Help on our small horse farm in Rigaud, Canada
Last activity
: 30 Apr 2025
Profile information
Usually responds within 2 days
Min stay requested: at least 1 month
Workawayers needed
Possibility that workawayers are needed
No availability
Details
Host ref number: 745792173223
Website Safety
Feedback (7)
Left by Workawayer (Lena Maria ) for host
My time at the farm with both of you has been nothing short of amazing. Originally, my plan was to stay for three weeks, but a turn of events, specifically Kathy's accident, led me to extend my stay. After nearly two months of sharing your home and lives, it's time for me to bid farewell, and it's a bittersweet parting.
Kathy and I had an
… read more incredible time together, especially with our shared passion for horses. We enjoyed delightful trail rides (prior to the accident), baked delicious brownies, cooked up some mouthwatering friday-sauce, and engaged in endless conversations about our equine friends. These experiences were truly memorable.
My interactions with Wolfi were equally enjoyable. Our conversations were not just engaging but also filled with fun and laughter, making the entire experience one to cherish. Both of you welcomed me into your family with open arms and made every effort to introduce me to your way of life and participate in various activities. Kallik, the adorable dog, added an extra layer of warmth to my stay at the farm.
The fall season at your farm was nothing short of gorgeous, and it's easy to appreciate the beauty of the surroundings despite minor inconveniences like the yellow water, the presence of cats in the kitchen, or the non-functional bathroom sink. These minor quirks in no way overshadow the warmth and kindness that you both exude.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible experience you've given me. These memories will stay with me forever. Saying goodbye is not easy, but I leave with a heart full of gratitude and fond memories.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Melanie & Nick) for host
We spent two weeks with Kathy and Wolfi in October and really appreciated them welcoming us into their home. They were generous and thoughtful, making sure the meals we shared were vegetarian friendly, making a birthday cake on Mel’s birthday, and patiently teaching us some fundamentals of natural horsemanship, among other friendly gestures. Kathy
… read more and Wolfi had some interesting stories to share with us, but they didn’t seem to show much of an interest in learning about our backgrounds or listening to our stories. It often felt like they were talking at us, rather than having a conversation, and sadly we felt like we couldn’t really connect with them.
The consistent chore was picking up the horse poop and putting out their hay, normally both in the morning and afternoon. Although repetitive, it was somewhat meditative and gave us a daily chance to interact with the horses. Besides that, we helped with kitchen work, gardening, cleaning, vacuuming, and making fence posts during our stay. We often felt a little unsure what needed doing, and there was usually some waiting around before we could start our work for the day – to be fully productive, we felt we could have benefited from the hosts having a more organised approach to preparing and explaining tasks.
Sadly, there were a few instances we were felt surprised and a bit upset by Kathy’s behaviour. On one occasion, when we were proud to have finished the morning chores 15 minutes early and had led the horses back to their stalls, Kathy told us that they needed to stay out for longer. When we then asked if she wanted us to let them out again, she irritably suggested that we should have realised based on how she did the task yesterday. We found this a little passive aggressive, as she hadn’t explained this to us previously, and could have just said yes or no. Ironically, it had been our day off the day before, so we hadn’t actually been around. We didn’t feel her response in this situation, and a few other similar ones, was appropriate or helpful for getting the work done.
During our stay, we were pleased to have our own bedroom space with a desk. The kitchen and living area is where Kathy and Wolfi spend most of their time, and is just outside the bedroom. It’s useful to know that the cats live in the barn, so food can’t be left unattended in the kitchen. The cats are super friendly and adorable, but one of them does have a daily habit of meowing loudly outside the bedroom door very early in the morning. Another useful thing to note is that property is on well water, which has a distinct sulfur smell, feels rather slimy, and can be quite yellow. There is a bench top filter for drinking water, but washing oneself and cleaning dishes uses the well water, which we didn’t particularly enjoy. We were also a bit surprised that there was only a bathtub with a handheld shower head in the bathroom, and that the sink was broken, meaning we had to use the kitchen sink after going to the toilet.
All in all, it was a great experience to stay with Kathy and Wolfi. They have kind hearts and were fun to spend time with and learn from. However, we personally would have liked if they could have been more open to listening to others and exchanging ideas, as this would have made our time with them all the more enjoyable. We feel a stay with Kathy and Wolfi would be best suited for Workawayers that already have experience staying with a few different hosts.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Tessa)
Tessa was with us for 5 months and we were sad to see her go. She will always be welcomed back as part of the family. She was excellent with the animals and was enthusiastic about completing her chores so we could do fun stuff. Tessa made a lot of friends and was well-liked by my students. She participated in many activities.
