What Will I Be Doing?
This programme offers you the chance to spend a few days in Australia's most famous city; Sydney! You will get to witness all the city highlights and a trip to The Blue Mountains. Following this you will transit to the home of Employ Equine to experience the very best of what our team can offer by way of Aussie equine skills and Aussie culture. At the end of the week , head off well prepared to your pre-organised paid job in the horse industry.
day 1- Friday
- The first few days of the programme are designed to help you get over jet lag, and to ensure that you are prepared fully for the equine adventure ahead of you. This is also a fantastic opportunity for you to experience the sights and sounds of Sydney !
Following your arrival at Sydney airport, a complimentary voucher for the bus shuttle will transport you to your central accommodation at Sydney's awesome Railway Square Square YHA where you will be staying for 3nights
If you arrive early then the rest of the day is free for you to explore this wonderful and iconic city... or if you've come a long way, you may chose to sleep off the flight
In the evening we invite you to meet up with other participants and enjoy a relaxed welcome induction and a dinner on us
day 2 - Saturday
You have a whole day to properly explore Sydney with your new course mates
Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, enjoy a show at the Sydney Opera House or trip across town for some sunbathing and surfing at the famous Bondi Beach!
In the evening why not experience the amazing nightlife that Sydney has to offer including a huge choice of restaurants, bars and nightclubs
day 3 - Sunday
You will be collected from your accommodation at 7am for a full day of activities, sit back and relax and let our tour guides show you the best of outer Sydney
You will visit Featherdale Wildlife park to see a range of Australia's native animals such as Koalas and Kangaroos
Take in the breath taking views of the famous 3 sisters rock formation from Echo point and enjoy some time on rides at Scenic World
Beat the rush hour by cruising back along the river to Circular Quay and we recommend at least once in your lifetime, enjoying a sunset dinner in Sydney Harbour
day 4 - Monday
You will be given instructions on how to catch the train out of Sydney to meet the Employ Equine team
On arrival you will be presented with a welcome orientation and complimentary tea, coffee and ‘smoko’ snacks
We will help you set up a bank account, superannuation fund, mobile phone and apply for a medicare card
Enjoy our authentic saddlery offering selected discounts on horse gear and riding wear
We will head back to the farm for a late lunch, then settle you in to your new home with us at Employ Equine
The team will introduce you to the property and your allocated horse for the week. You will begin your equine adventure with a demonstration on how to use Australian riding equipment including how to work stock saddles and cinch girths, how to ride with split reins, how to tie up correctly, how to mount correctly and how to ride stock style
In the evening you will enjoy a traditional Aussie BBQ dinner and you will be given a welcome pack including a useful cap, t-shirt and water bottle
day 5 - Tuesday
Prepare to get up early as today you are going cattle mustering on horses. Spend a hot and dusty but rewarding day bringing in cattle.
Stop for a quick lunch and in the afternoon, learn how to work with cattle in the yards
After a hard day's work, enjoy cooking over a campfire with a traditional stockman's evening of beer and bushman's food as you recount the highlights of the day's events
Learn the cattlemen's art of whip cracking and witness the beautiful Aussie outback under the stars
day 6 - wednesday
Enjoy a mixture of equine education and fun to help you prepare for working with horses in Australia
You may be practicing polo skills, learning to lead horses from horseback, gaining tips on how to be a good strapper, horsemanship skills, how to use horses walkers, rugs and boots, or how to treat minor medical wounds
Compete in friendly groom competitions involving races to tack up and preparing horses for equine sports when under pressure!
For something a little bit different, in the afternoon you will get in an introduction to using quad bikes and tractors. Many properties use quad bikes to move horses around and tractors to move feed and fencing equipment. It is important that you get the idea of the basics before heading out to your job. It's also a lot of fun!
Help with farm and horse duties before a well deserved, home-cooked dinner. In general we ask that you get fully stuck in with the day to day duties on the farm. This extends to helping with cooking, keeping things clean in the accommodation as well as the yard, playing with the children and offering to help the staff where possible. This is certainly something that will be expected in lots of jobs. This is not just a job, it's a lifestyle that you are signing up for and the more involved you are, the more you will get out of your experience
Day 7 - Thursday
In the morning you will get the fantastic opportunity to visit a local racing stud
Here you will learn how things operate on a real working property. You may be shown practical farrier work, horsemanship skills or how to handle breakers, foals and highly strung horses
After lunch you will be loading the horses and heading to the beach for a beautiful afternoon ride on the sand dunes only a short distance away from the home of Employ Equine
In the evening head back to the farm to settle the horses back in and enjoy a sunset dinner before bed
Day 8 - Friday
The final morning will involve a relaxing ride through the gorgeous Australian hills and bush land
If warm enough, you will swim the horses and enjoy a picnic
When you return we will conduct a final briefing session. You will be presented with a departure pack including all your necessary paperwork, travel tickets to your job, further helpful information, a certificate of completion and a big thank you for taking part in our programme
You will travel back to either Newcastle or Sydney to enjoy a final night in the big city before going into rural Australia. Friday night at the hostel will be included as part of your package
Day 9 - Saturday
The team will have booked all your travel for you and today you will begin your journey to your new job. Best of luck!