Therapeutic Riding Project in Venezuela

If you enjoy working with children, with horses and if you love to be outdoors, this project is perfect for you! Horses are amazing animals. They are extremely sensible towards people with special needs and they do their best to adapt to those needs. Those friendly animals are sympathetic, compassionate and totally free of values. Horses give their heart and soul for those humans who love them. It is no surprise that horses make great "therapists".  Therapeutic horseback riding aims especially towards solving emotional and behavioral problems e.g. learning disabilities, physical disabilities as well as visual, speech and hearing impairments.

 
This project promises a whole lot of fun through the work with children and horses. Volunteers receive training lessons to be able to help better and in order to learn more about the pupils and horses. Previous experience with horses is not necessary.

The daily tasks of the volunteers include:
 

• daily fostering of the horses
• helping out with therapeutic lessons
• maintaining and taking care of the riding course and the paddock
• supporting feeding, grooming and cleaning of the horses and the barns
• taking care of tack and other supplies
• maintaining the photographic and written documentation of the children's weekly improvement
• collecting grass for animal feeding
• opportunity to ride the horses on weekends
• training the horses (only with previous experience)
  
  

Accommodation and Meals:

You can either live in a shared house, in a host family or individually on your own. If you prefer to live in the shared house, you will live on a hill about 3 km away from the city center of Santa Elena. You will find the opportunity for a hike through the rain forest about 50 m away from the house. But even if you don`t want to live in the house, you are always welcome to come around and have a swim in the pool, eat with us or just relax. When choosing your accommodation please keep in mind that hard drinking and smoking inside the house are prohibited.

Staying in a host family is always an adventure. You have your meals together with the family and live 20 minutes walking distance from Santa Elena. It is very likely that friends and relatives come to visit your host family.

Your third opportunity is to live in a hotel or a guesthouse right in the city center. However you won't receive meals here. On the other hand you will get to know local restaurants of the city as well as other travelers and Venezuelans.

What is included in the price?

• pick up from the bus station in Santa Elena
• introduction after arrival
• accommodation (no hotel)
• contact person on the project
• certificate for the successful accomplishment of the voluntary work
• participation in excursions and cultural events
  
• meals (except for individual accommodation)
• T-Shirt of the organization
• 24 hour emergency service

What is not included?

• visa
• international health insurance
• flight
• transportation costs inside the country
• personal expenses