Our program is for you if you're interested in learning about natural horsemanship, being around rescued dogs and cats, and discovering what it's like to live in Incredible India!
There are three main facets to our volunteer program:
1) Learn natural horsemanship, commonly referred to as "horse whispering"
Manjeev is an officially certified Monty Roberts instructor - the only one in Asia. He has spent extensive time working with and training horses, including wild mustangs in the US. He also got involved in mental health projects using horses to help war veterans with PTSD and troubled youth, among many others. Charlotte is a Monty Roberts advanced student. She is passionate about helping people bond with horses as well as build leadership and confidence skills through their relationships with horses.
Our volunteer programs offer the opportunity to learn about horses, their psychology and body language as well as the right way to work and communicate with them and all from the ground! The first part of the program will focus on teaching you the basics of natural horsemanship in theory and giving you the chance to implement it in practice with our horses who are all safe and trained. You will then assist in our natural horsemanship workshop and courses, as well as in the workshops we run outside of the farm.
2) Rehabilitate rescued dogs and cats
We have 9 rescued dogs and two rescued cats. They are all very, very keen on attention and cuddles and the more we can give them, the better. Depending on your comfort level, the program involves taking the dogs for a walk, playing with them, as well as bonding. We are also very involved with the local animal rescue organisations. You are welcome to join us there too.
3) Experiencing Incredible India
The horse ranch is in the country side, about 15km from where we (and you, as a volunteer) live, in the heart of town. This means you'll get to experience two sides of India. On the one hand, you'll see the beautiful country side and it's surrounding villages, where we can go on long walks and hikes in gorgeous forests. On the other hand, you'll get to experience the excitement of being based at the heart of a bustling town, where there is a lot to do, from going to museums, experience cool cafes and book shops, going for a massage (and the downside: getting stuck the in-famous Asian traffic jams!)
You'll get to see the side of India that you don't see on TV and in documentaries: how "normal" people live. You will be staying with us at our home inside a gated complex walking distance from modern amenities such as Starbucks, cinemas and plenty of delicious restaurants and street food and even a spa! You'll have your own room, bathroom, living room area with a private access to the balcony.
Why we need your help and what difference will you make?
1) bonding with animals
With 9 dogs, 4 horses and two cats, we struggle to spend enough quality time with each of our animals. Real quality time is when you relax with them, cuddle, interact, and train them on a one-on-one basis. You'll make a big difference to them by giving them the much-needed attention they deserve.
2) learning gentle horse training methods
By learning natural horsemanship, you will help us spread these non-violent training methods. The more people understand horse psychology and gentle horse training, the better chance we will have to eradicate violent methods.
3) help with our courses
You will help us during our courses and workshops by assisting and, depending on your level of comfort and experience, guiding our students in their interactions with the horses, as well as dogs and cats.
4) help us with the local animal shelters
We are heavily involved in two local shelters. One is a dog rescue where we go regularly to walk the dogs and bond with them. The other is a sanctuary with horses (and many other animals) where we conduct pro-bono natural horsemanship workshops to help raise funds. If you want, you can help us with our work with them.
5) help out at the farm
Do you have a green thumb? Do you like learning about plants and taking care of them? Then we need you to help take care of the greenery on the farm! If you don't know much about that side of things, it's a great opportunity to learn.
6) help with social media
Do you like taking photos or writing? If so, we'd love you to help us create posts and updates about the farm, as well help write about equine welfare awareness.
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We get very involved with our volunteers and want to make sure they have the best time possible, learning as much as they can as well as enjoying all the things we offer to our clients. This is why we don't take more than 2 volunteers at any time to make sure we can give the best quality time.
We'll provide you all your meals, delicious home cooked vegetarian food!
Although we run our program throughout the year, note that the best period is from October to March only as it is very hot in April-May-June and very wet (because of the monsoon) in Jul-Aug-Sept. If you're feeling brave (and it's been done!!) you are welcome during summer/monsoon!