Equine Volunteer
Joseph's Dream Equine Volunteer Program
Surround yourself with the healing and inspiring spirit of Joseph’s Dream Stud in the silence of the African bush! Learn and sharpen your natural horsemanship skills, help raise youngstock, and assist with training and backing horses. Learn to truly live and train horses force free and with respect and experience the joy and freedom of this! Share this joy with like-minded people from all over the world and the children of the community and create moments of healing and awareness.
You will be involved in the daily care of 40+ Academy & Stud horses, our miniature horses and Alpacas and might also get to work with some equine rescues. Of course, you’ll have time to recharge, relax, enjoy guided safari rides, get creative and just absorb the beauty of Namibia's stunning nature, free roaming wildlife and our gorgeous horse family.
Our Equine Volunteer Program is an opportunity for everyone with a limited budget but the willingness to help to learn from our JD Academy while assisting with daily chores around our equines.
Learn to read and then communicate with horses in trust and joy with different methods like Liberty, Trust exercises, Clicker Training, Bodywork and more to truly connect force free!
The minimum stay for the Joseph’s Dream Equine Volunteer Program is four weeks and the maximum length of stay twelve weeks.
What you will learn
Our JD Academy is running monthly Holistic Horsemanship Courses for 2-3 weeks. As a volunteer you will join some of these sessions but due to your longer stay with us you will get the opportunity to work hands-on with our trainers on training youngsters and backing young horses etc. Some beautiful one-on-one equine journeys and relationships are waiting for your to grow along with! You will become part of the family and have your daily chores like assisting our grooms with walking horses, grooming horses, cleaning water troughs and mini paddocks. Due to our Academy you will always be surrounded by inspiring and like minded people during your stay of all ages in addition to your volunteer colleagues.
Training Modules that you will cover during your stay with us:
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Module 1: Our Foundation of JD Horse Training / mindset / stage of mind / bodylanguage / the 3 training energies
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Module 2: Our tools - develop feel / flagwork / groundmanners / be & become equal partners
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Module 3: Liberty - tricks & challenges
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Module 4: Bodywork & awareness / sharpen your eyes and senses
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Module 5: 'Parking' & riding / seat training / riding from feel / riding in nature
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Module 6: Reward-based-training / target training
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Module 7: Biomechanics / healthy movement / balance / in-hand work / healthy working on the circle versus lunging
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Module 8: Trusting techniques & mindful sharing / building confidence from true connection
Please note that, depending on the length of your stay, you get plenty of time in the saddle and get to enjoy outrides in the savannah but that we are not a holiday riding camp. We are a training facility and our program always starts from the ground and our focus lies on building the connection! Our different modules build up onto each other and you will later translate into the saddle what you have learned and developed together with your project horse on the ground. Our focus in our training program lies on liberty work and connection. (You usually only get to ride for the first time in your second week during our program.)
Every journey is individual and unique. We do expect an open mind from our volunteers to feel into their own journey, the training that is required for their project horse and to be open for the incredible unique experience that will be waiting for you and a truly personal journey! We require from you to first connect with out horses from the ground and to build that connection before you live it in the saddle. Please also note that this is also a breeding stud and there are horses at different ages and training levels that we have to accommodate in the daily training program.
Although this is not a riding focussed stay you will still enjoy scenic outrides in between. As a volunteer you might also get the chance to book two nights at at our unique JD Safari camp where you will sleep above your horse and can see giraffes, zebras and antelopes from horseback during the day. Please note that this is an extra holiday activity offered on side and extra charges apply. (550 Euro pp)
What you will do
Your daily chores always start with helping the JD grooms to walk the horses out and finishes in the afternoon with walking them in again. Around the training lessons & demos of the academy the daily chores our daily chores are rotating chores during the weekdays and are for example: holistic muscle training for horses, paddock cleaning; grooming horses; taking horses for walks; cleaning tack; cleaning water troughs; Horses medical care; pick out hooves; halter training, keep horses fit on outrides, assisting with veterinary tasks, feeding, and other care taking. On Friday afternoons every volunteer assists with our equine assisted activities and creative classes for the kids from the nearby hostel at JD and if you are interested you can also volunteer to assist on other weekdays in the afternoons in the hostel itself (this is on offer but not obligatory).
