Category: Communities

Coaches and volunteers play a crucial role in delivering the extraordinary benefits of equine therapy at Pegasus Riding for the Disabled. It’s their expertise, support, individualized attention, emotional connection, and community engagement that contribute to the overall success and positive outcomes of our therapy programs.

What this looks like is:

Expertise and Guidance: Coaches bring valuable expertise in horsemanship, riding techniques, and equine-assisted therapy. They provide guidance and instruction to participants, ensuring their safety and helping them improve their riding skills. Coaches are trained to adapt therapy sessions to meet the specific needs of individuals with disabilities, maximizing the therapeutic benefits of the program.

Safety and Support: As we know, equine therapy involves working with horses, sentient animals that can understand and react to their surroundings, and create connections with people. Coaches and volunteers ensure the safety of participants by closely monitoring their interactions with the horses and providing immediate assistance if needed. Their presence instils confidence and a sense of security among participants, enabling them to fully engage in the therapy.

Individualised Attention: Each participant in equine therapy may have unique physical, cognitive, or emotional challenges. Coaches and volunteers provide individualized attention, tailoring the therapy sessions to meet the specific needs and goals of each participant. They observe progress, make necessary adjustments, and offer support throughout the therapy process.

Emotional Connection: Coaches and volunteers build relationships with participants, fostering a sense of trust and rapport. The bond formed between the participants and these supportive individuals, as well as with the horses themselves, can be a powerful source of emotional healing and growth. Coaches and volunteers provide a compassionate and understanding environment, helping participants develop self-confidence and emotional resilience.

Community Engagement: Equine therapy programs like Pegasus rely on volunteers from our local community. These volunteers contribute their time, energy, and skills to support the program’s operations. Their involvement creates a sense of community engagement, raising awareness about disabilities and the benefits of equine therapy. Volunteers also play a vital role in organizing events, fundraising, and promoting the program to a broader audience.

In summary, Coaches and Volunteers are instrumental in delivering the extraordinary benefits of equine therapy at Pegasus Riding for the Disabled, it’s not just our horses that create the magic of Pegasus, it’s a full team effort.

Keen to connect your #SOCIALGOOD VALUES with Pegasus Riding for the Disabled?

Pegasus is first and foremost a community organisation focused on delivering “magical” therapeutic horse experiences to children and adults with disability. It’s our local #socialgood community efforts that help Pegasus provide these empowering experiences to those in need.

Following are some ways in which you too could join Pegasus’s #socialgood community to help continue the Pegasus story now and well into the future:

Volunteer Support: Members of our #socialgood community offer their time and skills as volunteers at Pegasus, by assisting with horse care, stable management, and riding lessons. Volunteers also provide administrative support, fundraising assistance, and help with organising events.

Fundraising Campaigns: Our #socialgood community initiates and participates in fundraising campaigns to support Pegasus. This can include online crowdfunding efforts, social media campaigns, charity events, and partnerships with local businesses. The funds raised are used to improve the facilities, purchase specialised equipment, and support the operational costs of our organisation.

Spread Awareness: Our #socialgood community use their influence and networks to raise awareness about Pegasus Riding for the Disabled. By sharing information about our mission, success stories, and ongoing initiatives, community members help attract more attention, volunteers, and potential donors.

Skill Sharing: Our #socialgood community comprises individuals with diverse skills and expertise. They contribute their professional knowledge by providing training sessions or workshops for Pegasus staff and volunteers. For example, experts in equine therapy or adaptive sports offer their insights and guidance to enhance the quality of services provided by Pegasus.

Collaborations and Partnerships: Our #socialgood community facilitates collaborations and partnerships between Pegasus and other organisations, businesses, or institutions that share similar goals. These collaborations help expand the reach of Pegasus and provide additional resources and support to our organisation.

Advocacy and Policy Support: Community members advocate for inclusive policies and regulations that benefit organisations like Pegasus. They engage in conversations with local authorities, policymakers, and influencers to promote the importance of disability-inclusive recreational activities and therapy pathways and aid in securing necessary resources for Pegasus and similar initiatives.

