Help on a small horse farm in Quebec doing chores, maintenance and gardening. Canada

  • Favourited 221 times
  • Last activity: 24 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 1 month

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    We are a small farm with 1 horse and 6 ponies, 1 dogs and 4 cats. We do relationship-based natural horsemanship with our horses and go in parades and other events. I teach groundwork, bitless riding and liberty. We like to think of our horses as partners rather than telling them what to do all the time. Workawayers do not help with paying clients, but are encouraged to join lessons and clinics as participants.

    Our organic farm is a 10 minute drive from Rigaud and offers a view of Rigaud Mountain, trees and fields, with a small river. Our log house was built in 1853 and, as such, is older than Canada itself. We have been doing extensive renovations to give it a new foundation and another bedroom and recreation room downstairs.

    The air conditioned/heated barn is divided in half. The older side (100+ years) houses a lounge where I make halters, ropes and leather goods for horses, a kitchen, bathroom and nice bedroom. The newer side (75+ years) houses the horses and ponies, with 8 stalls, feed room and laundry facilities. It opens into an outdoor arena.

    The horses live outside in pens with their buddies 24/7 during the spring, summer and fall. During the winter they stay outside as a herd during the day and come in at night or during bad weather. I am 69 and have had horses since I was 10. I met my husband while I was cooking for a bicycle tour company (he was one of the German guests). He liked my cooking. He moved to Canada so we could be together. He usually works at home for an IT company with an office in Montreal.

    Last September (2021) I fell on the cobblestones in the kitchen and broke my hip. I am still recuperating and am pleased to say that I can ride better than I can walk. My rehabilitation is going well (usually) although I don't have the stamina I had last year. I have cut back on all my activities, which leaves more time for playing with the horses and exploring the surrounding area.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Gardening
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    General Maintenance
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    We offer room and board in exchange for daily chores. I speak English and my husband speaks German and English. We are close to Ottawa and Montreal and take our visitors to historical and cultural sites in the area. We grow most of our own vegetables and eat only organic meat grown by our friends. In addition to the ponies, we have cats and an aging husky. Most of our visitors from overseas come on a visitor visa and are not allowed to be paid. We will exchange relationship-based natural horsemanship lessons, trail rides, and pay entry fees for cultural sites for extra work on the farm.

  • Help

    Help

    We are a small hobby farm. I teach relationship-based natural horsemanship. We need help with the ponies (feeding, cleaning pens/stalls, hauling hay) and doing maintenance and upkeep on the farm, ie. replacing fences, organic gardening. There is also seasonal help, ie. help with snow removal, pasture clean up, garden planting, hay hauling, leaf raking.

  • Languages spoken

    German: Fluent
    English: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    We have a nice bedroom with a double bed in the air conditioned/heated barn with bathroom, kitchen and lounge. We have several barn cats living in the lounge (not the bedroom). Food is mostly organic and cooked at home following an adapted Keto diet. We do not eat a standard North American diet.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    There is a bus/train connection with Montreal which is easy to access during the week if you want to see the old port, theatres, galleries, etc. For time off, you can play with the horses, go on trail rides, etc. During the winter there is a small ski hill 3 kms from the farm or lots of fields for x-country skiing, snowshoeing, or dog walking. There is an adventure park nearby for climbing through treetops, etc. How about hiking our mountain or stopping at the sugar shack for a typical Quebecois meal? We are also on a bicycle route. It is fairly easy to access our capital city, Ottawa, by bus. You can tour the Parliament Buildings, Art Galleries, Royal Mint, RCMP Musical Ride Training Centre and much more. We often like to take our visitors to the Eco Museum Zoo to see animals native to the St. Laurence Valley or to Omega Park, a safari type drive through park housing wildlife indigenous to Canada such as wolves, bears, elk, moose, buffalo.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    We have lots of space and can provide electrical hook up.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    One

  • ...

    Hours expected

    Five hours a day, 5 days a week in exchange for room and board. More hours in exchange for lessons.

Host ref number: 745792173223

Feedback (7)



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Feedback

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Accuracy of profile: (4.8)

Cultural exchange: (5.0)

Communication: (4.5)