Volunteer
Love horses? Want to make a difference in the lives of horses that have suffered abuse, abandonment, or neglect? Horses of Tir Na Nog might be the perfect place for you to volunteer! We invite you to become part of our Hearts for Horses Volunteer Program.
Here are some things for you to consider:
- Horses of Tir Na Nog (HTNN) is the longest-operating equine sanctuary in San Diego County.
- We offer a lifelong home to the animals in our care. They are not available for adoption.
- We are a non-riding facility. HTNN does not provide any riding opportunities.
- Our sanctuary is located in the Descanso-Pine Valley area, roughly 35 miles east of San Diego State University, which is about a 40-45 minute drive mostly on Highway 8.
- While horse experience is not required, a willingness to learn how we care for our horses and handle them is required.
- HTNN has a limited number of volunteer positions available. Our primary volunteer opportunities are on Sunday mornings from 9 am to Noon. However additional opportunities are available every day for our Bucket Buddies who help prepare our twice daily feedings.
- Because space is limited, volunteers need to be able to commit to their dates in advance.
- Due to medical conditions and diets, we do not feed our horses treats (carrots, apples, etc.).
- HTNN is a no-smoking facility. Alcohol and pets are also prohibited.
Volunteer Opportunities
Horse Care Volunteers
Our Horse Care Team helps us provide the best life possible for the horses in our care. These volunteers spend an hour cleaning corrals. The remainder of your shift might be spent grooming or bathing horses or taking them for a walk. While perfect for people with previous horse experience, we will provide training if you lack experience and are willing to make a regular commitment.
-
- Sunday’s: 9:00 am to Noon
- Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age.
- Attendance at a Volunteer Orientation is required.
- Horse Care Volunteers must commit to at least one Sunday each month for a minimum of six months.
- Horse Care spaces are limited, so you must be able to commit to dates in advance and honor those commitments. Our horses count on our volunteers for enrichment and exercise.
- The entire volunteer shift is spent outdoors, engaged in physical activities and includes a significant amount of walking.
- These volunteer positions are based on developing a relationship between our volunteers and our horses, so a regular, on-going commitment is essential.
Bucket Buddies Volunteers
Our ranch residents are fed twice daily. For nearly 70 horses, they receive buckets of assorted types and quantities of several different grains and other supplements in addition to hay. Additionally, llamas, goats, sheep, pigs, cats, dogs and additional residents receive feedings designed for their specific dietary needs.
Preparing all these buckets of feed provides a unique volunteer opportunity to personally impact all our ranch residents every time they prepare these feedings. Working in the feed barn (out of the sun, rain or wind) and following very clearly specific menus detailed in a master notebook, these buckets of critical nutrition are prepared twice daily starting around 9 am and again around 4 pm. The 9 am prep is for that day’s afternoon feeding, while the 4 pm prep is for the following morning’s feeding. After learning/doing this a few times, the preparation of these buckets takes about 90 minutes to accomplish.
Bucket Buddies volunteers need to commit to regularly preparing the feed buckets at least once per week for either the 9 am or the 4 pm bucket filling shift.
Volunteer Application
If a Horse Care and/or Bucket Buddy volunteer position sounds like a good fit for you, please complete our VOLUNTEER APPLICATION.
If you are not able to access the online application, please email us at heartsforhorses@ymail.com. (And please add us and this email address to your Contacts to ensure responses go directly into your Inbox.)
Volunteer Orientations
Volunteer Orientations are typically held once a month at the ranch. Orientation invitations are sent to qualified applicants.
Additional Volunteer Opportunities
As a nonprofit, we are always looking for volunteers to help with fundraising, giving ranch tours, media relations, social media, photography, and other administrative capacities.
Alternately, if you can provide more manual labor assistance, we frequently have needs for ranch hands to help with ranch clean-ups, weed whacking, relocating materials, repairs and maintenance. Please let us know your interest, availability and abilities by emailing us at heartsforhorses@ymail.com. (And please add us and this email address to your Contacts to ensure responses go directly into your Inbox.)
We also welcome the opportunity for All-Hands Workdays at the ranch with companies, businesses and organizations. If your company or organization might be interested in a group workday at the ranch, we’d welcome the opportunity to explore how we could best match our needs and projects with your group’s abilities and interests. These can be fulfilling and fun days for your volunteers and so worthwhile in supporting our care for our ranch residents. Please contact us at heartsforhorses@ymail.com. (And please add us and this email address to your Contacts to ensure responses go directly into your Inbox.)