Working/Activity hours: Your helping hand will be required from Monday - Friday, from 08:00 - 13:00 & 14:00-17:00. Not every day will be the same and during academy courses your daily schedule will look different than non-Academy courses during the month. All our equine volunteer gets at least one training session, group session, academy theory session or guided equine activity per day and is welcome to watch interesting demo sessions of our guest trainers at the Academy. Although we appreciate a helping hand with walking out horses on Saturday morning, in general weekends are off and there is also no training during the weekends.
Free-time activities
There is plenty of free time for you to enjoy the surrounding nature from your veranda (we have free roaming game like kudu, giraffes, zebra, waterbuck, ostriches etc on the property); go for hikes onto the mountain trail (even together with our miniature horses), enjoy all the farm animals, your beautiful pool with sunset view or get involved with our community project. You will have time to read and relax amongst the therapy Alpacas & bunnies, practice your newly achieved horsemanship skills (on approval of trainers), or practice your art or photo skills in the amazing Namibian light. You can book our shuttle to visit the Capitol Windhoek for a day and souvenir shopping or weekend. Safari with elephants, rhinos and co can be arranged with nearby conservancy for the weekend days on your own costs. As a volunteer you might also book our luxury 2 nights safari camp in the bush, where you will sleep above your horse and can see giraffes, zebras and antelopes from horseback during the day. Please note that this is an extra holiday activity offered on side and extra charges apply. (550 Euro pp).
During your stay there will be opportunities to book a day safari at the nearby GocheGanas Game Reserve or maybe 2 nights camping excursions out to Etosha, the Namibian coast or the Namib Desert (minimum number of participants is three here). You can also book Spa treatments at our Sandwerf Retreat In House Spa or therapeutic carpet wearing sessions with our skilled local Sandwerf weavers.
How you will live
You will be hosted either in our JD Academy & Volunteer house located on the best viewpoint of the farm and overlooking all the JD paddocks, JD stables & wildlife waterhole or in one of our freestanding Lodge Chalet (extra charges apply) in our organic green village with the miniature horses and free roaming lechwee water antelopes as your direct neighbours.
(Please inquire upfront if you would prefer to stay in one of our chalets or the Volunteer House while joining our volunteer program.)
All our accommodation is a private room with king-size bed and each room with private toilet and shower. Our programs dynamic is kept in a flow of daily communication and provides the opportunity for personal shaped day programs according to your unique interests, talents and desires.
Our on-site restaurant is not only providing 3 delicious meals for you daily but can also cater for all vegetarian, vegan or food intolerance.
Logistic and Prices
If you are interested in joining us here at Joseph's Dream and make your real hands on own African Experience please drop us an email with some info about yourself, a little bit about your experience level with horses and your motivation why Joseph’s Dream is the place for you to be at: info@josephsdreamstud.com
Helpful skills: Experience with horses (no must!) / people skills / experience with children / team spirit / kind spirit & a good heart ❤
If you are green with horses and come to learn yourself then what you need to be to apply is: An animal lover!
Prices for 2026: 959 Euro per week.
What's included:
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Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Supper, Water (fresh farm water from the tap, not bottled water), Juice, Tea, Coffee (please note that our restaurant can cater for vegetarian & vegan diet and food intolerances; please note that vegan diet is charged 8 Euro and lactose free diet 5 Euro extra per day on-site )
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Accommodation in our modern JD Academy & Volunteer House with private bathroom & cleaning & basic laundry service (washed not ironed)
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Training by our experienced Horse Trainer on side
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Visa, flights, travel insurance or vaccinations are NOT included in the program fees.
What's not included:
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Drinks (including bottled water)
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Special diets (see details above)
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Flights
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Visa
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Travel Insurance
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Vaccinations
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Private Lodge Chalet Accommodation
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Airport Shuttle (85 Euro per pp)
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Riding Safari at Safari Camp
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Excursions
Please take note of our safety and behaviour rules that apply during your stay at Joseph's Dream. Thank you.
Please find all the details for our possible excursion on offer in our 2026 catalogue.
(Please note that these excursions always need a minimum number of participants of three volunteers) :
