Horsetrekking Assistant

  Mongolia

• Other Cities in Mongolia: 
Ulaanbaatar

Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: We need volunteers from April 15 to October 30. Right now we have many open positions, especially for June, September and October. We especially need English teaching volunteers - positions are available throughout the summer.

Description: Our business is taking tourists on multi-day back-country horse treks.

If you have experience with horses, we would like to have you work with our customers, getting them ready to ride and then ride out on our horse treks.

We also really need people who can teach English. This area is critical for the development of the business, and you can really make a difference here.

In your free time, you can stay on site and fly a kite, ride a horse, read, hike, etc. If we are going into town you will be welcome to come with us and check your email, make phone calls, go shopping etc. We also visit the neighbors fairly often. They have delicious yogurt, and we ride over to buy some once a week or so.

Highlights: You will live at our base camp in a Mongolian ger. It is very much like a homestay. We have a base camp with about 10 gers (the round tent you see in the picture). Some are for staff and some are for guests, but we all share meals together and live together as a family. A Mongolian homestay gives you an up-close cultural experience that you just can't achieve by being a tourist. You will get a chance to see some of the most beautiful, unspoiled countryside in the world. You will be close to, and make friends with, people from one of the last few nomadic cultures in the world. If you're a horse lover, you'll be in heaven in Mongolia - it's a true "horse culture" and you can ride as much as you want in a land without fences or private property.

In terms of your studies or career, we will be happy to write a letter of reference for you describing your time with us.

Qualifications: The following are required skills for this position:

- experience caring for and being around horses
- experience camping and preferably backpacking

OR
- English teaching experience and ability to live without mod-cons.

* Please apply if you are interested in teaching English, even if you have no horse experience.

Personal characteristics that will help you be most successful: extensive 3rd world travel, a sense of humor, flexibility, and patience. If you are the kind of person who needs to know exactly what to expect, needs a schedule, and gets frustrated when things don't go as planned, this is definitely not the right position for you. Mongolia is a challenging environment where the unexpected is the rule, where the weather forces us to change plans, and where creative improvisation has created a culture of hardy, independent and resilient people.

Cost in US$: USD 100/week

Your accommodation is a traditional Mongolian ger that sleeps 4 people. Your bed will have a pillow, mattress and blankets, however you need to bring your own sleeping bag.

We serve 3 meals a day. Important: we do not cater to vegetarians. We simply do not have the fuel to cook two meals for lunch and dinner. Please do not apply if you are a vegetarian.

We also bring our customers (riders) to and from the city regularly. If there is space in the car, you are welcome to come a long to check your email or go shopping.

You must provide your own health insurance.

Experience Required: yes

Either Horseriding and ability to live without modern conveniences OR English teaching and ability to live without modern conveniences.

Typical Volunteer: The typical Stepperiders volunteer may be interested in ecology, or native cultures, nomadic cultures, or in simply getting far from the modern world. They have experienced life without modern conveniences. They do not bring a hairdryer anywhere. They can be perfectly happy without electricity for a couple of weeks. The typical volunteer has a lot of patience, a great sense of humor, and is an extrovert. Important: They are either horse lovers or English teachers. Sometimes both.

Age Range: 20-55

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Mongolia Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Year Founded: 2006