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What I Get Out of Volunteering

Hilary Broad

As a volunteer with the therapeutic program, I find being in the fresh air and with the animals very relaxing and refreshing. I gain personal health benefits through reduced stress and lower blood pressure. I have worked all my life in the health care field including those with various mental and physical challenges. By volunteering within the parameters of my own disabilities, I can maintain contact with the career I loved and indulge in my love of animals.

 

Greetings from Finland!

I have spent a couple of great weeks in Canada as a volunteer at Rainbow Stables andthe Timmins Therapeutic Riding Association.I experienced an extremely friendly atmosphere between people and animals. I was impressed by the high professionalism of Lydia towards therapeutic riding and I am also grateful for her tips to improve my own riding. Most importantly, I learned that disability won't decrease one's ability to enjoy horseback riding and the joy and excitement that this experience provides was very rewarding to all parties. I feel privileged to have had this experience and I am also very happy to now have a life-long friendship with Lydia and Mike.
- Sari Sontag

 

 

My name is Sonia Morin and I have been volunteering at the Timmins Therapeutic Riding Association since 1999.

I am Applejack's "horse parent" and I help to school him. We have attended clinics and a couple of horse shows together, and had a really great time. I like working with the therapeutic riders because they are fun to be around. Helping gives me more independence and confidence. I get to meet new people andjust enjoy being outdoors. Helping others makes me feel good about myself. Working with the riders, I see how they improve during their lessons. I love going out to the barn knowing that every day I get experience and new challenges.

 

Heather Spadafore

I started out as a volunteer at Rainbow Stables when I was 16. At first, it was a way for me to interact with horses and to get out of the house. Eventually, it became much more than that. Lydia was very friendly and let me ride some of the horses, which was a bonus for me. I was hired as a summer student for the following three years. It was a great experience for me, and it helped me decide that I wanted horses to be a big part of my life.

I graduated from Kemptville College's Equine Management Program in December 2000, and worked for an international show jumper for the next year and a half. Although I was riding "top quality" horses, and interacting with several high-level show jumpers, I missed Lydia, my friends and the horses at Rainbow Stables. I went back to college, hoping to combine my love of horses and writing. Turns out it’s not so easy to write for a horse magazine. After two years of working at the local newspaper, I got the opportunity of a lifetime to work at an eventing barn near Toronto. Despite where I am right now, none of what I’ve done in the last few years would be possible if I hadn’t started out with Lydia. Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community, and I'll never forget the students that came out to ride with us. The greatest reward for me was seeing the smiles on their faces. I made some great friends with the other volunteers, and I go back to visit whenever I can.