Volunteering is a great way for new riders to learn and experienced ones to give back to the sport we all love. Volunteers are the backbone of the sport, and ride managers can never have too many willing hands helping out on ride day. If you would like to volunteer but aren’t exactly sure what’s involved, reach out to ride management or review some of the volunteer roles described below.
Timers
There are several different types of timers; however, not all rides include a separate position for every timer role, and some rides require more than one timer per role when there are control checks away from ride camp.
- Arrival/Departure Timers
Arrival and departure timers are quite often simply two different hats worn by the same volunteer. However, if additional experienced volunteers are available, it can sometimes make sense to split the roles between them.
- Arrival Timer
The arrival timer records the arrival time of each rider on a master sheet at the same time that pulsers record the time on the rider’s vet card. - Departure Timer
The departure timer is responsible for releasing riders at their recorded departure time for departure. It is the responsibility of this timer to verify that no rider leaves before their hold time is up.
- Arrival Timer
- Finish Line Timers
The finish line timer is responsible for accurately recording the finish time for every rider and to make a judgement call in the case of a close race or tie. The finish time of each rider is recorded on a master sheet along with the horse/rider number. The total ride time is calculated by subtracting the hold times from the total elapsed time since the start time of the ride. It is important to note that there are different rules for finish times depending on the distance ridden, with limited distance riders required to achieve pulse criteria before there finish time is recorded.
Pulsers
Pulsers are critical to the smooth flow of a veterinary control check. Equipped with a stethoscope, they take and record a horse’s pulse once they have entered the control check pulse area. The pulser is responsible for ensuring that the horse has met the specified pulse criterion before recording the pulse measurement on the rider’s vet card. The horse’s hold time is based upon the time it reaches that criterion, before the horse proceeds to the control judge for examination. Pulsing is a great way to learn the ins and outs of a vet check but does require some skill. If you interested in volunteering, rides always need more pulsers, and we are happy to help you learn! Please check out the following videos on how to take a heart rate with a stethoscope.
Vet Scribes
Vet scribes are responsible for recording information on a rider’s vet card at the direction of the control judge (veterinarian) any time the horse is examined, including at the pre- and post-ride checks. This role is a particularly educational one, and many riders seek this opportunity to learn more about endurance horse metabolic and mechanical examinations.
Ride Secretary
The ride secretary is responsible for taking and recording entries, assigning rider numbers, handing out rider packets, and taking payments. This person also maintains the master list of entries, completion times, and veterinary pulls. Ideally, the ride secretary is available both on ride day and the day prior in order to avoid confusion during role changes.
Caja del Rio Endurance Ride 