Yomps, Adventure Travel Experiences

Horse Safari Work Experience, South Africa
Full Itinerary

Obtain equine work experience on a fantastic South African horse safari, help to train and look after over 30 horses, ride as backup rider in a ‘Big Four’ game reserve seeing a variety of game that includes rhinos, elephants, buffalos, hippos, leopards, giraffe, zebras and antelope, and have the time of your life on this sensational horse safari holiday adventure!

South Africa

Weeks 1 & 2 - Learn the skills required to work at the horse safari, look after the horses, have your horse riding skills assessed and settle in as part of the team

Your plane touches down in Neilspruit airport (after a domestic flight from Johannesburg), where you will be met and driven to the house and stables located about 90 minutes away that will be your home for the next twelve weeks; a picturesque game reserve bordering Swaziland in South Africa, only two hours drive from Kruger National Park. Here you will unpack, meet the team, and most importantly meet the horses you will be working with over the next three months! The opening fortnight will be dedicated to settling in and becoming accustomed to the routine, training, work ethics and horses, as well as having your skills assessed.

On a typical day you will rise at dawn and have a quick coffee and rusk (a type of South African biscuit) before heading to the stables. Here you will bring the horses in from the reserve to feed them and start their daily training routine. Any horses not on safari for the day will do schooling or interval training for fitness, as required by our professional trainer (who has competed at the highest level in South Africa’s equine competitions so certainly knows his stuff!). Our experienced colleagues will show you the ropes and help you to adjust to any differences you may find between riding here and back at home. At around 11:30 you will have a two hour lunch break in which you can relax, enjoy a delicious homemade meal, or sit in the shade with a book amid the spectacular African wildlife. You’ll then head back to the yard to help the staff groom and school the horses, clean the tack and muck out. You’ll also be required to exercise the horses on the reserve; galloping across open plains seeing the remarkable scenery and wildlife in complete safety (as there are no dangerous animals on this reserve, just general game) having the thrill of a lifetime! At around 16:30 you will finish your jobs for the day, putting the horses to bed and heading back to the accommodation for a well earned shower and evening meal.

You will spend the opening fortnight under the careful supervision of our colleagues, being regularly assessed to ensure you are working the horses correctly and your riding is reaching the required standard. With plenty of practise and instruction you will hopefully prove you are at a good enough level to be safe riding on safari, so will spend the subsequent weeks riding as a backup guide on the neighbouring Big Four game reserve with our guide Steven. He will put his trust in you and your ability to cope with anything unexpected that may occur when you ride amongst such animals as elephants, buffalos and rhinos. Therefore you will only be allowed to accompany Steven when your horse riding skills are deemed sufficient, improving on the reserve until they do.

South Africa

Week 3 onwards - Groom, exercise and school over 30 horses, ride as a backup guide in a ‘Big Four’ game reserve and help to look after clients as an integral part of an amazing team

During the rest of your time at the horse safari operation you will be a priceless member of the small-knit team. You will continue to exercise, groom and train the horses (sometimes up to six horses a day) and also act as backup guide on safari (sometimes being in the saddle for six hours or more). You will be fully trained for your role as backup guide; possessing all the skills and knowledge to know what to do in an emergency plus all the requirements needed to ensure our clients have the ‘time of their lives’! As there can only be one backup guide per safari, the role will be shared between you and all your work experience colleagues. As the backup guide, you will be required to ride at the back of a group of clients whilst the guide rides up at the front; assisting the clients with any problems they may have and helping them to spot sightings of the animals such as rhinos, buffalos or maybe even a herd of breeding elephants. You will also help the guests to feel at home, serving them food, putting up and taking down their tents, and being the hosts with the most!

When there are no clients in camp you may have the opportunity to take a day off - always a special occasion as they are so rare! These days will give you the chance to visit the local lodge to use their internet, socialise with the staff, have a few drinks and maybe even have a braii (barbeque) watching a spectacular South African sunset. This three month work experience is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity to work in such a special place with beautiful horses, seeing amazing animals and getting to do what you really love. Riding as a backup guide will give you the truly remarkable opportunity to canter across open plains seeing awe-inspiring scenery and wildlife that no vehicle can get to. Indeed, when the sun sets on your time on this equine Yomps work experience programme, you will most certainly be able to take home plenty of stories to recount for years to come about your days in the saddle!

Qualifications Required -

To be accepted onto the programme you must:

• Have high levels of horsemanship in both management and riding
• Be a regular, current rider
• Have experience schooling horses to classic English standard
• Be over 18 year of age
• Be 80kg’s or under
• Have a minimum of eight years continuous riding experience
• Be prepared to work hard and as part of a team
• Be able to put the clients needs before your own
• Be prepared to have minimal time off
• Have a positive attitude

Application Process -

At Yomps we don’t just accept everyone that applies for a volunteering position. Every effort is made to ensure that the project is suitable for the volunteer and the volunteer is suitable for the project. On applying for the project you will be emailed a questionnaire form, which once completed will be sent to the volunteering project to be vetted prior to acceptance.