Our Volunteers
				Most of the people who volunteer at Spot O' Heaven are not experienced with horses.Those who are experienced are used as instructors and as leaders.  It's the leaders job to lead and to watch the horse and anticipate how the animal may react to changing situations during lessons.  A flick of the ear, a toss of the head, the switch of the tail may indicate irritation; is the cinch too tight?  is a fly biting?  It's the leader's job to analyze these signals and make a quick decision to keep the horse calm and comfortable.  The instructor backs them up by watching the overall scene from a distance.  Perhaps the rider is pulling too hard on the bit?  Are the rider's heels digging into the horse's sides giving the horse a mixed signal, 'go' from the rider and 'walk' from the leader?  And, of course, the instructor teaches the basics of good horsemanship to the riders. The sidewalkers are the volunteers who are not experienced with horses.  Their job is to watch the rider and to keep them safe. Riders wear SEI / ASTM certified helmets, smooth soled boots or shoes, and a gate belt.  Sidewalkers may talk to the riders, but do not distract from the lessons.  Together everyone works as a team, keeping the lessons safe and fun. Below are some photos taken during actual lessons at Spot O' Heaven...
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