More Hearts, More Heroes: August Volunteer Spotlights

Volunteers truly are the heartbeat of AAE. Whether you’re mucking stalls, helping at events, cleaning tack at the store, or anything in between, your time and dedication make AAE’s mission move forward.

This series is our way of honoring the people behind the scenes—those who show up and make life better for every horse in our care. Whether you’re reading about a familiar face or learning someone’s story for the first time, we hope you feel connected, inspired, and proud to be part of this incredible community.

Meet Bob!

AAE Volunteer for 10.5 years!

My regular jobs are making feed, distributing feed, and mucking stalls. I participate in fundraising and volunteer at special events. I may also repair a hose, gate, or float.

What do you love about AAE and/or volunteering at AAE?

It’s very rewarding to see horses come in that are distressed or neglected and see them be rehabilitated until they are healthy enough to be adopted. Putting my hands on horses is what gives me the most pleasure. I enjoy working on building relationships with different horses and learning their different personalities. Working with my regular Monday crew of volunteers is fun as we are a well-balanced team that knows our different responsibilities each day and undertake them with great enthusiasm and care for the horses.

Who is your favorite AAE horse and why?

I have had so many favorite horses over the years, some which were adopted and sadly, some that have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. Early on, some of my favorites were Magic, Angus (pictured above), Gabby, and, of course, Barney. Now I am very fond of Ballerini since I was the first volunteer to see her after her birth on Tuesday, 2-22-22. I wanted to name her “Two’s Day”. It has been rewarding to watch her grow and turn into the Big Beautiful horse she is today.

We’re always looking for more helping hands and kind hearts. If you’ve been thinking about getting involved, now’s a great time to join us.

Learn more about becoming an AAE volunteer below and help us change lives, one horse at a time.

We are currently looking for volunteers to help in the following ways:

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

·     Social Media + Website. If you have experience with Facebook, Instagram, and/or Weebly, we need your help promoting adoptable horses, recruiting volunteers, spreading the word about AAE, the stor, and happenings around the ranch. If you are willing to learn, and have weekly availability, please share your interest here.

·     2026 Boots and Bling Planning Team. Let’s make the next Boot & Bling a big success for the horses. We’re looking for support in all areas of the event, including the auctions, dinner, decor, set-up, break-down, and more. Interested? Share more about how you would like to volunteer here.

·     Like what you see? We would love to find a volunteer who enjoys shining the spotlight on our amazing volunteers to coordinate our monthly volunteer spotlights. If you’re interested, reply to this email to let us know!

·     Daily Horse Care/Barn and AAE Used Tack Store volunteers, always

·     Used Tack Store Support (e.g. tack cleaning, customer service, sales, donation drives, etc.)

·     Many more volunteer needs can be found here.

SPECIAL FACILITY PROJECTS

·     Apply wood preservative to the round pen boards,

·     Organize our tools and equipment,

·     Paint shelters,

·     More special projects here.