By leveraging the collective power of our #socialgood community, Pegasus Riding for the Disabled receives increased support, resources, and visibility, ultimately benefiting individuals with disabilities and enabling them to experience the therapeutic and empowering benefits of horse riding and horse love, and its MAGIC.

If you are interested in joining our #socialgood community, contact Matt Watson, CEO – matt.watson@pegasusact.com.au or Jo Kennedy, Fundraising and Event Coordinator – fundraising@pegasusact.com.au or phone (02)6254 9190.

Where would Pegasus be without out Volunteers? This is easy to answer… closed.

This is why our Volunteers are revered and must be recognised for all they do. What our Volunteers do is varied, with each person, role, and task being just as critical as the other, as it all comes together to make the “Magic of Pegasus” happen.

Volunteers are vital to the operation and delivery of Pegasus’ horse-facilitated therapy programs and activities which assist children, youth, and adults with disabilities. On any given week over the school term, and in our school holiday programs, over 100 volunteers give their time to assist in delivering our programs and support our participants emotional, physical social and mental well-being. 

Being a volunteer at Pegasus has lots of personal benefits too. The selfless act of contributing time, effort and talent to our need, cause, and mission can bring meaning and purpose to one’s life, while increasing self-esteem and wellbeing. Volunteering can also relieve stress and alleviate symptoms of depression (ref: healthdirect.gov.au), whilst having a positive impact on our community.

As a Volunteer at Pegasus, you’ll get to:

• Meet new people and make new friends.
• Have fun whilst giving back to the community.
• Learn new skills.
• Give your time when it suits you, as we are flexible with many needs, which allows you to work around your existing commitments.
• Make a difference.

Featured – The Side-walker

During Pegasus lessons the Side-walker plays an integral role for each mounted rider as they are the person responsible for the rider, and they work in a team with the Coach and the Leader. The Side-walker will help the rider to engage with the class and encourage and assist them with participating in class activities as instructed or where needed.

They:

• Greet and escort the rider to and the mounting area.
• Assist the rider to correctly fit their riding helmet.
• Check that the rider is correctly attired for riding.
• Ensure that special equipment is available and correctly fitted to the horse (NB: some riders require special equipment depending on the disability).
• Monitor the rider for fatigue or discomfort (and bring any of these to the Coaches attention).

Other greatly appreciated Volunteer roles are:

• Program Leaders who are responsible for the horses.
• Stable hands who assist with maintaining stables, feeding equipment and yards, who also focus on the health and well-being of Pegasus Ponies.
• Green-thumbs who assist with beautifying gardens and overall farm maintenance.
• Event Volunteers who simply pitch in wherever they can to help make our fundraising drives successful.

Our valued Volunteers come from:

• Corporate groups where companies want their teams to experience the open air and heart-warming ‘feels’ of the horses and our participants, who are focused on skills-based volunteering initiatives where staff can leverage their specialised skills (that will strengthen the infrastructure of Pegasus).
• Virtual environments where Volunteers completes tasks offsite for Pegasus.
• Environmental groups who contribute towards environmental management or conservation of Pegasus Farm; where they can conduct a range of activities such as land monitoring and ecological restoration such as re-vegetation and weed removal.
• Schools and Colleges who endeavour to provide opportunities for students to learn the true meaning of “social goodness” via service-learning programs. Students get to experience meeting new people from all walks of life through group work and they can develop their relational skills in non-school environments.
• The Lions Club Canberra – Belconnen who are our ‘Masters of the BBQ’, and are always there to help at our events, Bunnings BBQs and anywhere else they can pitch in.

If you are interested in volunteering for Pegasus, our volunteer age starts at 14 years. Click on this link https://pegasusact.com.au/volunteering/volunteer-with-us/ and we will be in touch. Or if you, or someone you know, fits the following criteria, we would love to hear from you. www.seek.com.au/job/61854507