Lækjarhús Horse Farm (ICE-16)


Type: Environmental/Green Projects: Animals - Country: Iceland

Brief description and main aims

Lækjarhús Horse Farm is a family run farm that has 2 adults and 2 children plus some workers and volunteers during summer and busy times. Besides horses, the farm has many other animals, such as sheep, hens, goats, cows and dogs.
 
 

Main Activities

The work will be traditional farming on a horse ranch, i.e. taking care of the horses and sheep, fence maintenance, haymaking and agriculture. Other work includes gardening and environmental work, such as traditional gardening, painting and repairs. The volunteer is expected to learn various farming tasks and be able to focus on areas they find rewarding and interesting. The intercultural learning will be through interaction with the family, locals and through learning how a farm in Iceland is traditionally run. 

Volunteer tasks

The aim is that the volunteer will to help around the farm and in the home. The farm duties include feeding the animals, mending fences, taking the horses out for a ride, combing the horses and helping anywhere there is a need. Most of the tasks at the farm depend on the season and are therefore diverse. Because of these diverse activities the volunteer can spend time in areas they find interesting. 
 
As this is a family run farm, the volunteer will be working closely with the family and take part in all activities and chores in the home. It is quite likely that the volunteer will quickly become part of the family due to working and living so closely to them. The people who own this farm are extremely welcoming and accommodating. They want the volunteer to be able to integrate and be part of the family.
 
 

Volunteer requirements / Skills

The volunteer has to be flexible, like to work with animals and care for them. Be willing and open to help with various tasks on the farm, be open to new experiences and interested in discovering a new society and culture. The owners of the farm are interested in having foreign volunteers as they find it interesting to have someone from a different country, because it adds to the project and family.

Location

Lækjarhús Horse Farm is located in Hornafjörður, the south of Iceland, about 20 minutes from Höfn and 6 and half hours from Reykjavik by bus. It's 2 km from the Atlantic Ocean and 26 km from Jökulsárlón, a glacial lake. 
 
Lækjarhús is still a bit isolated for those who don‘t have a car since there are no buses to Höfn during the winter time, but the family is more than willing to help volunteers reach Höfn. There are approximately 1500 people living in Höfn. All services are provided, including medical services. Skaftafell (in Vatnajökull National Park) is one and a half hour away by car.
 
The farm has connections to other farms around the area and there is a lot of communication between them. There will be many opportunities to meet and visit other farms and to get to know both the local people in the area as well as seasonal workers and volunteers. They visit Höfn fairly often and always invite the volunteer to go with them. They have also mentioned being willing to lend their car to the volunteer so he/she can visit the village freely.

Hosting Situation (Board and Lodging)

The volunteer will live with the family and have his/her own room. All of their food is provided by the project.

 
The working hours will be mainly during the day but during certain times of the year the volunteer may be asked to work very early mornings and on few occasions in the evening.

More Information

Volunteers needed: 1

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