for handling and guiding the horses during riding lessons, ensuring the safety and comfort of both the rider and the horse.
They play a key role in maintaining a calm and controlled atmosphere and communicating with lesson instructors. They also act as a crucial link between the horse and rider, must handle grooming, tacking, and general horse care.
Sidewalkers ensure our riders’ safety and support, which involves walking beside the horse, providing physical holds as instructed, reinforcing instructor cues, offering encouragement, assisting with mounting / dismounting, and helping with pre / post-lesson horse and arena prep.
They focus entirely on the rider, communicating calmly and maintaining awareness of both the rider and the horse’s needs under the instructor’s guidance.
Grooming volunteers offer emotional / physical support during horse grooming sessions, which includes cleaning, brushing, and inspecting the horse. They also support the participant by offering horse care guidance and knowledge as horse and participant work together during lessons.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Sometimes we may need volunteers to come in at short notice due to cancellations or unexpected unavailability. If you would like to be considered for our “fill-in” list, please inform our Volunteer Coordinator when you apply.
Our committee volunteers help organize and execute SARI’s key events, including:
Volunteers in these roles help ensure the success of these important events through planning, coordination, administration, and hands-on support.
If you are interested in becoming a committee volunteer, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@sari.ca.
Throughout the year, SARI holds a number of fundraising and celebration events. These include:
For these events, we need volunteers to help with both pre-event preparation where needed, and also with on-the-day assistance including set-up and tear down.
If you are interested in becoming an event volunteer, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@sari.ca.
Our maintenance volunteers help keep SARI’s facility clean, fresh, and safe for our riders and all visitors. Volunteers in this role help maintain our land and property through various tasks, ensuring a welcoming and well-kept environment.
If you are interested in becoming a maintenance volunteer, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@sari.ca.
Camp SARI runs from July to August every year, and we are always looking for role models with a positive, team-focused attitude, who are ready to have some fun! You must be able to commit to at least one week, full-time.
Camp SARI volunteers assist with the daily supervision of campers one-on-one or in small groups in a wide variety of camp activities.
Please contact our Volunteer Services Coordinator at volunteer@sari.ca for more details on any of the opportunities above.
Volunteer Instructors are required to have been active volunteers with SARI for a minimum
of three months prior to applying for the role, and must commit to a minimum of 1 lesson per week.
Volunteer Instructors must demonstrate responsibility, commitment, maturity and be willing to work within the structure and philosophy of the SARI program.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer instructor, please contact our Head Instructor at headinstructor@sari.ca.
Exercise riders are responsible to the Head Instructor for assisting in keeping the SARI
horses fit as well as maintaining the SARI horses’ skills for the purposes of
our adaptive riding programs.
Exercise Riders are required to have been active volunteers with SARI for a minimum of
six months prior to applying for the role. Exercise riders must also remain active volunteers in at least one lesson per week outside of exercise riding sessions.
Exercise Riders must attend an evaluation with the Head Instructor to demonstrate
suitable horsemanship knowledge, riding/training ability and attitude before being accepted as a SARI Exercise Rider.
This evaluation will include a riding test and written/oral test with questions at the competency level required by the Equestrian Canada Rider Level 2 via the “Learn to Ride – English” program.
If you have more questions or are interested in applying, please contact our Head Instructor at headinstructor@sari.ca.
Please contact our Head Instructor at headinstructor@sari.ca for more details on becoming an Exercise Rider or Volunteer Instructor.
Employee volunteering offers your team a hands-on way to make a meaningful impact at SARI. Volunteers can assist with farm maintenance, program support, or event support. Volunteering with your team in this way directly contributes to a safe and inclusive environment for our participants.
Beyond the immediate benefits to our programs, volunteering offers team building, strengthens employee engagement, and demonstrates your organization’s commitment to your local community and social responsibility.
Please contact our Volunteer Services Coordinator at volunteer@sari.ca for more details, or to discuss specific requirements for your organization.
SARI offers a number of opportunities for High School students to complete the 40-hour requirement for your diploma. Students can assist with a number of basic tasks around the farm, including:
Please contact our Volunteer Services Coordinator at volunteer@sari.ca for more details, or to discuss individual requirements.
PLEASE NOTE: Student volunteers over the age of 18 must successfully complete a Vulnerable Sector background check before volunteering. This must be done through your local police service, or Ontario Provincial Police where applicable.
