Pinetrees Riding centre in Almancil, in Portugal's Algarve, is looking for volunteers to help run its weekly pony-assisted therapy sessions for disabled children and adults, which restart on Friday October 2.
The setup is straightforward but the impact is real. Each Friday, volunteers arrive at 10am to groom, prepare and warm up the ponies before a short briefing. The morning then splits into two parts: a 30-minute group session for adults with cerebral palsy, and individual 20-minute therapy slots for up to eight young children, run by a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist working with two ponies.
No horse experience is essential. Volunteers who can ride or handle horses may lead a pony; everyone else walks alongside the rider, offering support and a steadying hand. The main requirement is simply being comfortable on your feet for the morning.
Why ponies? The animal's movement is the therapy. The rhythm of walking engages muscles and balance in ways that are hard to replicate with equipment, supporting rehabilitation and physical development. Just as valuable, the sessions get children out of the classroom and into fresh air, doing something they genuinely enjoy. For many of the riders, Friday mornings with the ponies are the highlight of their week.
Money isn't the problem here. The project is backed by the Helping Hands group in São Brás, which provides generous funding. What it can't buy is people. Without enough volunteers each week, sessions simply can't run, which is why the centre is putting out the call ahead of the October restart.
For travellers and longer-stay visitors in the central Algarve, this is a genuinely easy way to give something back. If you're based near Almancil, Loulé or Faro for the season, a Friday morning is a small commitment with an outsized payoff — the organisers point to the beaming faces of riders arriving each week as reward enough. It's also a nice fit for anyone interested in equine therapy, special-needs education or physiotherapy who wants hands-on exposure.
To sign up, contact coordinator Sue on 918 831 551 via WhatsApp. Even if you can only commit occasionally, it's worth asking — centres like this usually welcome flexible helpers.
