Okapuka horse riding safaris and endurance Namibia

Okapuka Horse Safaris offers volunteers the opportunity to acquire a wealth of information on equine management, horse conformation, wildlife, life in Namibia and an exceptional riding experience.

 

Requirements:

You have to be an experienced rider and trained in the English riding style. Your maximum weight (fully dressed) is 80kg. Before you are allowed to train any of our (endurance) horses or join our safari rides your riding skills will be tested. You will be prevented from riding if we think your skills and abilities are insufficient. So, please don’t let this happen!

Our guests come from all over the world and therefore being proficient in English is an absolute must; other languages are obviously welcome. You will meet guests and therefore it is important to be well spoken and dressed accordingly. You are open, have a friendly nature and a natural affinity with people, horses and wildlife. And last, but certainly not least: a good sense of humour is vital.

 

Duties:

Our horse safaris and endurance competitions cater for small groups (maximum 6 riders). We try our utmost to practice what we preach to our agents and our guests and deliver the best of both worlds. The welfare of our horses is of the utmost importance and our standards are high. Therefore the focus is that our horses are kept supple, smooth and picture-perfect to ride. You will be involved in the daily care of the horses, exercising and schooling them and when time allows you will be joining the trails. When not on horseback, time is spend grooming, cleaning tack, helping with logistics and other (ad hoc) duties. The first week or so will be spend getting to know the horses, the routines, the farm, our people and other animals. You will share the duties with your fellow volunteer. Quiet periods offer the chance to keep our horses endurance fit. And obviously, our horses do need daily care. There is never a dull moment. We have 24 purebred Arabians and 4 Arab crosses varying from top-sports horses to foals. A large selection of books on wildlife and Arabian horses is available to use.

 

Availability:

We can take 2 volunteers at a time. The minimum stay is 6 weeks and maximum is 12 weeks. Experience has showed us that the longer you stay the more beneficial it is for all parties involved: horses, you and us. Therefore we encourage you to stay for the maximum 12 weeks as that may also give you the opportunity to travel with us to and maybe participate in one of Namibia’s endurance competitions.

 

Accommodation:

The twin bedroom, with a small porch and an en-suite shower with toilet and washbasin, will be shared with a fellow volunteer (of the same sex) and is situated opposite the stables. The room is equipped with a fridge and coffee/tea making facility, TV and DVD-player, a small safe, South African 3-round pin plugs and European plugs. Your meals will either be self-catered or be shared with us.

 

The Reserve:

Okapuka Ranch is a private game reserve of 10,000 hectares. Okapuka Horse Safaris has riding rights over neighbouring farms which makes the total riding area 30,000 hectares. Wildlife that you are most likely to encounter are oryx, kudu, springbok, blesbok, waterbuck, giraffe, eland, blue and white tailed wildebeest, hartebeest, white rhino and mountain and plains zebra, not to mention meerkat, jackal, bad-eared fox and many, many more. Furthermore, we do have cheetah, leopard and brown hyena roaming around.

 

Getting there:

There are direct flights from Amsterdam to Windhoek (www.klm.com) and from Frankfurt to Windhoek (www.airnamibia.com, www.condor.com). Qatar Airways (www.qatarairways.com) opened flights from Doha to Windhoek. Other airline companies such as www.airfrance.com, www.lufthansa.com, www.britishairways.com and www.flysaa.com fly from all major European cities to Johannesburg and from Johannesburg to Windhoek. Once you've arrived at Windhoek Hosea Kutako we will pick you up and bring you to Okapuka Horse Safaris which is approx. an hour’s drive.

 

Price:

• Euro 1,750.00 for 6 weeks

• Euro 3,000.00 for 12 weeks

 

Included:

All meals, soft drinks, riding, training, accommodation, transfers from Windhoek International Airport to Okapuka Horse Safaris and v.v. and regular trips to Windhoek, participation in, accommodation, meals and soft drinks at endurance rides (depending on riding skill and availability).

 

Excluded:

Alcoholic drinks and all meals and drinks consumed at the bar and/or restaurant, trips, flights, insurance (compulsory and must cover medical emergency and evacuation), inoculations, visas, telephone costs and all personal expenses.

 

Contact:

If you are interested please contact Ingeborg at ohs@iway.na. We will ask you to fill out an application form and send us (through www.wetransfer.com) some pictures and a short video of you on horseback in walk, trot and canter. Once you are accepted we require you to sign an indemnity form and send it together with your 25% deposit (non-refundable).

 

Okapuka Horse Safaris does not accept regular drunkenness and has a zero-tolerance policy on drugs use. Okapuka Horse Safaris reserves the right to terminate any volunteer’s trip when not keeping to the house rules.