Natural Horsemanship and Farmwork on Eco Lodge

The Horse & Farmwork Program is designed for natural horsemanship and academic art of riding interested people, who want to combine a unique, inspiring learning and working experience with an unforgettable time in Costa Rica.

As a working student you will be part of our team and learn Natural Horsemanship, support us on our farm in all means and meet many new people. This is a great opportunity to learn new things to take home and experience real Costa Rica. 

There is a wide range of activities you can get busy while working on our farm. After our weekly meeting Volunteers can choose their jobs from the following areas:

• Care for horse herd: cleaning open stable, moving horses to fields, feeding, grooming, training, riding, teaching kids lessons, trail rides
• Care for other animals like: chickens, dogs, cats etc.
• General farm work: repairing fences, landscaping, gardening
• Handcrafts & building: building wooden furniture; tire walls, bamboo construction, house building 

The farm is a place where people from all over the world meet and share their passion for horses and traveling. The team of Finca Soley loves to welcome guests and volunteers. We are a family run farm. 

You will be living on site in the volunteer house. Volunteers have a kitchen. Also there is a library with books and DVDs about horses, big living room, gardens with hammoks, organic gardens and fruit trees and loads of jungle mountains around.  We have good cellphone connection. To use the internet you can use a national SIM card for a small fee you have internet.

The farm is located on top of a small mountain within a 30min. walk you are in the peaceful town of Tucurrique with shops, sodas, cafes, bars and a soccer field. From here you can take a bus to Cartago o Turrialba. There are cheap taxis to take you around. 

 What we require

• Minimum stay of 4 weeks
• 5 hours work for 5 days a week (3 hours farm work and 2 hours work around the horses)
• solid horse expirience (if you are beginner please join our other program)
• physically fit in order to do farm work 
• The will to learn
• A positive attitude !!!
• Teamplayer
• Love for animals

What we offer

• shared room 
• Natural Horsemanship lessons and learning bitless art of riding (classical riding), learning in a group and access to our big library of videos and books (2x per week lessons)
• Optional Spanish course can be booked ( extra costs)
• trail rides and hikes with the horses
• Participate on tours (extra costs will occur) 
• An unique way to combine your travels with learning Natural Horsemanship

In the morning we head out to take care of the horses. Here we feed hay, muck out the paddock and groom the horses.

After breakfast we will start with the grooming, feeding, training or trails depends the day. 

After training we will be doing projects or work the land, depends what is needed.  

In this program you work 2 hours around the horses and 3 hours help with duties around the farm: gardening, building, cleaning etc. After that we take time to ride and play with the horses. This can be quiet demanding! If you you want to focus on the horses and have more time to relax please check out our intense horse program. 

Swim in the river, library, loads of educational material on Natural Horsemanship, local markets, visit handcraft sugar factory, white water rafting, beach trips, waterfalls, local events,  birs watching, YOGA , latin dance etc.