Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy

Want to Make a Difference?
Become a SMART Volunteer!

Volunteers are the heart and soul of SMART. Everyone works together at SMART to form a vital team that is essential to the success of our program. Being a mostly Volunteer organization, our need for Volunteers is always great.

Whether your experience with horses is lifelong or nonexistent, your willingness to give of yourself and your time is what we need! There are many areas of volunteer opportunities here at SMART; our volunteers help with leading horses and assisting students in classes, as well as with horse care, facility and grounds maintenance, fundraising and administrative work. We will be happy to work with you to find the area where you will feel most comfortable and that will be the most rewarding to you.

At SMART, we want everyone involved in the program to feel comfortable and safe. The safety of our Riders, Volunteers, Horses and Staff is of the utmost importance to us. To that end, all Volunteers are required to attend our Volunteer Training. We offer these trainings on the first Saturday of every month from Sept. through June. A one-on-one Volunteer Training session can also be scheduled by appointment.

We invite you to come out to be a part of our SMART Volunteer Team. Not only will you get to spend time with some great people and wonderful horses---you will get to witness the joyous smiles and hear the peals of laughter that come from our SMART Riders as they ride toward a life of inclusion and respect!

Click here to download a Volunteer Application.

Volunteer of the Year - Ron Turner

When it comes to dedication, commitment, and a love for SMART---Ron Turner is the Volunteer we all look up to for those qualities. Ron has volunteered at SMART for over a year and a half now. He is a man of many talents who helps out with the lessons and events, helps out with the horses and barn chores, drags our arena, mows and / or drags our paddocks, repairs fencing, stalls, hitching posts, and has made the most beautiful saddle racks in the world for our English saddles. Ron has taken a special interest in getting the footing in our arena more “walkable”, and he spends many hours on the tractor each week (all year around) going around and around. He is also known for carrying on long, lengthy, animated conversations with all of our horses----especially Ricky! And according to him, they all carry on long, lengthy, animated conversations back!

Ron, what a difference you have made in our program---in SO many ways. We really can’t thank you enough for all the countless hours you have spent out at SMART—for your incredible talents you have shared to make our program better, and for the boundless care and love you have shown to all of us at SMART. Thank you!!

 

The SMART Sailors took home first place in the Bottle Boat Regatta on April 19th 2008!

The Smart Sailors were able to raise $640.00 dollars for SMART for winning first place in the 2008 Desoto Heritage Bottle Boat Regatta! The name of the “SMART Sailors” is because we chose to adopt Sailor. The SMART Sailors Bottle Boat Regatta Team is made up of Captain Charlie Brunson, Co-Captain Emily Coffey, Alley Hahn, Hannah Bogart, and Dylan and Rachael Lamb. Charles Brunson and Reid Coffey built our prize wining boat. And none of this would have been possible without our Sponsors, Café On The Beach, Cannons Marine of Longboat Key, General Propeller, The Home Depot and Key Inspection Services Inc.

 

Boy Scout Troop # 14

Boy Scout Troop # 14 of St. James United Methodist Church has been a great help to SMART lately. Kim Seery. Jonathan, Tyler, & Tatum were wonderful volunteers at our March horse show....and then some of the other scouts come out to paint our Tack Trailer over Spring break. Thanks guys!! Our tack trailer looks SOOO much better!

Thank you Craig & Joan Hazelett for donating the 6 gallons of Paint with brushes and rollers, too!!

 

Redeemer Lutheran Painting Volunteers

We were lucky to have a group from Redeemer Lutheran, Cross+Generational Ministries volunteer to come out to do some painting for us. They gave our Equitation arena a spiffy new look---as well as our hitching posts and mounting block. They had so much fun volunteering, they plan to come back and paint some more! We love our new look! Thank you---you wonderful, wonderful Volunteers!!

From left to right First Row: Sheri, Andrew, Elena, Dylan, Valerie
Second Row: Samantha, Trevor, Nichole, Jessica
Third Row: Catherine, Maryland, Dick, Sarah, Meghan, Heidi, Leslie, Sean, Bill