Head to Pilar in the Pampas to learn the secrets of horse breeding, training and the game of polo. Experience the Argentine rural lifestyle and sport at its best, in a land famed for endless grassy horizons and cowboy traditions.
You'll be staying at a well known polo breeding farm and polo school close to Buenos Aires. The farm is a family-run business where life revolves around the barbeque and polo grounds!
Highlights
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Sharpen up your polo skills
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Learn all about horse breeding
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Learn to Tango!
A day in the life of...
Spend your mornings working alongside the gauchos, taking care of the mares, foals and yearlings and exercising the horses. Help with general stable work and maintenance, learning tricks of the trade and experiencing the magic as gaucho’s break in the young horses. You will also have the opportunity to assist the estancia’s visiting vets helping treating wounds, giving ultra-sounds, vaccinations and keeping records of general horse care.
After lunch and the traditional siesta ( or a dip in the swimming pool!) you'll tackle the game of polo: practice stick and balling, ‘baby chukkas’, matches and possibly (depending on local polo schedule) try your skills in a friendly tournament.
Time Out
There's plenty of time to sample traditional Argentinean hospitality, whether that’s chilling out with the gauchos drinking mate, taking tango lessons in town or attending shows at the local carnival.
This is an amazing opportunity, which enables you to gain a wide experience of Argentina’s amazing polo and riding as well as its diverse culture and countryside.
"Must have" for this project
You must be confident with and around horses as you will be asked to help with all stables activities e.g. feeding mares, foals and yearlings, training two-year olds, healing and exercising the polo ponies, cleaning the tack and stables, collaborating with the grooms in their daily activities and generally helping keep the horses fed and in good condition.
Leapers will play polo according to their skill level. You will be given polo lessons, ‘stick and ball’, play chukkas and eventually take part in matches and local low goal tournaments (if available). You will be supervised and taught polo by your host and other polo professionals. They will take turns alternating their work with horses in Argentina and Europe / Asia throughout the year.
Accommodation and Meals
Depending on the number of volunteers, you will share double or triple bedrooms with private bathrooms in the guest house. You will eat with the family and the guests. Sometimes it will be possible to stay at the stables to have lunch with the grooms, which would be a typical Argentinean barbeque. You will have to pay for all soft drinks, beers etc.