• Life On Land

Support a Horse Riding Academy in Crete

location
4 - 48 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
rating  Great 4.4  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Good response rate

Highlights

  • Learn a lot about proper care and training of horses
  • Work in close contact with the horses
  • Get first insight into hippotherapy and therapeutic riding

Highlights

  • Learn a lot about proper care and training of horses
  • Work in close contact with the horses
  • Get first insight into hippotherapy and therapeutic riding
  • Learn about the rich culture and history of Greece
  • Enjoy the great weather and your beautiful surroundings in Crete

    • Especially good for

    Age 18+
    Singles
    Couples
    Groups
    50+

    About the program

    Learn everything about the proper care and training of the animals. Depending on your experience, you can also assist in hippotherapy and therapeutic riding.

    The project is a riding academy on the island of Crete near the city of Heraklion. The project is run by a Greek aid organization, which cares for the 30 animals currently living here with much love and respect. The heart of the facility is the riding school, which specializes in therapeutic riding, ...

    About the program

    The project is a riding academy on the island of Crete near the city of Heraklion. The project is run by a Greek aid organization, which cares for the 30 animals currently living here with much love and respect. The heart of the facility is the riding school, which specializes in therapeutic riding, among other things. The facilities are open to the public as much as possible to allow visitors to come into contact with the horses and ponies.

    The academy offers a wonderful place to visit to learn all about the proper handling as well as the species-appropriate keeping of horses or to impart one's own knowledge. Due to the large number of horses, the organization is happy to have motivated volunteers to assist in caring for the horses, grooming them, taking them for walks and overall spending time with them.

    The goal of the project is to take care of the animals in the best possible way and at the same time to teach the volunteers how to care for and train horses.

    Typical day

    At the riding academy, everything revolves around the welfare of horses. During your assignment, various tasks await you. Your activities include feeding the animals, mucking out the stables, daily training with the horses and helping in the riding school. 

    Depending on your experience and skills ...

    Typical day

    At the riding academy, everything revolves around the welfare of horses. During your assignment, various tasks await you. Your activities include feeding the animals, mucking out the stables, daily training with the horses and helping in the riding school. 

    Depending on your experience and skills with horses, you can also support the team on site with therapeutic riding and hippotherapy. Therapeutic riding is about using horses in a targeted way to enhance the mental, physical, emotional and social development of people with special needs. In addition, the use of hippotherapy has a particularly positive effect on people who suffer from certain skeletal and movement problems. When working with the horses, the welfare of the animals is always taken into consideration.

    As a volunteer you usually work five days a week for six hours a day. After work and on days off you will have time to explore the area and go on excursions.

    Free-time activities

    Crete is the largest Greek island and one of the sunniest in the Mediterranean. The paradisiacal island seduces you with 300 hours of sunshine per year and invites you to a beach vacation. But it is also worthwhile to put the numerous cultural sights on the to-do list. Probably the most important is ...

    Free-time activities

    Crete is the largest Greek island and one of the sunniest in the Mediterranean. The paradisiacal island seduces you with 300 hours of sunshine per year and invites you to a beach vacation. But it is also worthwhile to put the numerous cultural sights on the to-do list. Probably the most important is the Palace of Knossos, closely followed by the Arkadi Monastery near Rethymnon and the Archaeological Museum of Iraklio. Here you will learn a lot about Greek history and there are several other destinations, such as the Samaria Gorge or the coastal city of Chania.

    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 18 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

    Language Skills

    You need to speak English (basic level)

    Required Documents

    CV, letter of motivation and visa documentary

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Other Skills

    For the work in the horse academy you do not need any special previous knowledge. However, you should have a lot of love for animals and interest in working with animals, especially with horses

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

    What's Included

    What's Included

    Services by Rainbow Garden Village

    Included:

    • Individual consultation by the RGV team in Munich 

    • Organization of the entire stay incl. placement in the project 

    • Support with travel preparations (if necessary, vaccinations, insurance, safety)

    • Comprehensive RGV Travel ABC for your travel preparations 

    • RGV T-shirt 

    • Accommodation on site Orientation program by the team on site 

    • Personal contact and guidance by the team on site 

    • 24/h emergency number 

    • Certificate of participation 

    • Introductory course Personal development


    • 2x Airport Transfer


    • Meals: Breakfast

    Airport Pickup at Heraklion Airport

    You will get picked up from the airport by a local team member.

    Accommodation

    During your assignment you will live in one of the volunteer apartments on site. Depending on how many volunteers are participating in the project and how long you will stay on site, it will be decided in which apartment you will stay.

    The apartments can accommodate up to three volunteers together. All apartments are fully furnished and equipped with WLAN. Towels and bed linen are provided, but you are responsible for keeping the rooms clean.

    The best way to get to work from your accommodation is by bus or car. A trip can take up to 60 minutes.

