Volunteer, How You Can Help

Volunteers are the heartbeat of Barnabas. Whether it’s grooming horses, mucking stalls, assisting with equine assisted therapy, coaching, and learning sessions, fundraising, or helping at an event, we have a place for you! No experience? No problem! We will help you learn everything you need to know.

Here are ways you can be involved:

Horse Feeding and Care

this includes feeding, grooming, bathing, holding horses for the farrier, etc.

Farm Chores

this includes mucking stalls, mowing, weed eating, cleaning water troughs, dragging the pastures, keeping the barn clean and fences in good repair, etc.

Fundraising

Feeding twenty-fo therapy horses is not cheap! You can help by promoting events, acquiring silent auction items, join the crafting committee, and selling T-shirts, squeeze horses, and horseshoe art. You can also have your own peer-to-peer fundraising campaign on social media with the proceeds being donated to Barnabas. Every little bit counts!

Events

We have several FUN events throughout the year. Do you like to share your passion for all things Barnabas? There are so many opportunities! Join the team in May for Wine and Equine, a wine tasting fundraiser. Are you a more of a “behind the scenes” type of person? Give us a hand with the annual virtual pony swim! Do you like to get all dressed up? Lend a hand with the Black Tie Optional Bingo Gala in October. In December, sign up for Hot Chocolate and Horses, held at the beautiful Barnabas farm and help welcome our 600+ community members that come to meet the therapy horses, get FREE photos with Santa in an antique sleigh, and enjoy delicious hot chocolate and homemade cookies. Do you like to talk? Sign-up for a two-hour time slot at the Home Builders’ Show, Blessing of the Inlet, victim advocacy conferences, etc. Do you like to serve? Decorate? Sign up for the one or more of the following teams: Wine and Equine, Seen Through Horses campaign, virtual Pony Swim, Black Tie Optional Bingo Gala, and/or Hot Chocolate and Horses.

Whether you have two hours available once a month, once a week, or every day, we could use the help. It takes a village to keep the barn doors open!

Volunteers must be sixteen years of age or older and undergo a background check. To get started, email Volunteers@BarnabasHorse.org or SueM@BarnabasHorse.org.

A Few Words From Our Volunteers

Jenn M. (Volunteer)

Volunteering at Barnabas is an honor because I believe the work they do is so important to the community. The herd at Barnabas (both human and horse) are the sweetest souls and always a pleasure to be around.

Jenn M. (Volunteer)

Kristi M. (Volunteer)

“I found Barnabas at the end of 2021 when Sue McKinney and Barnabas Horse Foundation was given the First Fruits Award at my church (which also turned out to be Sue’s Church), LC3. Sue got up and spoke a bit about Barnabas and I decided right then and there that I was going home and find their website and see if they accept volunteers. I signed up right away even though I didn’t really know anything about horses except that I love them and I’m also not afraid of hard work! In the back of my mind I thought I was going to be helping them – little did I know that it was going to be the other way around – Barnabas ended up helping me, pretty much saved me. Barnabas has been the biggest blessing in my life – I love coming here and my favorite thing other than hanging out with the horses is actually mucking out stalls – there is something about cleaning up horse poop that chills me out. People say that Disney is the happiest place on earth – no way – Barnabas is the happiest place on earth!!!”

Kristi M.

Andrea L. (Volunteer)

Since moving to SC, I’d been looking for a volunteer opportunity that was beneficial for the recipients while at the same time not being emotionally draining for myself, having spent the last two decades volunteering with addiction groups. When I discovered Barnabas, my prayers were answered. I knew nothing about horse care, I just knew that being around these animals made me feel at peace. I have learned a great deal over the past 7 months and am thrilled that I get to help others; people I will most likely never meet, but that wouldn’t be able to get the care they need if I didn’t do my part behind the scenes.

Andrea L. (Volunteer)

Bonnie F. (Volunteer)

I first wanted to volunteer to be around horses again. I grew up with horses and have not had the opportunity to care for them or just be around the smells and the deep feeling of peace when I am around them. I am also a first responder and a victim of violent crime. I understood how horse therapy could be so successful. I wish I had more time to spend helping this foundation. These strong women that run the foundation are an inspiration and want me to just do better, be better, and help this community at the most basic level. This is a great resource for the mental health community.

Bonnie F. (Volunteer)

Joann P. (Volunteer)

My experience volunteering at Barnabas Horse Foundation is educational and a privilege. The staff is the hardest working team. They work tirelessly with the sessions they have, caring for each horse and its needs, teaching all the volunteers, and all the administrative duties that go along with Barnabas. Each shift I work I feel myself understanding my relationship with each horse, which changes from shift to shift at times. I’m opening up to the energy work done here as well. The volunteers all help each other as well as the staff and horses. The nurturing atmosphere welcomes all. I’m privileged and blessed to be working with all who step onto the property.

Joann P. (Volunteer)

Sharen J (Volunteer)

I know horses, like other animals, can sense our emotions and are intuitive to what we’re going through. This is why I love supporting Barnabas Horse Foundation for what they do. Volunteering to help take care of their horses’ basic needs, frees the staff’s energy to focus on using their natural horsemanship skills in the horse-human bond to help heal others. I’ve seen it and truly appreciate the opportunity to support and be a part of the Barnabas Horse Foundations’ “volunteer family,”

Sharen J (Volunteer)

Michele G (Volunteer)

The staff at Barnabas put their heart and soul into building a trusting and mutual relationship with the horses that aid their clients in their trauma journey. Because of this focus on relationship building, I’ve personally watched the coordination amongst equine professional, therapist, client, and horse transform and reshape how trauma is understood and managed, so their life experiences are no longer overwhelming. Barnabas is truly a safe space to work through difficult life events.

Michele G (Volunteer)

Joanne (Volunteer)

I love my time as a volunteer at Barnabas because I have formed wonderful relationships with both people and horses. I believe fully in what Barnabas stands for and that’s why I choose to give my time freely here.

Joanne (Volunteer)

Melissa (Volunteer)

I was fascinated with the idea of equine therapy and decided Barnabas was the perfect place to volunteer. Now, it’s the highlight of my week. Time slows down when I step into the barn and gives me a sense of peace and relaxation. Working with the horses is hard and messy but I find it one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Melissa (Volunteer)

Dave (Volunteer)

To me, it is rewarding to give my time to feed & take care of the animals at Barnabas Horse Foundation, and ask for nothing in return, A simple “Thank You”, at the end of my shift, means a world of appreciation, and as a Veteran the work they do for us can’t be put into words.

Having learned of their mission, and each horse’s life story, has been an experience and an honor to be a part of it.

Dave (Volunteer)