Working riding 'holidays'?

Q

QueenDee_

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Just wondering if anyone has done one of these? ie, going abroad and working at something like a trekking center(or somewhere else) in return for free stay?

If so how did you go about finding the place and how was your experience?#

Planning on trying to do this over the summer next year as ill have my drivers licence then which most places are keen for you to have..also do most places require minimum age of 18 for insurance or are there any lower?

Thanks in advance!
OH and pictures welcome of where you went:D
 
Hi, I went just for a week earlier this year to a place called La Fiaba in Tuscany. It was really lovely. Stayed with the people who ran the trekking centre for free in exchange for help with the horses, riding and mucking out etc. Sharon who runs it comes on here quite a bit, think user name is la fiaba. May be worth messaging her. I am hoping to go back later this year too.
 
I went to La Fiaba in italy last summer (and will be returning there this summer!) if you search la fiaba riding it should come up, otherwise, message Scrooge on here.

It was amazing! I didn't need a driver's license though as the yard was within walking distance.

I don't know if there was a minimum age, however in peak season (aka the summer) there was a minimum time period to stay for.

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If you want more info, feel free to message me!!
 
I did 3 months at a trekking centre in new Zealand, just jumped on a flight over there (with visa obviously) and just called around and got lucky! Stunning place, wonderful horses, but the hardest work I've ever done...and that's saying something! I've also done 8 months as an event and SJ groom in NZ, 3 months as a show groom in California, 8months as a show groom in Canada and a month with mark todds racehorses in NZ. In all cases I was just really lucky! Called up, got in house accommodation except in Canada, and a wage on top.
 
theres a place on Magnetic Island in Queensland Australia where you can do this, the trecks go down the beach and you go in swimming with the horses in the sea. sometimes with dolphins....
 
I went to Andalucia for a month here - http://www.fantasiaadventureholidays.com/jobs1.htm

Fantastic and would do it again in a heartbeat (and probably need to, to get back my confidence - nothing like cantering down a hill the equivilent of hickstead bank :D)

Professional pic fromt he stay - I was the only one that kept my hat on :o Everyone else had floaty, arty hatless ones, but I knew law of the sod would mean I'd hit the beach :D

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Nugget La Poneh said:
I went to Andalucia for a month here - http://www.fantasiaadventureholidays.com/jobs1.htm

Fantastic and would do it again in a heartbeat (and probably need to, to get back my confidence - nothing like cantering down a hill the equivilent of hickstead bank :D)

Professional pic fromt he stay - I was the only one that kept my hat on :o Everyone else had floaty, arty hatless ones, but I knew law of the sod would mean I'd hit the beach :D
Click to expand...

Beautiful photo! Was this a work in return for free accommodation arrangement? If so how did you go about arranging it?:D
 
Elena said:
Beautiful photo! Was this a work in return for free accommodation arrangement? If so how did you go about arranging it?:D
Click to expand...

Was looking around for a riding holiday and stumbled across it :D You paid for one week and your flights and you basically got 3 free weeks! MY accomodation and food was all provided and had access to a car and mobile phone (but I think that was more because the other working holiday girl didn't cope with the owners, horses or heat :D)

It was blisteringly hot and I didn't even go in the height of summer! One week it was over 40'c :eek:
 
White Stallion Ranch in Arizona. you ride western style and its just brilliant. Very very hot in the peak of the summer though mind you. Not sure on their regulations but I imagine you have to be o18, no driving licence necessary though I don't think.
 
Last year in my university holiday I spent 6 weeks on a ranch in Alberta, Canada that does summer camps for teenage girls, called Wildhorse Mountain Ranch. I found it on the Workaway website then googled them to find their email and get in touch without signing up!
Had to pay for my own flights and didn't get any pocket money but food and board was all included.
It was hard work but a wonderful experience! Canada's not exactly Cambodia or something, but it was so interesting to be immersed in a different culture. The best bit was living with the horses and I learnt so much from my hosts about managing a herd and applying natural horsemanship principles... the worst bit was being so far away from everyone I knew, but then that was a part of it really!
I would say just be open minded. And don't go to a place that does holiday camps if you don't like children!!

Also riding in the Rockies was AMAZING
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You can try emailing agencies offering riding holidays. I work for one and we occasionally get someone email us looking for a place to work and we can then pass their info on to places that are suitable or might have vacancies. It can be quite competitive though. :-)
 
Another one who went to La Fiaba and loved it :D Saw the ad on the blog, went for it and didn't look back, would love to go again :D
 
lol a lot more exciting and exotic than the trekking place i worked at in sunny somerset! I'd been going there as a customer for a while and helped out for 2 weeks when i was 16 before i started college. Went back just to do the summer period when i was 17 but didn't go home at the end of it:eek: parents not best pleased!! Stayed there until the end of the next summer and then went to a local agri college:) it was hard work in the summer and my working day for those 6 weeks was from when i got up in the morning until i fell into bed that night 7 days a week, generally riding for about 7 hours a day in any weather. don't regret a minute of it though;):D
 
Sounds brilliant, I'd love to do something like any of the above! :D
I am spending the summer working at a polo and racing yard though, so I guess I could be worse off! I'll definately be bearing something like this in mind for something to do in uni holidays though :)
 
I worked on an Endurance yard in New Zealand for 5 months. It's worth looking at the jobs on Yard and Groom website :) That's how I found my job
 
All set to go to La Fiaba in 3 weeks :P glad it's getting good reviews.

I also spent 3 months in Spain found on yard and groom but that was technically more of a working pupil position, suits students with long holidays which I no longer have :(
 
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