Carriage Hill Riding Center - Barn Aide Volunteer Training
Thank you for your interest in supporting the Carriage Hill Riding Center at Five Rivers MetroParks!
Barn Aide Volunteers are critical to the daily care and maintenance of
horses, ponies and the equestrian facility at the Carriage Hill Riding Center. They assist with essential daily tasks like cleaning stalls, turning horses out to pasture, and providing them with fresh food and water.
New Carriage Hill Riding Center volunteers are onboarded twice a year as Barn Aides. Volunteers can then grow their skills through completing additional training to support equine programs at the Carriage Hill Riding Center including assisting with Lessons, Camps, Pony Rides, and Trail Rides.
To prepare you for service, volunteers are asked to complete a virtual training and then attend an in-person Barn Aide training onsite at the Carriage Hill Riding Center. This training is typically offered in early spring and fall each year. Check our Training and Events Page for upcoming trainings.
After successful completion of the virtual and in-person training, volunteers will begin shadow experiences with qualified volunteers and/or staff to master the skills and gain experience completing barn aide tasks until they are able to check off on those skills and fully qualify as a Barn Aide volunteer. Volunteers will renew this check off each year of service.
DO YOU QUALIFY? To be eligible to support this opportunity, volunteers must be 14 years of age or older, able to support the Riding Center on an ongoing basis - a minimum of 8 barn aide shifts per year, and must complete the volunteer onboarding qualifications (Volunteer Profile, Volunteer Handbook signature). For those over the age of 18, we also require the completion of an eligible background check. Click here to respond to our volunteer onboarding opportunity and easily complete your short-term or long-term volunteer onboarding qualifications. Note: You may need to respond to this opportunity a second time to initiate your background check. If you are a youth volunteer ages 14-17, please contact volunteer.services@metroparks.org to have your background check waived.
Barn Aide - GET STARTED!
Step 1: Watch the Carriage Hill Riding Center training video below and complete the listed activities.
- Watch the 14-minute Carriage Hill Riding Center 101 Video posted above.
- Click the link to review the Carriage Hill Riding Center Volunteer Handbook.
- Review the Horse Basics slides.
- Review the Barn Aide Training slides before taking your quiz.
Step 2: Take the Barn Aide Quiz below.
Step 3: Complete In-person Barn Aide Training.
In-person Barn Aide Volunteer Training is offered twice a year, once during the March/April timeframe, and once during the November/December timeframe. Once you have submitted your Barn Aide Quiz, a Volunteer Coordinator will contact you when our next Barn Aide Training dates are scheduled, or you can check our Training and Events page now to view upcoming training and to RSVP. Please download and complete these forms to bring with you to the training.
Once you have completed both your virtual and in-person training, you will be eligible to sign up for shadow experience shifts working alongside qualified volunteers and staff to learn the skills of a Barn Aide volunteer until you are able to check off and fully qualify as an Barn Aide volunteer. Take a look at our Barn Aide Volunteer Check Off here to review what skills you will be working toward mastering.
While you wait - Click here to meet our horses and ponies!
Welcome to the Team!
Once your Barn Aide qualifications are approved, you can begin signing up for opportunities!
Please visit our Carriage Hill Riding Center Programming Training page to view training requirements to assist in the arena with Lessons and Camps, with summer Pony Rides or Trail Rides.
