Horse Rehabilitation
Location: Eastern Cape
Start dates: Flexible, any date throughout the year
Duration: 1 – 12 weeks
Cost: From £599 / $945 - see pricing table below
How will I make a difference?
By volunteering with us, you will be helping to care for and giving some much needed TLC to horses that have suffered abuse and neglect in the past. Your time with the horses will be improving their quality of life.
With over 40 horses to care for, volunteers’ hard work really helps to lessen the load and consequently, their help is invaluable. Your fee is also an important source of funding for the project, so that they can continue to rescue horses in need.
Volunteers who are staying for at least 4 weeks and who have sufficient experience will also be given the opportunity to dedicate some of their time to working with a young, inexperienced horse which provides the chance to make vast improvements. Volunteers who are staying for less than 4 weeks will not have enough time to do that; however there are still lots of interesting projects and horses waiting for you!
Horse volunteering in South Africa: What will I be doing?
Volunteers normally work 5 days per week from around 7am to 5pm. Although each day varies, the routine is based on:
7am: Morning duties include food preparation and feeding of the rehabilitation horses, checking water and the physical condition of the horses. Volunteers then choose between riding on a beach trail and assisting with the preparations for that, or working in the rehabilitation centre with assigned horses. This work could include dipping, grooming or working with individually allocated horses.
2pm-3.30pm: Grooming and attending to the rehabilitation horses.
3.30pm-5pm: Food preparation and feeding of all horses on the farm and at the beach. Checking water and visual checks of the horses.
Please be aware that although there is a daily routine in place, this could all change, for example due to bad weather conditions, in such a case volunteers will be involved in tack cleaning whilst watching a DVD!
You do not need to be a very experienced rider; having the basics of walk, trot and canter are a bonus. The project accommodates all levels of riding experience and will tailor your activities accordingly.
There is also the opportunity for volunteers with an interest in farming to gain farming and animal husbandry skills as the owner's son farms pigs on site and volunteers can assist him with this if they wish to.
We also offer placements to volunteers with professional skills (vet, equine dentist or farrier) who would like to utilise these at the project.
There are usually 2-4 volunteers at the project at any one time with a maximum of 6.
More about the project
This is a family run project. The owners have been providing horse trails since 1998. In 2000, they moved onto creating a rehabilitation centre. Since then they have provided a home to numerous horses in order to save them from abuse and neglect. The rehabilitation centre has a very good reputation and the SPCA (Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals) contacts them with new cases that they have found.
The objective of the project is to rescue and rehabilitate horses so they can once again believe in people. The motto of the project is “horses working for horses”, and this is exactly what happens. The income that the beach and bush trails horses generate funds the horses that are being rehabilitated.
Location and free time
You’ll be living in a cottage on the family farm which is located in the Eastern Cape. The farm is 236 hectares and is home to over 40 horses. You will be living approximately 7km from the beach.
There are many activities available in your free time; you can visit Transkei, or a private game reserve where you can interact with elephants and a giraffe. The local pub boasts the most magnificent view of the Indian Ocean. You can most of your location and learn to surf, take a stroll on the beach, sunbathe, swim and play volleyball.
Volunteer accommodationYou will be staying in the volunteer cottage which has a TV, washing machine, stove, microwave and fridge. There is also a braai (BBQ) area. There are email facilities for volunteers to use within reasonable times.
What’s included and where your money goes?
Prices
1 week £599
2 weeks £899
3 weeks £1199
Extra weeks £225
Professional roles (vet, equine dentist or farrier)2 weeks £275
Extra weeks £225
Start dates: Flexible, any date throughout the year
Duration: 1 – 12 weeks
Cost: From £599 / $945 - see pricing table below
How will I make a difference?
By volunteering with us, you will be helping to care for and giving some much needed TLC to horses that have suffered abuse and neglect in the past. Your time with the horses will be improving their quality of life.
With over 40 horses to care for, volunteers’ hard work really helps to lessen the load and consequently, their help is invaluable. Your fee is also an important source of funding for the project, so that they can continue to rescue horses in need.
Volunteers who are staying for at least 4 weeks and who have sufficient experience will also be given the opportunity to dedicate some of their time to working with a young, inexperienced horse which provides the chance to make vast improvements. Volunteers who are staying for less than 4 weeks will not have enough time to do that; however there are still lots of interesting projects and horses waiting for you!
Horse volunteering in South Africa: What will I be doing?
Volunteers normally work 5 days per week from around 7am to 5pm. Although each day varies, the routine is based on:
7am: Morning duties include food preparation and feeding of the rehabilitation horses, checking water and the physical condition of the horses. Volunteers then choose between riding on a beach trail and assisting with the preparations for that, or working in the rehabilitation centre with assigned horses. This work could include dipping, grooming or working with individually allocated horses.
2pm-3.30pm: Grooming and attending to the rehabilitation horses.
3.30pm-5pm: Food preparation and feeding of all horses on the farm and at the beach. Checking water and visual checks of the horses.
Please be aware that although there is a daily routine in place, this could all change, for example due to bad weather conditions, in such a case volunteers will be involved in tack cleaning whilst watching a DVD!
You do not need to be a very experienced rider; having the basics of walk, trot and canter are a bonus. The project accommodates all levels of riding experience and will tailor your activities accordingly.
There is also the opportunity for volunteers with an interest in farming to gain farming and animal husbandry skills as the owner's son farms pigs on site and volunteers can assist him with this if they wish to.
We also offer placements to volunteers with professional skills (vet, equine dentist or farrier) who would like to utilise these at the project.
There are usually 2-4 volunteers at the project at any one time with a maximum of 6.
More about the project
This is a family run project. The owners have been providing horse trails since 1998. In 2000, they moved onto creating a rehabilitation centre. Since then they have provided a home to numerous horses in order to save them from abuse and neglect. The rehabilitation centre has a very good reputation and the SPCA (Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals) contacts them with new cases that they have found.
The objective of the project is to rescue and rehabilitate horses so they can once again believe in people. The motto of the project is “horses working for horses”, and this is exactly what happens. The income that the beach and bush trails horses generate funds the horses that are being rehabilitated.
Location and free time
You’ll be living in a cottage on the family farm which is located in the Eastern Cape. The farm is 236 hectares and is home to over 40 horses. You will be living approximately 7km from the beach.
There are many activities available in your free time; you can visit Transkei, or a private game reserve where you can interact with elephants and a giraffe. The local pub boasts the most magnificent view of the Indian Ocean. You can most of your location and learn to surf, take a stroll on the beach, sunbathe, swim and play volleyball.
Volunteer accommodationYou will be staying in the volunteer cottage which has a TV, washing machine, stove, microwave and fridge. There is also a braai (BBQ) area. There are email facilities for volunteers to use within reasonable times.
What’s included and where your money goes?
- A comprehensive information booklet
- Support from your dedicated volunteer manager within the PoD UK team
- Travel advice and assistance
- Return transfers from East London airport
- Induction and training
- Accommodation (a shared room)
- All main meals
- Support from the manager of the project
Prices
1 week £599
2 weeks £899
3 weeks £1199
Extra weeks £225
Professional roles (vet, equine dentist or farrier)2 weeks £275
Extra weeks £225