Left by Workawayer (Tessa) for host
My stay at this farm was one of the most exciting things that ever happened to me. I stayed with Kathy and wolfi for five months and it was great. I stayed from August till end of December so I experienced all the different seasons.
In summer we went blueberry picking, trail riding, played with the horses cats and dogs, visited almost every
… read more museum, zoo and fun place in the area and had a blast. The trailrides in autumn were nie of the most amazing things ever! And the snow in Winter just made everything’s look like winterwonderland, it was awesome and there was a lot of fun stuff to do in every season (although I still get nightmares from raking all those way too many leaves)
The chores take 1-3 hours every day depends on what has to be done. The food is delicious and very healthy and there is brownie time every day at 4pm where you can experience the best brownies in the world (gluten free). It amazed me from day one how talented Kathy is, and how amazing the horses are trained. It was a lot of fun to see a video of me trying an obstacle course for the first time and then what I was able to do in the end. The crafting is a lot of fun as well because Kathy has a tool for EVERYTHING. Sometimes I had little difficulties understanding what exactly some tasks have to be done and i had to ask a lot of questions but I always got a good answer. It was also nice meeting a lot of different people and making new friends! I will never ever forget this experience!
My favorites:
-Upper Canada village in a gorgeous hoop dress
-the cheesecake
-the brownies
-the trailrides
-the sunsets
-Pizza Wednesdays/ pasta fridays
-picking blueberries
And many many more!
Thank you kathy and wolfi for taking such good care of me, and welcoming me from day one:)You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Photos
Two interns from Germany.
Traditional Quebecois meal at a sugar shack.
Wolves at the Eco Museum.
Our kitties on the couch in front of the woodstove.
Clippi and Kathy at Horsemanship Trials.
Sprocket and Deanna Christmas Parade 2017
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)
Left by Workawayer (Lena Maria ) for host
My time at the farm with both of you has been nothing short of amazing. Originally, my plan was to stay for three weeks, but a turn of events, specifically Kathy's accident, led me to extend my stay. After nearly two months of sharing your home and lives, it's time for me to bid farewell, and it's a bittersweet parting.
Kathy and I had an
… read more incredible time together, especially with our shared passion for horses. We enjoyed delightful trail rides (prior to the accident), baked delicious brownies, cooked up some mouthwatering friday-sauce, and engaged in endless conversations about our equine friends. These experiences were truly memorable.
My interactions with Wolfi were equally enjoyable. Our conversations were not just engaging but also filled with fun and laughter, making the entire experience one to cherish. Both of you welcomed me into your family with open arms and made every effort to introduce me to your way of life and participate in various activities. Kallik, the adorable dog, added an extra layer of warmth to my stay at the farm.
The fall season at your farm was nothing short of gorgeous, and it's easy to appreciate the beauty of the surroundings despite minor inconveniences like the yellow water, the presence of cats in the kitchen, or the non-functional bathroom sink. These minor quirks in no way overshadow the warmth and kindness that you both exude.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible experience you've given me. These memories will stay with me forever. Saying goodbye is not easy, but I leave with a heart full of gratitude and fond memories.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Melanie & Nick) for host
We spent two weeks with Kathy and Wolfi in October and really appreciated them welcoming us into their home. They were generous and thoughtful, making sure the meals we shared were vegetarian friendly, making a birthday cake on Mel’s birthday, and patiently teaching us some fundamentals of natural horsemanship, among other friendly gestures. Kathy
… read more and Wolfi had some interesting stories to share with us, but they didn’t seem to show much of an interest in learning about our backgrounds or listening to our stories. It often felt like they were talking at us, rather than having a conversation, and sadly we felt like we couldn’t really connect with them.
The consistent chore was picking up the horse poop and putting out their hay, normally both in the morning and afternoon. Although repetitive, it was somewhat meditative and gave us a daily chance to interact with the horses. Besides that, we helped with kitchen work, gardening, cleaning, vacuuming, and making fence posts during our stay. We often felt a little unsure what needed doing, and there was usually some waiting around before we could start our work for the day – to be fully productive, we felt we could have benefited from the hosts having a more organised approach to preparing and explaining tasks.
