Horse Care Volunteer- (Horse Mounted Patrol)

Golden Gate National Recreation Area's Horse Mounted Patrol Volunteer Program is looking for volunteers to help care for their horses. This position requires consistency and hard work in challenging conditions, and there often can be weeks or months when riding is not possible, so the best fit is with someone who is capable and enjoys the feeding, mucking, grooming and horse care as much as riding. This is a rustic environment, and prior horse handling experience is necessary to ensure safety of the horses, volunteers, and infrastructure. We do not provide basic equine skills training.   

Volunteers assist park visitors by explaining park rules, offer medical aid and act as the eyes and ears for the Law Enforcement Park Rangers. While out on patrol volunteers represent the NPS; carrying radios and wearing a prescribed Park Service uniform. Volunteers are proud ambassadors of the National Park Service.  

Volunteers are responsible for the feeding and care of up to four horses, maintaining two shifts a day, 365 days a year. Mandatory shift chores include feeding, mucking, grooming, cleaning tack, moving hay, picking hooves, and maintaining the barn and pastures.  Each shift is covered by two volunteers. Morning shifts are generally completed between the hours of 8-10am and afternoon shifts between 4-6pm. Volunteers must be able to commit to the same shift every week. After completing a probationary period, volunteers may be checked out to ride horses on patrol which usually adds two to three hours to a shift for a total of 3-6 hours per week.

A minimum commitment of one two-hour shift a week is required to support continuity of care and handling of the horses. Please note: volunteers must commit to the same shift each week; we do not accommodate seasonal, part-time or other modified shift arrangements. Volunteers are responsible for ensuring their own reliable transportation to and from the park. Please note that transportation reliant on Wi-Fi and cell service is not compliant due to unreliable cell and Wi-Fi service in the area.  

We're currently in the process of filling positions but may have additional opportunities in the future. We strongly encourage enthusiastic volunteers to apply to join our team to have your name added to our waitlist. Thank you for interest, your help would make a huge difference!