Portugal
Azores
Diogo Silva - Equestrain Adventure
10.04.-30.06.2025
What to expect when working at "Diogo Silva – Equestrian Adventure"?
Here you will find all important information about the accommodation, meals, a typical workday, the horses, and my conclusion.
Table of Contents
General Information
Portugal Azores – Diogo Silva Equestrian Adventure became an independent company starting in April 2025. Previously, the stable was part of “Patio Ecolodge.” The owners are still partners.
For this job, you need to be able to drive a large Jeep. A big plus is having a horse trailer license.
For this job, the following were provided for free:
· Accommodation
· (Tap) water
It was a paid job, including allowances for food. The working hours were 8–11 hours per day, 5 days a week. Two consecutive days off were scheduled each week. The workdays between days off varied, but the boss made sure that no one worked more than a week in a row and that everyone had enough time to rest.
You had to provide your own meals. There was a minimarket 900 meters away. Alternatively, you could go to the city and shop at the large supermarket "Continent," traveling there with someone from the lodge or stable.
Advertisement
While riding, I wore the Royal Horsemen riding leggings – they were extremely comfortable and pleasant to wear.
Find all available options on Amazon here.*
Accommodation
For the employee, the boss rented an apartment with two bedrooms. The apartment might be shared with up to two other people working at the lodge. The bathroom with bathtub-shower, toilet, sink, and cabinet, as well as the kitchen with stove, oven, dishes, and the hallway with a dining table and four chairs, were shared.
We had the privilege of a small heater until June, which we also shared. In June, the boss removed the heater from our apartment.
The boss provided blankets, pillows, and towels. My tip: the best pillow is the backrest of the sofa.
Bed sheets, duvet and pillow covers, and towels came directly from the lodge, and the boss wanted the employees to have them washed weekly at the lodge.
The house had free Wi-Fi, and the password was on the router.
The apartment was 250 meters from the lodge and very easily accessible on foot.
There was no washing machine or dryer in the apartment. I took the laundry to the lodge for washing. At home, I had to hang the laundry to dry, which sometimes stayed in the bag all day after being freshly washed.
Meals
The Employer need to prepair their own food. A pot and a pan were available in the apartment.
Alternatively, you could eat at a restaurant one kilometer away, right next to the minimarket.
The boss provided a monthly allowance for food.
On the first day of the “Faial Trail” or the third day with the “Wild Womens,” the responsible guide provided lunch at the lodge or a picnic.
Working Day
Our workday started around 08:00. Before the riding guests arrived, we completed the following tasks together:
· Feeding the horses
· Take saddles, bridles, girths, and saddle pads from the tack room and prepare them
· Grooming, saddling, and bridling horses for beginners
· Greeting guests, handing out helmets, assigning horses, adjusting stirrups, and starting the ride
Advanced riders were allowed to groom, saddle, and bridle their horses themselves. Then the ride began. After returning from the ride, we did the following tasks:
· Unsaddling and unbridling horses
· Groom the horses
· Return horses to the paddock or pasture
· Wash girths and bridles
· Clean up everything
For those not assigned to a ride, tasks included general work, such as moving horses (sometimes with Jeep and trailer), training young horses, refilling hay bales, putting hay into bags, oiling saddles, cleaning up, filling water, and cleaning paddock 1.
After our one-hour lunch break, approximately 12:00–13:00, we continued our work. Either the day ride continued, or a beginner ride or lesson took place, or young horses were trained and help was given with shoeing if needed.
After all riding guests returned, the following tasks were on the schedule:
· Unsaddling and unbridling horses
· Bringing horses into the evening and feeding them
· Clean up and wash bridles and girths
The workday ended as soon as everything was in order.
Advertisement
Horses
There were 25 horses and one Shetland pony on paddocks and pastures. They were outside 24/7 and had plenty of space. They had either constant access to grass or hay, and water containers were always full.
All horses were in very good condition.
My Review
I really enjoyed the workplace. It was an amazing experience to see half the island from horseback. There was plenty of riding, and the sea was almost always in sight. The highlight was the hydrangeas.
English 
German 