Volunteers Lead The Way at Organization

Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship has an efficient operational model. It uses mostly volunteers to accomplish its work of teaching children with disabilities how to ride horses in Chatsworth and Newbury Park. About 130 volunteers donate their time weekly to the organization to assist the 16-member staff with ground maintenance, horse care, lesson assistance and fundraising efforts, said Bryan McQueeney, the organization’s executive director. “Maybe 80 percent of the work that gets done here is by volunteers on a daily basis,” said McQueeney said. “We actually have some of the best kids in the Valley come out and volunteer. It’s a great way to learn about horses, and it’s a great way to give back.” McQueeney said 18 volunteers are needed to provide six disabled riders a safe lesson. Linda Goodwin, whose 14-year-old son has been attending the organization’s Newbury Park ranch for about four years, said she has seen the positive effects of Ride On firsthand. “It’s one of the few places where he really seems comfortable socially,” Goodwin said of her son. “Life really blooms when he’s over there. He feels comfortable, and he knows what he’s doing. He’s got a lot of self-esteem around there.” The organization also offers accreditation workshops for individuals seeking to become certified in therapeutic riding and hippotherapy, which is therapy and rehabilitation using the movement of horses. The individuals receive accreditation from the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA). Ride On also manages CALNET, which runs the State Championship Horse Show for Riders with Disabilities. It even serves as one of the primary stops for a cross-country bicycling event organized by Push America’s fundraiser, Journey of Hope. Ride On’s greatest achievement in 2009 was purchasing a new ranch in Chatsworth, moving from another ranch nearby that the organization was renting, McQueeney said. “We’re a good example of a small nonprofit that took on a big project and succeeded in one of the toughest economies in American history,” he said.