    Supermarkets, restaurants, bars and other stores can all be found in the vicinity. The beach is also not far away and invites for swimming days. The area is generally considered safe, so you can stay here alone without any problems. Occasionally there are social events or joint excursions in which you can participate.

    Food & Beverages

    Breakfast is already included in the program cost. You can inform us about your diet before your departure. The vegetarian diet is possible.

    Internet Access

    Good access at the project site

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Heraklion Airport (HER) in Heraklion. We assist you to find cheap flights to Greece. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Greece provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in Greece you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Greece. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival

    You will land in Heraklion and will be picked up from the airport by a team member. On the way to your accommodation you will make a short tour through the city by car. During this tour, the schedule of the next days will be explained to you and you will be shown some important places, buildings, shopping facilities and restaurants. Afterwards you will be taken to your accommodation and have the rest of the day free. You will have time to rest, explore your surroundings or get to know the other volunteers.

    The day after your arrival, the orientation program will begin and you will learn a lot about Greek culture, customs and the house rules. If necessary, you will go together to the city to get a monthly ticket for public transportation or you will go directly to your workplace. There you will be shown your workplace and the further procedures will be explained to you. If you have any questions, you can always contact the team on site. After the orientation program, you have the rest of the day free.
    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program fees

    4 weeks (min. stay) 1,450€
    5 weeks 1,690€
    6 weeks 1,930€
    7 weeks 2,170€
    8 weeks 2,410€
    12 weeks 3,370€
    24 weeks 6,250€
    48 weeks (max. stay) 12,010€
    Average fees 306€/week

    Program fees

    306€ per week 4 - 48 weeks Age 18 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES

    Duration

    4 - 48 weeks

    Deposit

    The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.

    Final Payment

    Your final payment will be agreed with Rainbow Garden Village during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.

    Meet your organization

    Rainbow Garden Village

    Great 4.4 rating (25 reviews)

    Non-profit - founded in 1999

    Verified by Volunteer World

      Good response rate

    Coordinated by

    Steffen

    Spoken languages: English, Spanish, German

    About the project

    Rainbow Garden Village specialises in worldwide volunteer placements and has been sending volunteers on impactful, life-changing trips since 1999.

    Meet your organization

    From Africa to Asia and Europe to Latin America and Oceania - through volunteering or internships our participants gain unique impressions and experiences abroad. Rainbow Garden Village (RGV) offers sustainable projects in more than 30 countries worldwide in various fields, such as social work, teaching, animal welfare, environmental protection, medicine, etc..

    While our participants are engaged in their project, they broaden their horizons and become more open-minded. They strengthen their personal skills, grow from the challenges in their volunteer projects and also improve their language skills. Countless new impressions, experiences and special moments round off the stay abroad - and lead to a return with many exciting stories in the luggage!

    25 reviews · rating4.4

    lena Illenseher rating2.4

    2024 at Support a Horse Riding Academy in Crete

    Zuerst das Positive: Der Stall an dem ich gearbeitet habe ist sehr gut gepflegt und man hat sich wohl gefühlt. RGV hat sich bemüht, Probleme der Teilnehmer wahrzunehmen, in dem es wöchentliche Meetings gab. Das Apartment liegt nah am Strand. Es wurden Ausflüge angeboten (kostenpflichtig) Der ...
    This was a very bad experience for my sister and me. Firstly, we were sent to a different riding school than what had been advertised, without any warning. When we saw the place we had doubts about the animal's welfare. Not to mention the fact that the organization didn't listen to us when we ...
    Lara N rating5

    2024 at Kindergarten in Crete

    I am sharing my incredible experience with volunteer world. The program gave me the opportunity to volunteer in greece, meet other volunteers from other countries, to gain work related knowledge, & to experience the lifestyle in the beautiful island of crete. The program was very organized from the ...
    Katharina Höfner rating5

    2024 at Veterinary Clinic Assistant

    Ich habe mich während meines Aufenthalts absolut wohl gefühlt! Da ich schon Vorkenntnisse durch meinen Beruf als TFA hatte, konnte ich mich sehr gut einbringen und durfte super viel helfen! Das Team hat mich herzlich aufgenommen und mir Vertrauen geschenkt. Ich bin sehr dankbar, dass ich diese ...
    Eliot Jacquemin rating3.8

    2024 at Penguin Sanctuary

    J'ai beaucoup apprécié ce projet. L'organisation fut globalement assez bonne, je n'ai pas eu de soucis. J'ai appris énormément de choses sur les pingouins et les défis qu'ils doivent combattre au quotidien, c'était très inspirant. ..
    Swenja G rating5

    2023 at Street Children

    Now I would like to tell you about my time in Ghana: I lived in Accra for 6 weeks and worked in the street children project there. In the time before my departure, I mainly took care of my health care (vaccinations and tablets against tropical diseases) and read the pages about the country, culture, ...

    Location

    Europe > Southern Europe > Greece > Heraklion

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    Contact Steffen
      Good response rate
    English, Spanish, German

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