Greece
Rhodos
Rocking Horse Ranch
17.07.-20.07.2025
What to expect while working at “Rocking Horse Ranch”?
Here you will find all important information about the accommodation, meals, a typical workday, the horses, and my conclusion.
Table of Contents
General Information
At Greece Rhodes Rocking Horse Ranch, the following was free:
· Accommodation
· Food from the provided fridge
· Water
It was a paid job including room and board.
If you don’t like spiders or have a phobia of them, this is not the place for you!
Regular working hours were 7–8 hours per day, 6 days per week. A day off in the traditional sense was not provided. On the so called “rest day” (Sunday), when no rides took place, all staff still had to do stable work – about an hour in the morning and again in the late afternoon/evening.
During the lunch break or on the day off, the boss (who has a small child) would take staff on trips to the beach or other activities.
Three rides took place every day, each about one hour at a walking pace. Due to the rocky terrain and stony beach, trotting or galloping was not possible.
In the pre- and post-season or with low bookings, staff were allowed to ride along or lead the rides. In the high season, however – with groups of up to eight guests – this was not allowed for safety reasons. During this time, staff had to walk alongside, even over uneven terrain.
Part of the route went through the sea, with the horses led into the water on foot by the staff. Depending on height – in my case (1.62 m) – you get wet up to your stomach. The return to the stable is in wet clothes and often with stones in your shoes.
My Tip:
Bring enough sneakers to change into that can also get wet.
A power bank is also recommended.
Accommodation
The accommodation offered a camping-like feeling.
On the remote, rural property there were 2 wooden huts with insect screens, each with 2 beds. Staff shared the huts, which included 2 beds, a clothing rod with hangers, a 6-drawer cabinet, a shelf with hooks, 2 nightstands, 1 nightstand lamp, and a fan. Each hut had a small balcony with chairs and a table.
Bedding, towels, and T-shirts or tops were provided by the boss.
Throughout the property and huts, solar power was available. Therefore, electronic devices should preferably be charged only during the day.
All staff shared:
- a covered outdoor kitchen with a large fridge, bench, table, sink for washing dishes, and trash can
- an outdoor shower with an uneven stone floor, so water shoes are recommended. The shower is surrounded by a wall, and the entrance consists of two wooden doors that can open inwards and outwards. A basket is provided for shower supplies.
- the toilet with a sink is in a small square stone building with a bamboo roof. The top of the door is open, so you’ll always encounter spiders!
Meals
Staff were responsible for their own meals. The kitchen had a small oven, air fryer, 2-burner gas stove, and dishes. The boss bought groceries and water, and everyone could help themselves from the provided fridge.
Self-bought soft drinks could be chilled in the large fridge.
Sometimes the boss went out to eat with the staff, which each had to pay for themselves.
Working Day
Our workday started around 09:00. Before the riding guests arrived, we completed the following tasks together:
· Feed the horses and clean the paddocks
· Take saddles, bridles, girths, and saddle pads from the tack room and prepare them
· Prepare the horses for the ride
· Welcome guests, distribute helmets, assign horses, adjust stirrups
Then the ride began, which we accompanied on foot. After returning from the ride, we performed the following tasks:
· Unsaddling and unbridling horses
· Return horses to the paddocks
· Clean up everything
Lunch break was from 12:00 to 16:00. The same morning tasks were repeated. After the first ride, we bridled the horses again, distributed feed, and could sit down for 30 minutes to relax. Once the guests arrived, we bridled the horses and tidied the feed buckets. When everyone was seated, the ride began again on foot.
After all riding guests returned, the following tasks were on the schedule:
· Unsaddling and unbridling horses
· Bring horses into the evening paddock
· Clean up everything
The end of the workday was around 20:15, as soon as everything was tidied up.
Horses
There were 13 horses spread across three sandy paddocks. Trees provided shade on all paddocks.
My Review
It was very nice to get to the beach through daily work. The long lunch break of 4 hours was great, and the boss took us on trips like going to the beach or out to eat.
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