Why I Volunteer

As many friends and followers will know I volunteer for the Retraining of Racehorses. I was very flattered to be asked to be a coordinator for the East Region with my wonderful friend Chantal and feel we make a great team. I also volunteer on the supporters committee of a local Drag Hound Pack

I think first and foremost is that I have the time to give up; I know a lot of people who have kids, work long hours, have a whole herd of horses/dogs/livestock etc so I know where are a variety of reasons why people don't volunteer but I do implore you to give some of your time to a charity if you can. Now that doesn't mean to say that it has to be an equine charity but can be anything you feel strongly about, whether that be a medical charity, an animal charity or any other mission you feel you want to help! Why not do something as a family and make it an activity? Giving something back to the world/your community/something you feel passionately about is very good for the brain and your sense of self worth; it certainly helped me a lot with my mental health and giving me a self boost to not overthink, I had a real reason to use my free time instead of binge watching TV and being alone..

Why I recommend helping moves me on to my next point..

It's extremely rewarding knowing your helping other people. We live in a world that is really quite depressing at times and on the news it's constantly showing negative things in this world and that can be really depressing with all that negativity around and find personally it made me see life and the world very negatively so when I became a coordinator I found a lot of happiness from organising things for others and seeing the progression with their horses! It's something I feel passionately about so with my own mental health issues it gave me a sense of purpose and internally rewarding.

Another great thing is you get to meet new people! a couple of weeks ago I got the opportunity to visit the Cheltenham Festival with the ROR and watch the parade and man the ROR van. This involved speaking to members of the public about the Retraining of Racehorses charity and give them more information on resources, lessons, education and all that fun stuff. I also got to meet other regional coordinators and riders and owners who've retrained ex racehorses for a new career. I made new friends and got to hear about how proud they were of their horses! Good for networking but also good for learning and sharing knowledge. 

As many of you know I don't have my own horse, I've mentioned before that I work full time, I live alone and pay my own mortgage and all my bills and I just simply cannot afford a horse. It sucks, it really does, as I struggle on missing out on a lot of activities that I'd love to be able to do. With that said I am still able to attend these events to help others with their horses but see them having so much fun.

But not only that but by being a coordinator I am able to keep up my knowledge on new training techniques, ways of helping retrain your horses and all that other good stuff. I can improve my horsemanship without actually owning my own horse! Plus of all my years on the ground helping I've picked up knowledge that I can share with others and in turn answer their questions and help them which I've loved doing!

I am able to put on clinics with some of the regions best instructors! For local riders who come to these lessons it helps them improve and learn new techniques to help their horses and themselves to do better in the future. What better and more fulfilling way to empower people and lift each other up. So many people find competition brings out the negative bitchiness in themselves (I'd be the first to admit that in the past I've thought not very nice things about people who I was competing against) and be mean, bitchy and nasty to other competitors and that's not nice. Showing especially has a very bad reputation for the nastiness so when I volunteer I feel it lifts me up and helps me feel proud of other people for their achievements. Be nice to each other! Don't listen to others not nice remarks, you never know, you might be missing out on a wonderful friendship!! (Something I know first hand about)

Karma; something that others may not feel is real but it's something I like to believe and I think that often times what you put into this world can determine what you get back from it. At some parts of my life I've been very selfish and very me orientated (due to mental health) and that isn't fulfilling at all. It isn't always instant and can take some time but good things happen to those who do good.

There are just a few reasons why I volunteer for a charity, why not think about doing something like this yourself? I knowBritish Eventing love volunteers, and unaffiliated events to, so if you fence judge for example you have a great view of the event! Plus they'd be ever so grateful and you never know who you might meet. 

Do good things and good things will happen to you

Sophie x