Wild Coast, South Africa

I'm a firm believer that if you're interested in it - find out a way to learn more and work in that area.

After finishing studying in Ireland and having a bit of a look around, I'll be returning to Oz to do the breeding season at my favourite stud and all the while, save for another travelling experience: a working/riding holiday in South Africa mid-2007!

I want to eventually be a riding instructor while running an agistment property and so need to improve my own riding skills before I can teach others. This holiday seems like the perfect opportunity!

http://www.sunrayfarm.co.za/ - Check out the working riding holiday link.

Sunray Farm "offer volunteers the opportunity to come to Africa on a working riding holiday. You stay on the farm and time permitting run the riding project for local disadvantaged children. Horse lovers are given an opportunity to eat, sleep and breathe horses from a couple of week’s holiday or up to 3 months in the volunteer program. You will be able to improve your riding skills, learn about the daily management of a equestrian establishment, work with young foals, school young horses, exercise the trail horses, assist and take out holiday riders on the beach rides, and if there is a Wild Coast Horse Trail booked during your stay you will be asked to join us as an assistant trail guide & groom!"

I figure taking into account flying out from Tullarmarine Airport in Victoria, Australia... it'll cost around $4,000 Australian to fly over and pay to stay where food and lodgings are provided for around a month... very, very appealing!

"It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall." - Mexican Proverb

Jackaroo Course, NSW, Oz

So I love looking for any sort of course/holiday/work that I can do with horses that is different to what I already know... and gives me a chance to check out another place! Stumbled across this one the other day... not that I remember what I was looking for:

http://www.leconfield.com/

Tis a Jackaroo/Jillaroo 'school' set over five days that covers grooming, riding, natural horsemanship (Pat Parelli style), horseshoeing, whip cracking, lassooing, mustering sheep, barrel racing, sheep health, shearing, pasture improvement, fencing/yard building, mustering cattle, yarding and drafting cattle, using working dogs and more.

The school is run at Leconfield on a 5000 acre property in New South Wales and those that run the course offer the possibility of helping you find work afterwards if this is your desire.

So, once I'm back home from Ireland and have had enough of the racehorses for awhile, I think I'll check this out... just hope I'm up to it! Has anyone done anything like this before?

"Riding: The art of keeping a horse between you and the ground."