Sadly, there were a few instances we were felt surprised and a bit upset by Kathy’s behaviour. On one occasion, when we were proud to have finished the morning chores 15 minutes early and had led the horses back to their stalls, Kathy told us that they needed to stay out for longer. When we then asked if she wanted us to let them out again, she irritably suggested that we should have realised based on how she did the task yesterday. We found this a little passive aggressive, as she hadn’t explained this to us previously, and could have just said yes or no. Ironically, it had been our day off the day before, so we hadn’t actually been around. We didn’t feel her response in this situation, and a few other similar ones, was appropriate or helpful for getting the work done.
During our stay, we were pleased to have our own bedroom space with a desk. The kitchen and living area is where Kathy and Wolfi spend most of their time, and is just outside the bedroom. It’s useful to know that the cats live in the barn, so food can’t be left unattended in the kitchen. The cats are super friendly and adorable, but one of them does have a daily habit of meowing loudly outside the bedroom door very early in the morning. Another useful thing to note is that property is on well water, which has a distinct sulfur smell, feels rather slimy, and can be quite yellow. There is a bench top filter for drinking water, but washing oneself and cleaning dishes uses the well water, which we didn’t particularly enjoy. We were also a bit surprised that there was only a bathtub with a handheld shower head in the bathroom, and that the sink was broken, meaning we had to use the kitchen sink after going to the toilet.
All in all, it was a great experience to stay with Kathy and Wolfi. They have kind hearts and were fun to spend time with and learn from. However, we personally would have liked if they could have been more open to listening to others and exchanging ideas, as this would have made our time with them all the more enjoyable. We feel a stay with Kathy and Wolfi would be best suited for Workawayers that already have experience staying with a few different hosts.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Tessa)
Tessa was with us for 5 months and we were sad to see her go. She will always be welcomed back as part of the family. She was excellent with the animals and was enthusiastic about completing her chores so we could do fun stuff. Tessa made a lot of friends and was well-liked by my students. She participated in many activities.
Left by Workawayer (Tessa) for host
My stay at this farm was one of the most exciting things that ever happened to me. I stayed with Kathy and wolfi for five months and it was great. I stayed from August till end of December so I experienced all the different seasons.
In summer we went blueberry picking, trail riding, played with the horses cats and dogs, visited almost every
… read more museum, zoo and fun place in the area and had a blast. The trailrides in autumn were nie of the most amazing things ever! And the snow in Winter just made everything’s look like winterwonderland, it was awesome and there was a lot of fun stuff to do in every season (although I still get nightmares from raking all those way too many leaves)
The chores take 1-3 hours every day depends on what has to be done. The food is delicious and very healthy and there is brownie time every day at 4pm where you can experience the best brownies in the world (gluten free). It amazed me from day one how talented Kathy is, and how amazing the horses are trained. It was a lot of fun to see a video of me trying an obstacle course for the first time and then what I was able to do in the end. The crafting is a lot of fun as well because Kathy has a tool for EVERYTHING. Sometimes I had little difficulties understanding what exactly some tasks have to be done and i had to ask a lot of questions but I always got a good answer. It was also nice meeting a lot of different people and making new friends! I will never ever forget this experience!
My favorites:
-Upper Canada village in a gorgeous hoop dress
-the cheesecake
-the brownies
-the trailrides
-the sunsets
-Pizza Wednesdays/ pasta fridays
-picking blueberries
And many many more!
Thank you kathy and wolfi for taking such good care of me, and welcoming me from day one:)You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Jasmine) for host
My daughter and I had a wonderful, culturally rich month in the summer staying with Kathy and Wolfi. We helped look after the garden and the sweet horses. We both learned a lot about natural horsemanship, holistic horse care (including the importance of their diet and hoof care). Kathy is a skilled leatherworker and taught us how to do some
… read more leatherwork crafting during our time off. Kathy generously showed us around local sightseeing and cultural events which was wonderful. We ate fresh healthy food often from the garden. They were very warm and welcoming. Also it was fun meeting other workaway-ers with whom we overlapped at the beginning and end to hear about their adventures around Canada and beyond. It was our first time doing Workaway and we really loved the experience and look forward to doing more. Thank you Kathy & Wofi!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Jasmine)
Jasmine and her daughter came to stay with us in July. This was the first time I had a Workawayer with a child and we had a different experience. We had lots of pony play time. Our cultural activities included lots of things kids like to do and see, giving us a different perspective. Jasmine liked to work in the garden, helped pick cherries and
… read more black raspberries, haul hay and was a real help updating my web site.
Left by host for Workawayer (Sophie)
Sophie is a delightful girl with a great attitude and passion for animals. Her work ethics are well above average and she made doing chores really fun.
