- Must be physically fit.
- Must not have any allergies or medical conditions.
- Must be willing to participate in all activities provided by the farm including cleaning, maintenance and household chores. All participants will be expected to contribute to the daily chores and activities on the farm as any other member of the household. Other activities and events occur depending on the season (e.g. harvest festivals, foaling, or rodeos).
- Must be between the age of 20 and 35.
- Must have at least upper intermediate (7/10) English level.
- Must have a travel insurance.
- Some types of farms require specific experience, i.e. horseback riding (horse training/breeding farms require applicants with at least 5 years riding experience; exceptions on a case by case basis.
- In some cases the participant needs to undergo a phone interview with the Ranchstay supervisor and/or the farm family.
Application
Minimum 8-12 weeks prior to their proposed program start date. Short notice applications MAY be accepted on a case by case basis. Applications will be processed only when all required documents are received. Once the applicant is accepted, a letter of confirmation (LOC) will be sent.
Documents needed
- Application form.
- Program Policies.
- Resume (in any form).
- Motivation letter in Word document; template attached (must include: characteristics/personality, experience relevant to Ranchstay, program objectives) THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT!
- Horse questionnaire for candidates that want to stay on a farm with horses.
- 2 references (if you have any).
- Copy of passport (picture page).
- 3-4 pictures in color (with animals, on vacation, with friends/family).
- A non refundable application fee of 200€, it will then be deducted from the total amount.
Placement confirmation
After the placement is confirmed, placement details will be sent. If candidates go directly to the farm, candidates will receive an arrival package/itinerary prior to departure.
Policies (abbreviated)
- After application, withhold application fee.
- After phone interview with supervisor, withhold application fee + 50% of remaining total fees excluding weekly fee.
- After interview with farm is arranged, withhold application fee + 75% of remaining total fees excluding weekly fee.
- After Placement is offered, no refund except for the weekly fee.
Candidates who choose to shorten their Ranchstay program after they started the program are required to give 4 weeks written notice to the farm and to the organisation to qualify for a refund of the remaining weekly fee. Participants are only offered one placement, choices of location and/or type of farm are not guaranteed. Candidate can be dismissed by the farm and/or the organisation at any time for CAUSE (including poor performance, misrepresentation of skills/education, lack of punctuality, inability to perform required tasks, etc.)
Miscellaneous
- Participants are not permitted to receive any form of salary or remuneration (unless they have a work permit).
- Participants will pay a weekly fee to stay on the farm.
- The type of host farm may be requested in advance (e.g. horse farm, cattle ranch, guest farm, etc.) and although we attempt to cater to specific requests (e.g. the family must have a tractor; the family should have a minimum of 10 horses, etc.), We cannot guarantee the specific conditions of the farm experience. Certain farm availability also depends on individual participant experience (e.g. horse training or breeding farms require horse riding experience).
- In some instances, lodging may be in a temporary, detached structure such as a trailer or tent.
- Although most farms do have internet access, it is NOT always.
- Many farms are outside of areas covered by wireless telecommunication systems and cellular telephones may not work.
- Any personal belongings (including notebook computers or cellular telephones) are brought entirely at the participants’ risk.