Winter Session

January 9 - March 4

Below you will see a brief snapshot of how volunteer scheduling is going for the Winter Session. Our Winter Sessions are always a little bit different- our class sizes are varied, with some having as little as two students, and some having all six spots filled! That means that volunteer needs are varied as well. We have many classes in which we have EXTRA volunteers, and a few where we still need help. If you happened to sign up for a class that we have extra volunteers, it would be appreciated if you could change your schedule to a class where we still need volunteers. If you can't remember what you signed up for, let me know and I can clarify. I will send attendance out later this week.

CLASSES WITH EXTRA VOLUNTEERS (please switch if you can!):

Monday 5:45 (5 extra volunteers)

Monday 7:00 (2 extra volunteers)

Tuesday 10:45 (5 extra volunteers)

Tuesday 5:45 (6 extra volunteers)

Thursday 5:45 (5 extra volunteers)

Thursday 7:00 (4 extra volunteers)

CLASSES WE STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS:

Monday 9:30 (2 more volunteers needed)

Monday 4:30 (4 more volunteers needed)

Tuesday 4:30 (3 more volunteers needed)

Wednesday 4:30 (2 more volunteers needed)

Thursday 10:45 (6 more volunteers needed)

Saturday Morning (lots of volunteers needed in all three classes!)

The link below shows the classes we still need help in and how many volunteers we still need. I will continue updating that as people sign up. *This is NOT the full schedule! This is JUST the classes we still need help in!* If you can alter your schedule or simply help in one of these classes, click the link below to sign up. THANK YOU!!

UPDATED Winter Session Volunteer Sign Up

Welcome New Volunteers!

Let's give a big "hay" to our new SMILES volunteers joining us for the Winter Session!

Shannon Struck

Kathleen Maxwell

Jen Weigel

Melinda Ludlum

Teri Schott

 Sue Patten

Rachel Nolte

Winter Weather at SMILES

Winter weather can be unpredictable at times in Wisconsin! We do our best to keep programming happening, but will cancel during times it may be unsafe to travel or when the temperatures may be too cold for volunteers in the barn. Always assume we will be having class unless you get a phone/text/email or see a social media post that we are cancelling classes. If we decide to cancel, we will contact you as soon as possible to let you know.

Here is a link to the SMILES Facebook. We will post there first, and then will begin to contact volunteers.

Have you submitted your update form?

Make sure you do this soon, as it is required to continue volunteering at SMILES! This only takes a few minutes and is very easy to complete. Once you click the link below, you will see the form in it's entirety. Thank you in advance for taking care of this as quickly as you can!

2023 Volunteer Update Form

What a fun night to thank YOU!!

When I think about the 2022 volunteer party, all I can think of is WOW, it was a lot of fun!! We started out the evening on the Santa Cruise and we heard a special message from the big man himself! Santa thanked our therapy horses for all they do and put the spotlight on some very special volunteers who made it on the nice list this year. Then, we enjoyed drinks and appetizers, and spent time getting to know our fellow volunteers better through our awards program. We are so glad so many of you took the time to attend this fun evening!

Click HERE to see some of the great pictures we took! If you have any pictures from the evening that you'd like to send to us to add to this link, please email volunteer@smilestherapeuticriding.org and we will get them added!

Volunteer Appreciation Video

Click the link below for your own special viewing of the 2022 Volunteer Appreciation Video! This video was debuted at the holiday party, but we wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to see it. Sooooo many wonderful things happened in 2022, and they only happened because our volunteers were here to help us! Thank you!!

2022 Volunteer Appreciation Video

Update on training videos!

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who has watched my training videos over the last couple of years. I have received many compliments, and I'm so happy these videos are helpful to you! Now that I know how to create/edit videos better, I will be redoing some of our early videos, so stay tuned for that in 2023.

Second, I would love to hear from you if you have new ideas for training videos! If you have any ideas, please click the link below and share them with me. If you are unsure of what we may have already done, please head to our YouTube channel and take a look. Thank you for your ideas for new training content!

Click HERE to share your training video ideas!

Virtual Tack Sale

Friday, March 17 - Monday, March 20

We are looking for tack donations. Spread the word and let's see how much tack we can gather for this annual fundraiser!

John Bradley!

How did you become involved with SMILES and how long have you been volunteering?

I started becoming interested in horse therapy when I met someone from Bravehearts in Harvard. One of my friends had used his horses to work with his stepson with cerebral palsy with great results, so when I found out about SMILES, I signed up for the Summer Session in 2019. I am now in my 4th year with SMILES.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a small town in northern New Jersey where the only horse owners were pretty wealthy, so my riding was confined to trail rides and vacations.

Who is your favorite horse at SMILES and why?

Although this is a hard choice, I would still say Faith with honorable mention to Holly and Sport.

Do you have a favorite SMILES event? If you are new, which event are you most interested in attending?

The Superstar Student Horse Show from this year!

What would you say to someone who is interested in volunteering at SMILES?

SMILES is a great opportunity to work with great instructors, knowledgeable volunteers, and quality horses in a program that enriches many lives.

Is there anything else you'd like your fellow volunteers to know?

I only wish I had chosen an equine career when I was young!

Happy Birthday!!

Norma Jann, January 2

Dennis Dutton, January 3

Sheila Gronau, January 3

Beth Baroni, January 6

Barb Anderson, January 7

Emily Willert, January 7

Dawn Willert, January 8

April Southwick, January 11

Judy Atkinson, January 15

Bonnie Hoover, January 15

Karen Schmidt, January 22

Heather Bluemel, January 28

Kayla Hawkins, January 29

Lisa Kalish, January 31