Volunteering at CTREE
How to Become a Volunteer
Volunteers must complete volunteer registration forms and submit them to the CTREE office. Please complete the online registration, or download and print the registration forms and return them to our office via email to volunteer@ctreeny.org or mail to P.O. Box 1148 Bridgehampton, NY 11932. Upon receipt of the forms, you will be contacted to schedule your Volunteer Orientation and training (please allow 1-2 weeks for scheduling).
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. CTREE operates year round in two 8-week sessions and two 10-week sessions. Lessons are private or semi-private and are offered Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in the late afternoon as well as on Saturday mornings. CTREE also offers group activities throughout the year. If you’re looking for volunteering opportunities outside of Lessons, please let us know.
Volunteer orientations are held on an as needed basis. Please contact us for our next scheduled orientation date.
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
Barn Team – Help maintain the barn and paddocks (daily barn chores and/or special projects)
Fundraising Team – Help coordinate and plan special events, such as the Giddy-Up 5K and Horses Changing Lives Benefit
CTREE operates Spring, Summer, and Fall in one 8-week session and two 10-week sessions. Lessons are private or semi-private and are offered Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in the late afternoon as well as on Saturday mornings. CTREE also offers group activities throughout the year.
Program volunteers receive 2 hours of special training to enable them to work with our horses and participants. 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, however, CTREE has a Junior Volunteer program for volunteers under the age of 14 that are interested in assisting with our summer camp. For more information about volunteering please contact us.
“Volunteering with CTREE has opened my heart to a new understanding of the relationship that horses have with their riders. Whether it be a gentle whinny when one of the riders walks into the barn or the steady and careful walk the first time a rider is able to come off of the lead line, I am absolutely certain that these horses love ‘their kids’. I know that the time I give is appreciated, and that as a volunteer, I am helping change lives.”