Volunteer
Horses are Helped at HOP daily by people just Like YOU
Heart of Phoenix has several facilities from nearly 50 acres located right outside of Huntington, WV to a 20 plus facility that functions as a working lesson and show barn, as well as a foster for HOP, in St. Albans, WV, very near Charleston. Heart of Phoenix knows that your time is important, and our locations are such that access is easy and close to the heart of “West Virginia” and two of her main cities. We do a work days, volunteer orientation, work days and training in St Albans, WV, as well as in Lesage, WV from March through November.
A Volunteer handbook will be available soon. This booklet will provide all the information necessary to become a volunteer.
Your time and talents will be appreciated! Please contact HOP to learn what you can do to join the revolution and change the outlook for horses in Appalachia today.
Want to bring your scout troop, 4H group, coworkers, club or community group to volunteer?Heart of Phoenix would be thrilled to make an appointment for you to do so! To sign up, please email equinerescue@live.com
To join the volunteer newsletter to see what opportunities might be coming up for you, click here
Email Laura, our volunteer coordinator at laura@wvhorserescue.org to get involved!
Volunteers are the key to Heart of Phoenix and our’s success. You can commit as much time as you choose on a regular schedule or an as-needed basis. Some ways that you can help are:
- Capable riders for training and evaluation of the horses
- Grooming Horses, tacking horses for trainers
- Assisting during events with booths
- Cleaning Stalls and assisting with turn out
- Accounting
- Hauling Horses to vet visits and adopters
- Photography, Videography and Graphic design
- Website updates, Horse listings online
- Legal Services, Fundraising Assistance and grant writing
- No experience? We can train you, so all experience levels are welcome.
If you prefer to work in the barn or in administration or just once a year as an event, we can use your help in whatever capacity you can lend your talent and lend a hand.

Benefits of Volunteering and Interning
Volunteers for Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue enjoy some amazing benefits, including:
- The ability to work with many equine professionals in various aspects of the horse industry
- Dedicated riding volunteers are given all expense paid opportunities to learn more at clinics through out the year
- Being immersed in the horse world!
- The ability to make new friends and partnerships in the horse community across multiple states
- For each 25 hours of volunteer time logged, Heart of Phoenix will offer a training session on ground work or riding (based on skill level, as decided by HOP).
- HOP Merchandise discounts for Shirts, License Plates and more
- Heart of Phoenix offers an unmatched opportunity to learn about horses of various ages, breeds and abilities from training, riding, ground work, health, nutrition and barn management. Volunteers are presented with the chance to gain tremendous knowledge that will assist if a person has career ahead in equine training, stable management, animal advocacy, veterinary medicine, as an RVT in the horse world, non profit management and more.
- Heart of Phoenix offers official recommendation letters for our volunteers going into careers or schools that require certain
- Volunteers are able to learn about animal neglect and cruelty laws, work with law enforcement and help direct how our system works to help equines in need across Appalachia.
- Volunteering with Heart of Phoenix will make you a better horsewoman or man.
VOLUNTEERING AT HOP can help you build a better career in your future!
- Gain Valuable Job Experience
- Build a Portfolio.
- Learn New Skills that would be almost impossible outside of the rescue
- Gain Enriching Experiences.
- Your time can be used on your resume
- Gain letters of recommendation from people across the equine spectrum
RECOGNITION
- Volunteers earn service hours for their volunteer time
- A volunteer of the year award is given during our year end Gala
- Volunteers may have an opportunity to participate in our public relations and marketing initiatives.
- Volunteers are recognized on our website, blog and on social media at various times through the year
Forms for volunteers, fosters, adopters and more:
- Reimbursement Form
- Repeat Adopter Information Update Form
- ADOPTION APPLICATION
- ADOPTION REFERENCE FORM
- Adoption VET REFERENCE FORM
- ADOPTION AGREEMENT, Paper form
- Surrender Form
- Transfer Form
- Volunteer Liability Release, print
- Volunteer Liability Release, online
- Transport Form
- Foster Agreement
- Foster Application
- MD Min. Standards of Care
- HOP AA Exhibit 3_Sample Deed
- Adoption Agreement Electronic