Help out on home land and small family horse barn in Québec, Canada

Details

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  Description

  Help out with our home land and small family horse barn. We are not a business. We don’t produce anything. We are just a family with two horses at home :) we need help with the land and barn maintenance.
  
  Located in a charming touristic area, in the "Vallée Bras du Nord". 50 min from Quebec city. Vallée Bras-du-Nord is the ideal outdoor destination!
  
  My husband and I are born in France, we have been living in Canada and the US for 32 years. We traveled and moved a lot for work, and enjoyed many experiences. We like to manage new projects, have challenges, and meet new people from different culture.
  We have been riding horses for many years. Having our horses at home was a big dream for us. During summer 2022, we have bought a new house with a large land and have built our small barn... Dream came true 😍.
  
  I’m also a ski patrol rescue and first aid instructor. My husband works full time as a management IT consultant...
  So, during the day when we are at work, or when we have to go for one or two days, we need help to take care of our two horses.
  The horses are two mares, one is a paint/tobiano and the other a quarter horse.
  
  We have also two dogs, a gordon setter and a very large Newfoundland.
  
  We are looking for someone with general building renovations and land maintenance experience, ideally with horse barn experience, dynamic, reliable and demonstrating autonomy.
  
  We have 3 boys (30 - 26 and 20) born in Quebec. They do not live at home but visit us occasionally.
  Our family also practices running and trail running, mountain biking, trekking ...
  
  We have a large house and we offer a private bedroom with private bathroom. For the meals, we offer the same food as what we eat. We eat healthy and traditional food. We will not cook special meals, such as vegetarian, for the helper.
  
  Everyone in the house has to participate in the household chores on a regular basis, preparing meals, setting the table, tidying up...
  
  All of these in a no smoking area indoor and outdoor and healthy environment ☀️

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Our first language is French, thus if you want to practice your French, you are welcome! But please, you must already know French. It is essential for me to be able to communicate with you in a precise way. It is very important for the care of the animals.
  
  Through this experience you will be able to increase your knowledge and learning in the field of horses. By taking care of them from morning to night you will discover, as we did, another side of the equine world!
  
  We live in a splendid region, at the foot of the "Vallée Bras du Nord". You will be able to enjoy, learn or discover a multitude of outdoor activities, whatever the season.
  We are 50 minutes of car drive from the wonderful city of Quebec, and the whole region abounds with a multitude of activities and discoveries, both cultural and natural.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  We need help 4 or 5 days per week, someone dynamic, reliable and demonstrating autonomy.
  We have multiple tasks to accomplish for maintaining the land and the barn.
  
  Here are examples of what's needed on land and building:
  - Picking up wood when helping with splitting, and bending logs
  - Moving rocks, shoveling gravel and soil, helping with small building maintenance projects
  - Dismantling and repairing parts of wood decks and floors
  - Tacking and screwing wood panel on floors, walls and ceiling
  - Repairing gutters
  - Digging, removing weeds, helping with small family gardening
  - Raking leaves
  - Removing snow when needed
  
  In addition with general land and building maintenance, ideally we need someone with horse experience, and animals lover.
  
  Here are examples of what's needed for the horses and dogs:
  - Tucking in hay, a one to two days activity expected both in July and October
  - General cleaning of barn and horse stalls
  - Feeding horses in stalls, or outside
  - Cleaning manure from the paddock, daily
  - Cleaning water troughs and feeders
  - Taking the horses in and out, putting blankets on them when needed
  - Brushing the horses and cleaning their feet
  - Taking care of the horses if necessary
  - Cuddling, talking to horses
  - Lifting heavy mats while cleaning the floor of three stalls, expected once a year
  - Taking the dogs in and out and monitoring them
  - Cuddling the dogs as needed
  
  Everyone in the house has to participate in the household chores on a regular basis, preparing meals, setting the table, tidying up, emptying the dishwasher, filling wood baskets and fireplaces (we heat a lot with wood) ...
  
  Participating in the life of the family with a good mood and with respect for everyone.
  
  SKILLS:
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️ Manual and good worker;
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️ Eager to accomplish exterior work;
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️ Loves people;
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️ Loves to take care of animals;
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️ Able to multi task, and be flexible;
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️ Reliable, autonomous, high integrity;
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️ Respects safety and security rules;
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️ Details, clean and hygiene oriented;
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️ Polite, courteous, smiling;
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️ Speaks French.
  
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️ Carpentry experience a plus.
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️ Horses experience a plus.
  
  * International automobile driver license valid in Canada (Province of Quebec) is mandatory
  * Travel/medical insurance mandatory

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  French: Fluent
  English: Intermediate
  Spanish: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  We are open to language exchange, we like to learn BUT you must already know French at intermediate level. It is essential for me to be able to communicate with you in a precise way. It is very important for the care of the animals.
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  Accommodation

  We propose to accommodate you in your own bedroom in our house. Very clean and confortable. Bed, chair, wardrobe... Private bathroom. We share meals as a way to enjoy a cultural exchange, as we are not paying a wage, we don’t ask fees for food expense, but I only pay for regular familly food, not special food (such as special vegatarian diet, gluten free diet...). We have dogs but no cat.

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  What else ...

  We live in a splendid region, the "Vallée Bras du Nord". You will be able to enjoy or learn or discover a multitude of outdoor activities, whatever the season. . With 80 km of trails for hiking and snowshoeing, 100 km of mountain biking paths including 65 km of singletracks and a 17.5 km river run, Vallée Bras-du-Nord is the ideal outdoor destination! You can practice activities such as canyoning, Via Ferrata, Fat Bike and back-country skiing.
  We live in a very large forest area, it is essential to respect security rules.
  We are 50 min. car drive from the wonderful city of Quebec, and the whole region abounds with a multitude of activities and discoveries, both cultural and natural. Some regional public transportation is available from cities around.
  Our sons live in Quebec city, and my sister in Sherbrooke :)

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  Hours expected

  Four or five days per week

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