General Info
At Sunray Farm we offer a unique working horse riding opportunity on a farm on the Wild Coast of South Africa.
WILD COAST HORSEBACK ADVENTURES
An Equine Experience with Wild Coast Horse Trails & Torstone Sport Horse Stud
Join us for a wonderful horse riding experience at Sunray Farm, Home of Torstone Sport Horse Stud and Wild Coast Horse Trails
1 to 12 weeks Working riding holiday on the Wild Coast of South Africa
We are South Africa's leading Gap Year Working Riding Holiday program. We cater for all levels of horse riders who want an extended horse riding experience.
We offer unpretentious hospitality in a setting that allows guest to relax de-stress and escape the clutter of everyday life. This is simple country living and riding on a working horse and cattle farm, no frills - just great riding on lovely horses, a comfortable bed, home cooked food and lots of conversation revolving around the horses!!
Based at Sunray Farm we offer different daily rides around the farm looking for game and from our beach paddocks in Kei Mouth.
For a perfect riding holiday, overnight trails can be enjoyed separately or combined to create an authentic rural African experience.
Riding at the farm offers a selection of out-rides through indigenous bush looking for naturally occurring game, schooling in our outdoor arena, riding lessons, a mini cross country jumping course, barrel racing and games on horseback, round pen work, and several different beach rides in Kei Mouth and Morgan Bay.
Join us for 1 to 12 weeks hands on riding holiday, in an alternative environment using natural horse care and horsemanship. You will be involved with the day to day care of the horses, do lots of riding, exercising and schooling the horses, and have an option to do a Wild Coast Horse Trail.
This is an excellent environment to get work experience for equine students, advanced riders will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and great riding, intimidate riders can immerses themselves with the horses, and novice & beginner riders’ riding will improve!
We require that candidates be horse lovers and can walk, trot and canter confidently, No other experience is necessary as we will teach you as you go along.
Placement Info
Working Riding Holiday program sample.
The program is dependant on prevailing weather and when an overnight trail has been booked!
This is just a guide as to what you can expect during your stay.
Our morning starts at 7.30 am for breakfast and we start with the horses at 8 am; we have an hour for lunch and finish around 5 pm in the afternoon. If it is very hot we might take a longer lunch and ride later in the cool of the evening.
Daily Routine
The mornings are spent at the farm and you will assist with the morning grooming and care of the horses. This normally takes 1 to 2 hours before you do your morning riding.
Young horses need handling, teaching to lead, stand for grooming & feet ect.
Horses need exercising and young up and coming horses need basic schooling in dressage and jumping.
We have a dressage arena, some jumps, a mini cross country course, a space for barrel racing, dams for swimming the horses, lots of out rides on the farm where you can spot naturally occurring wild game!
During the afternoon you will most probably go down to the beach. We run a string of horses at our paddocks in Kei Mouth, they need to be fed and groomed daily. You will do lots of beach riding and when holiday makers book a ride you will be able to ride with them.
WEEK 1
We will collect you from the Airport or Buss stop in East London and bring you back to the farm. The first few days are spent getting to know us and the horses, and we will assess your riding ability. You will be shown our routine in grooming and tacking up horses, taught about general riding safety, and how to conduct yourself while riding in a group and with clients.
WEEK 2
Preparation for the overnight trails includes cleaning and checking tack and equipment, transporting horses to the paddocks at Kei Mouth and bathing and grooming the horses for the start of trail.
If you are riding on an overnight trail, the next 7 days will be filled with great riding along the Wild Coast. You are expected to assist with feeding and care of the horse while on trail and to help out where needed.
WEEK 3
Once the trail is completed, we will bring horses back to the farm and all the tack will need stripping and cleaning to get rid of all the sand and sea salt!! You will probably need a day in East London to do some shopping, see a movie and have lunch. We can also recommend having a day out at Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve where you can do a 4x4 safari and see the “big 5”, have lunch and then participate in an elephant interaction session with the reserves tame elephants!
WEEK 4
We may have another trail booked, and you will help with the preparations ect. Otherwise you will have an opportunity to get hands on experience doing some “round pen” work, “join up” and how to “start” a young horse. A day ride along the beach is planned with a pub lunch at Seagulls.
