At a glance
- This is a volunteer opportunity with Projects Abroad. Devxchange will assist you in choosing the right fit, raising funds with your own campaign page, issuing tax receipts to donors if project meets CRA criteria as a charitable activity. Devxchange will also assist you in onboarding with Projects Abroad.
- Join our Equine Therapy internship in Argentina and get a unique insight into this therapeutic practice. This is a wonderful opportunity for those who enjoy working with both people and horses.
- This unique type of therapy has been shown to have positive impact on patients and your role is to support these patients and interact with them and make sure they feel safe during their lessons.
- During your time in Argentina, you’ll stay with a host family. This is a great opportunity to learn about the local way of life and improve your Spanish skills.
Details
- Work with riders and horses during equine therapy sessions
- Care for the horses on a daily basis
- Learn more about the theory behind this therapy
Includes/Excludes
Food and accommodation
- Food (three meals a day)
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Full induction and orientation by an experienced staff member on arrival
- Transport to and from your work placement
- In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team of full-time local staff
- Emergency assistance from our international emergency response team
- Project equipment and materials, including access to our database with thousands of resources
- Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
- Regular social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
- Access to our local office with internet connection
- Certification of project completion
- Access to our alumni services and discounts
- Visa support and advice
- Fundraising support, including your own personalized fundraising website with DevXchange
- Tax Receipts for your donors if activity meets CRA criteria for charitable activity.
- Pre-departure preparation by your own specialist Volunteer Advisor
- Personalized MyProjectsAbroad website, with all the information you need about your project, accommodation and destination
- A free cultural awareness course
- Membership to our volunteer social media groups, to share information and to get in touch
- Support to help you complete registration or internship documents, if applicable
Not Included
- Flights
- Visa Costs (where applicable)
- 10% Admin fee for donations involving tax receipts.
Itinerary
This internship is open to anyone who is passionate about helping others. It’s also a great option if you’re planning a career related to psychology or occupational therapy.
You will have a supervisor for the duration of your placement, who is also the owner of the centre. She has been running classes for over 20 years. You’ll be taught everything you need to know about interacting with patients and working with the horses.
In order to join this project, you need to have an intermediate level of Spanish. This is because you will be communicating with the supervisor and patients in this language.
It is also preferred if you know how to ride horses. This means that you’ll be able to actually participate in the therapy sessions, working with the horses. Otherwise you will take on a less active role during classes.
This project is available year-round, although it quietens down from the end of December to the end of February. You need to join for a minimum of two weeks, but our start and end dates are flexible. This means you can choose a time that suits your schedule.
There’s lots to do on this equine therapy work experience placement in Argentina. Your tasks will be varied and interesting. Duties will include:
- Work with riders and horses during equine therapy sessions
- Care for the horses on a daily basis
- Learn more about the theory behind this therapy
Work with riders and horses during equine therapy sessions
Assisting in the therapy sessions is your main role on this placement. You’ll help the patients to get dressed in their riding gear, which includes helmets and riding vests. Depending on the physical ability of your patient, you will either ride on the horse with them or alternate between walking alongside them and leading the horse.
With many of the patients, you’ll need to help them stay focused during these sessions so that they don’t become anxious or distracted. This can be done through making conversation, singing, setting up obstacle courses, or playing musical instruments, for example.
You’ll only actively assist in these sessions after the first three or four days, once the supervisor is confident that you are ready to cope with the work.
Care for the horses on a daily basis
The dedicated therapy horses also need attention and care each day. You’ll help to look after them by feeding them, grooming them, and keeping their coats and hooves clean. You’ll also need to muck out the stalls and clean the outside area where the horses stand during the day.
Before classes, you’ll need to warm up the horses by taking them on a ten minute ride, and ensure that they are saddled up and ready for their riders in the arena.
Learn more about the theory behind this therapy
This project also gives you the opportunity to learn more about the theoretical and practical aspects of equine therapy. You may attend classes which teach you about the theory and how to apply it when working with patients.
The owner of the centre will also take you through everything you need to know about working with the horses in this context. You’ll be taught how to ensure the therapy sessions remain playful for the children, so that they can achieve their therapy goals while still having fun.
After enjoying breakfast at the home of your friendly host family and spending the morning in the city, it’s time to head to work. You’ll travel here via bus – it’s around a 40 minute ride from the city centre to the stables. On your first day, our staff will accompany you to show you the way.
A typical working day on this project runs from 3pm – 7pm, Monday to Friday. You’ll have your evenings and weekends free to relax or travel.
In the afternoon, you’ll spend your time actively assisting in the therapy classes, helping the children and adults learn to ride. You’ll interact with the patients, supporting them during their sessions and getting to know their stories. The horse riding classes are supervised by the founder of the centre, who has been teaching here for over 20 years.
The number of children participating in the sessions varies according to the time of year. Classes usually start at 4pm, and run for thirty minutes.
The horses also need daily care, so you’ll make sure that they are fed and groomed, and that their stalls are cleaned. You’ll warm them up before classes, saddle them up and take them back and forth between the riding area and their stables as needed.
Once you’re done for the day, it’s time to relax. You can spend time getting to know your host family over a delicious Argentinian-style dinner. Barbeques are a particularly popular option! We also organise regular social events for our volunteers and interns. This is a great way to make new friends and get to know the local staff while taking part in fun cultural activities.
Cordoba
You will be based at an equine therapy centre situated around 40 minutes from the city Córdoba. The centre caters for both adults and children who have a range of physical and mental conditions.
Córdoba is located in the centre of Argentina, and is the second biggest city after the capital Buenos Aires. It has good public transport links, both local and long-distance, which makes it convenient for you to travel.
Córdoba is famous for its stunning architectural monuments dating back to the Spanish colonial period. It also has plenty to offer tourists. If you enjoy nature, you can take advantage of the many hiking trails, national parks, and ancient ruins. For culture fans, check out the local museums, art galleries and historical landmarks.
Food and accommodation
You’ll stay with a host family in Córdoba. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Argentina and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your programme fee includes three meals a day.
Free Time and Leisure Activities
Argentina is a vibrant South American country bursting with colour and rich heritage. Along with contributing to worthwhile projects, a trip with us to Argentina means you can explore this fascinating country.
Enjoying a coffee at the Plaza de San Martin, with its street performers and iconic statue of General Jose de San Martin, is the perfect way to spend an evening. It’s located in Cordoba, where our projects are based, so you don’t have to travel far for this experience.
For thrill seekers, you can take a weekend trip to La Cumbre where you can go paragliding off lofty cliffs. The surrounding nature is breathtaking and a horse ride around nature trails here is well worth it.
There are also enriching cultural experiences, like the Evita Fine Arts Museum or the Teatro del Libertador General San Martin. You can also learn more about the country’s history at local museums.
There will likely be other volunteers in Argentina with you. So you can choose to explore solo, or with a group of volunteers from different projects.