Left by Workawayer (Sophie) for host
My stay was wonderful. There was yummy food (a breakfast that I've now incorporated into my daily life), cuddly cats and most importantly friendly ponies. There were lots of adventures to be had including pony parties (what is cuter than a 4-year-old riding a miniature pony?), clinics (lots of fun learning and riding) and trips to a lookout, the
… read more Ecomuseum and Omega Park.
Most days, the work is minimal and even fun (watching the ponies run to the pasture, cutting pumpkin vines with a makeshift machete, watching the stars while waiting for the ponies to finish eating...). There are morning chores (start at 8am, ~1 hour) and evening chores (~1 hour) which consist essentially of mucking out and preparing feed. Other chores vary depending on the daily agenda. You might harvest the garden, pick apples, make and jar pasta sauce or travel to give children pony rides or pick up eggs from neighboring farmers. While some days are busy, most are calm and easygoing with lots of free time. Days off are not automatically given, but if you would like some, all you need to do is ask.
There are 2 separate bedrooms. There will be a maximum of one other Workawayer there at the same time as you.
Kathy is trusting and generous. She allowed me to spend most of my free time with the ponies, whether it be brushing them, doing groundwork, riding, or even performing a daily health check (stethoscope included!). She also accommodated my vegan diet.
Thank you Kathy and Wolfi for this great stay!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Workaway member)
Chanty is a really lovely person. Wolfi and I really liked her as did all my animals. It was really wonderful that she was able to speak Spanish with the Colombian-Canadian kids who attended one of our pony parties. They really loved her. Unfortunately, she had a health issue so had to leave early.
Left by host for Workawayer (Roadunicorn)
Sophia is a fun-loving girl who can make all jobs more fun. She worked hard and did an excellent job. All our animals adopted her (as did we) as one of the family. Even though Quebec threw it's worst weather at us, when we weren't cleaning up after one storm or the next, we got to play outside with the dogs and horses and enjoy some Quebec
… read more culture: horse auction, ice bridge and sugaring off at our favourite sugar shack. It was wonderful to have excellent Austrian "feedback" on my first batch of home-made sauerkraut (we gobbled down one whole jar the first night). We enjoyed learning more about Austria.
Left by Workawayer (Roadunicorn) for host
Kathy and Wolfi are wonderful Hosts. They integrated me in their family like I was one of them from the firs day on. Kathy took me with her to teach lessons, showed me their friends places, we went dog sledding, trail riding and they even took me to a sugar shack to learn how to produce maple syrup! It was amazing to work with her and her Horses!
… read more You will live in the Barn but with your own bedroom with a heated double bed and a seperate bathroom with a bathtube. Your "Flatmates" will be 5 super cute cats to cuddle with. The work is super easy as it starts with the morning chores at 8 am which includes feeding, getting horses out, cleaning 7 boxes and refilling Water. I liked my stay a lot and hope you will get the chance to meet them and have as same fun as I had. All the best for Kathy and Wolfi!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Reese79)
Wolfi and I really enjoyed having Reese stay with us. What a wonderful introduction to Workaway. Reese was always ready to lend a hand, no matter the job at hand. He worked hard and it was fun to share the local culture with him. He has a natural curiosity and his artistic ability is outstanding. The animals adored him. We put his culinary skills
… read more to the test in the first few days--making a huge batch of sauerkraut, which turned out to be the best ever. Thanks, Reese. I hope you have a lot of good Workaway experiences. You are welcome to come back any time.
Left by Workawayer (Reese79) for host
I had such an amazing experience living in Quebec working and living with horses, miniponies, cats, and dogs on this farm. Kathy and Wolfi were incredible hosts, and shared so much of Quebecois culture by letting me join them on their drives out to do errands to see the area; seeing their capitol, Ottowa; visiting museums and a few of their
… read more favorite restaurants, talking about the local happenings, visiting neighbors, and working on small leather projects. I really got to change up my routine in a wonderful way. Kathy and Wolfi, I loved my time with you talking and playing board games (and everything else) and I hope to come back someday in the future! I’ll miss the great food, especially those quinoa brownies.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
We've noticed that there's less than 3 photos uploaded to your profile. With the new host profile layout this we would highly recommend having more than 3 photos so your profile stands out visually.
Please take a few moments to choose some images that show off your place or area:
Please log in to your Workawayer account to contact this host, or
sign up here!
Information for those planning to visit Canada
If you are NOT from Canada and planning to visit to volunteer, work or study you will need the correct visa. To find out more information you need to contact the embassy in your home country before travelling.
Gardening
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
