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Help us care for our small patch of land and loving animals

5.0
(12 reviews)12

The experience

You will be welcomed into our home to live as part of the family. We are a professional married couple living in a Scandinavian style house on a smallholding on the edge of a small village called Dolton in Devon (southwest of England).

We need help to care for our gardens, the house, horses and dogs. It is great if you have some experience of horses but not essential - as long as you are aware that looking after horses is physical work.

What you offer

25 hours of help per week

Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens

Animal Care: Help look after and take care of animals.

Farming: Plant crops, sow seeds and help in outside tasks.

What you get

2 days off per week

Private Room: You will have a bed in a private room. In other words, a room just for you.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Language lessons: Take free language classes at our place.

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Fast Internet Access: High-speed internet for you to work remotely

Requirements

Intermediate English

Over 18 years old

Only hosts solo volunteers (doesn’t accept couples or partners)

Travel insurance

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

We prefer someone who has some experience of horses and is a good rider but this is not essential as we also accept people who do not ride but please note that we are NOT able to offer any riding if you are not already an experienced rider.

On safety grounds we can only permit riding if you are already suitably experienced. Our horses are kind and well mannered but they are competition horses.

If you wish to be considered as a rider, please include PHOTOS and a VIDEO of you riding on your profile with details of the type of riding you do and how experienced you are and your insurance cover. Also state your height and weight and whether you are currently riding in your own country or when you last rode.

Activities & Shift

We would welcome help (approx. 5 hours a day 5 days a week) with our animals (horses, some elderly but very loved chickens and 2 very playful friendly small Jack Russell dogs, the fields, the garden and in the house IN EXCHANGE for all food, nice accommodation in a beautiful area and the opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people.

We also provide you with food on your free days.

Daily tasks might include cleaning the horses' stables, preparing their food, giving them fresh water, grooming them, changing their rugs, putting them in their field and bringing them in, cleaning and checking their field, gardening, feeding the chickens, cleaning out the chicken houses, walking the dogs and helping in the house (for example doing dishes, vacuuming etc)

Other tasks depend on the season - such as sowing seeds, weeding (we grow organically) and planting.

Rules

We are easy going and enjoy what we do and love our animals. We ask that you are easy going too and flexible as some days there may be more to do while on other days there will be less.

Days off can be arranged to fit in with the tasks. In return you will find that we will be flexible about what you want to do and when you have your days off.

In return for your help you will learn many skills, hopefully have a lot of fun and be treated as one of the family!

You will also be expected to sometimes help share in the preparation of meals and to keep your bedroom and bathroom clean.

We are a non smoking household. NO smoking applies to the whole farm both indoors and outdoors. There are NO alternative areas for smoking so we are not able to accept anyone who smokes.