Therapeutic equestrian center seeks volunteers to assist riders, perform office duties

Banbury Cross Therapeutic Equestrian Center runs on two things – horsepower and manpower.

Right now, it’s in need of the latter.

The Metamora-based nonprofit organization is seeking volunteers to help everywhere from its spacious indoor riding arena to its front office.

“Some days we need 15 volunteers just to run classes . . . Without those bodies, we can’t provide the services that we do in a safe manner for our riders,” said Banbury Cross Executive Director Jessica Moore.

Founded in 1991 and located at 1223 Brauer Rd., Banbury Cross uses therapeutic horseback riding to help students with special needs improve physically, cognitively, emotionally, spiritually, educationally and socially.

The organization frequently works with special education students from the Oxford and Lake Orion school districts.

Moore said approximately 80 volunteers currently work there on a weekly basis at various times. Some put in an hour or two each week, while others work multiple days.

Additional volunteers are needed, according to Moore, because the program “just keeps growing” and this is the time of year when people are taking vacations and teenage volunteers are preparing to head off to college.

“We need to amp up our recruiting (efforts),” she said.

Banbury Cross is looking for volunteers who can prepare the horses and the arena for classes, lead the horses during class and assist the riders.

When it comes to working with the riders, Moore said folks are needed to help them stay upright on the horses, walk alongside them in the arena, provide verbal cues, offer words of encouragement and reinforce what the instructors are asking riders to do.

“Our greatest need is always for assisting in classes,” she said.

Volunteers are also needed to help with office duties, which include greeting riders and their families when they arrive, answering phones and writing thank-you notes.

Given Banbury Cross has only five part-time employees, including the executive director, Moore said volunteers are “vital” to the organization.

“We could not operate without the dedicated volunteers that we have,” she said.

Folks interested in volunteering are required to attend a two-hour orientation at Banbury Cross. The next one is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, July 15.

During orientation, volunteers learn about Banbury’s history, mission and operations along with the organization’s policies and procedures.

Volunteers are asked to devote at least three to five hours per week for an entire session if possible.

“It’s nice for our riders to have the consistency of (working with) the same team members,” Moore said.

How long each session lasts depends on the time of year.

For example, the fall session is the longest at 11 weeks. Other sessions run anywhere from six to eight weeks.

“We do take the month of December off, but besides that, we run year-round,” Moore said.

Volunteering at Banbury Cross can be an “extremely rewarding” experience, according to Moore.

She said people who love spending time with horses can get their “fix” without having the financial responsibilities that come with equine ownership,

But to her, the best part is interacting with the riders, watching them grow on a weekly basis, helping them reach their goals and building meaningful relationships.

“You get to help create the smiles,” Moore said.

For more information about volunteering at Banbury Cross, please visit www.banburycrosstec.org or call (248) 628-7433.