Volunteer With Us
As an all-volunteer organization, we are made up of unique personalities with unique talents. Some of us work full time; some have our own businesses; some are students and some are retired. Our fosters are located in an area from Franklin/Scottsville KY, and in Middle Tennessee, west to Adams and Ashland City, east to Lebanon, and south to Shelbyville and Pulaski, with primary operations in the White House/Cottontown area. “All volunteer” means just that: from our foster farms, to our board members and those working behind the scenes, to those who assist farms with daily chores, everyone gives of their skills and time toward the common goal of helping horses and people in our communities.
We do require that each volunteer attend a brief (1-2 hour) orientation session as an introduction. Volunteers receive a handbook they are expected to read, as we do have certain rules and policies for safety’s sake, and out of respect for our foster farms where volunteers may spend their time. Those wishing to track hours for Hope Scholarship or other purposes can be accommodated. If you do not attend a volunteer orientation, you will not be considered as an “active volunteer.”
Please fill out the application below so that our volunteer team can learn a bit more about you. If you are applying to become a foster farm, we will be in touch for a face-to-face meeting and site visit. Otherwise, our volunteer coordinator will reach out with information on our next, regularly scheduled orientation!
Please Note: Volunteering with Safe Harbor will help teach you horsekeeping and horsemanship and can prepare you for an ownership journey. You will have opportunities to attend and assist with various clinics, seminars, and shows, as well as interact with professionals in our area.
If you are not willing or able to attend such learning opportunities, this may not be the experience you are looking for. Simply put: Volunteering is not an opportunity for free riding lessons. Rescue is generally not conducive to foundational riding lessons due to the nature of horses we receive - either those who are not currently started under saddle, those who have not been ridden in many years, and those who are unsound for riding at all.
We work with instructors and would be happy to recommend a program for you and your family. For your safety, and for the wellbeing of our horses, only professional trainers and advanced riders ride the vast majority of our horses, at least during their first several months with us. If you want to ride, a skills evaluation will be scheduled by your volunteer coordinator. Thank you for your understanding in this very important aspect of our organization.