Volunteers Make Aunique Ranch Possible.
Diva in the field
Aunique Ranch is always thankful for volunteers. It takes a village to care for so many horses. Normal hours at the ranch are 7am to 4pm – 7 days a week. Volunteering is strictly up to your level of comfort and your availability. Present and previous volunteers have contributed in many ways.
Join our team! Volunteer Opportunities
Foal Watch Program – Lots of foals due to arrive in 2023! Foal Watch is the most important time spent on the ranch. Volunteers will spend the night watching to see if a foal is on the way. You will be there to help with the arrival and witness the birth of a new born foal. We will teach you everything you need to do but mostly you just need to wake me up when it is time! It takes a village to care for a new foal.
Marketing and Photography – We have ongoing opportunities for volunteer support to help spread the message about the ranch that can be done remotely and in person at our facility. Click here to see how you can help with marketing, event planning, social media, photography and/or videography, fundraising, and more!
Groomer – Our horses are high maintenance and require a lot of grooming, washing and/or hoof care. It is a
Foaling Watch Assistants – February. April and May are foaling time and help watching the horses at night is always greatly appreciated. We can always use an extra set of eyes to help advise that a foal is on the way. If you are a night owl this is an awesome experience to view the birth of a foal.
Landscaping/Farming – planning healthy horse gardens, planting and/or maintaining flower and veggie gardens.
Previous volunteers have gone on to show the horses that they have cared for or become full time employees. As always, we were fortunate and thankful to have them in our lives. If you are interested in volunteering at the ranch, please fill out the form below.
Horse Handler -Aunique Ranch accepts a limited number of horse handler volunteers each year. Our Horse Handler volunteers are a vitally important part of our team and requires a strong background of horse experience and self-awareness.
Aunique Ranch accepts a limited number of horse handler volunteers each year. These roles are a vitally important part of our team and require a strong background of horse experience and self-awareness to keep clients safe. Due to compliance laws, horse handlers are required to pass a background check in addition to passing Aunique Ranch’s written and practical firsthand tests. Due to our limited staff, we are not able to provide basic equine skills training at our facility; however, we do train the Horse Handler volunteers on our type of work and how we support clients with horses.
Aunique Ranch has a wide variety of communities we serve such as veterans, first responders, seniors and more. In addition to Aunique Ranch groups such as Shutterbug Sessions, Elder Expeditions, Wrangler Worthiness, Heroes & Horses and Herd Harmony.
If you are interested in applying to join our horse handler volunteer team, here are some things we consider:
- Patient, open-minded, inclusive, and compassionate qualities.
- Reliable and punctual
- Folks who enjoy being outside, getting dirty and contributing with the ability to stand/walk for several hours in all weather conditions.
Our Expectations:
- Complete the Volunteer Application provided below.
- Pass the practical hands-on test at Aunique Ranch. You will be asked to halter, lead, pick hooves, tie a quick release and other horse handler tasks.
- Pass a background check ($20 fee organized by you directly with that agency.)
If you would like to be considered for our horse handler volunteer team, please complete the following volunteer application at the bottom of the page.
Events and Marketing Volunteer Team
If you enjoy planning events, getting creative with marketing ideas, fundraising, writing newsletters, social media strategy, or are otherwise interested in helping spread the word about the work Aunique Ranch does, we can use your help!
Aunique Ranch is actively seeking photographers and/or videographers interested in giving back to their community by helping document our programs and events and telling Aunique Ranch’s story through visual images we can use on our website, social media, YouTube channel and marketing materials.
Our Events and Marketing Volunteer Team typically meets once a month via Zoom to brainstorm fun ideas, plan events, help support the development of marketing collateral, and tell horse jokes. If this sounds like fun to you, please join us! Please complete and submit the volunteer application below to express your interest.
VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES
SAFETY AND CONFIDENTIALITY. Safety and confidentiality are always our primary concerns for clients, volunteers, horses, staff, and anyone on the property.
No family members, visitors, friends, parents, guardians, etc. are allowed to accompany participants or volunteers beyond the front gates without prior approval and an application and waiver signed.
Scheduling.
- All volunteer time must be scheduled. Volunteers may only be on the property as scheduled and may not stop by randomly, bring visitors, etc. without prior approval.
- Please arrive thirty minutes prior to start time for events and plan to stay a few minutes afterward to clean up, put horses away, etc.
- When you are volunteering on the property, please log your hours on the sign in sheet in the mare barn.
- If lessons/classes must be cancelled, volunteers will be notified in advance as early as possible.
Horse Safety.
- Do not leave gates open.
- Do not feed the horses or offer treats, even if they act hungry (they always act hungry). Overfeeding can colic and kill a horse.
- Do not remove a horse from a stall or turnout without permission from staff.
- Always wear sturdy closed-toe shoes.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. Instructions and phone numbers for emergencies are posted in the barn and on the office door.
ALCOHOL/DRUG USE. Volunteering with and around horses requires a clear head. Please do not use drugs or alcohol prior to or while volunteering. If we suspect that you are under the influence, we will ask you to leave the property.
OUTSIDE ANIMALS. Other than service animals, no outside animals are permitted on the Aunique Ranch’s property. Outside animals may NOT be left in parked cars.
DOCUMENTATION. All volunteers must complete the volunteer application, and sign the liability release, confidentiality policy, background check notification form and authorization for emergency medical treatment before volunteering.
INSURANCE. Aunique Ranch’s insurance covers only participants enrolled in our programs and those scheduled to be on the property. Please do not ask us to let your family, friends, etc. visit the property or work with our horses unless they are in the program.