Overview
Sharpen up your polo skills whilst learning the secrets of polo horse breeding and training at La Asuncion, an amazing estancia 80 minutes from Buenos Aires. It is a family-run business consisting of a main house, guest houses, polo grounds at the nearby Los Morrales Polo Club and all the facilities required for keeping around 50 polo ponies in breeding and training.
As a team you will spend your mornings working alongside the Gauchos and staff taking care of mares, foals and yearlings, exercising the horses and helping out with general stable work. After a long traditional siesta, when you can swim and generally hang out, you will learn to play polo with stick and balling, ‘baby chukkas’ and matches.
New to this placement is the opportunity to teach English to the local children. This can be programmed in as a regular activity or be a back up wet weather option.
There is plenty of time to sample traditional Argentinean hospitality, whether that’s chilling out with the Gauchos drinking 'mate' or going to parties and socialising in Buenos Aires. Top of the list is a visit to polo tournaments (high goal season is March-April and October-November) as the Argentinean passion for this sport creates an unforgettable atmosphere.
How you help
You must be confident with horses as you'll be helping the Gauchos with all activities e.g. training and exercising the polo ponies, cleaning the tack and stables, helping keep the horses fed, in good shape and condition.
You will ride, ‘stick and ball’, play chukkas and receive polo lessons 6 days a week. You will play according to your skill level and take part in matches and low goal tournaments at weekends.
No previous experience of polo is necessary but you clearly must be able to ride pretty well.
Teaching: On rainy days or more regularly, you can help in the local school teaching English to the children.
English is widely spoken but you will only be able to communicate in Spanish with the Gauchos so it is an excellent way of learning or improving your Spanish.
Your base
You will fly out as a team and be personally met and transported from the Airport to the estancia where you will receive a full induction during your first week.
This will involve the following:
Meet and greet the staff, tour of school, stables and facilities, meal times, horse breeding and polo school domestic duties, emergency procedures, health and hygiene, safety at work and leisure, safety with horses, working time and leisure time, leisure time activities and travelling in the area, local communities and customs, introduction to the projects.
Placement Management
You will be looked after by the Llaneza family who are all very good polo players. They are very friendly and professional who in tandem with our team in the UK, will ensure you are extremely well looked after.
Your Team
Maximum of 12 volunteers between 18 -27 years, at any one time (for those going at the start of September the maximum group size is 10). Minimum group size of 4.
Accommodation and Meals
Depending on the number of volunteers, you will share double bedrooms with private bathrooms in the main house (6 spare bedrooms) and guest house. You will eat with the family and the guests. Sometimes it will be possible to stay at the stables to have lunch with the grooms, which would be a typical Argentinean barbeque. You will have to pay for all soft drinks, beers etc.
Local Towns
The nearest town, San Miguel del Monte, is 25 kms away.
Weather
Low Season is February to May (autumn) and the high season is August to December (spring/summer). The weather can be very hot between December and March, although in April the temperature can drop rapidly to as low as 8 degrees and expect some rain. And it is pretty wet between May and September (the winter – average temperature 0 to 15 degrees C). Spring temperature average 20 degrees C and summer 25 to 40 degrees C.
Polo Seasons
The school is closed between December and January. The low season is between mid February until May which means there are fewer guests. May – July the school is closed for winter.
On 1st August the horses are brought in and the Argentinean polo season officially begins on the 1st September. At this time of year it is spring and can rain a fair amount, the weather is unpredictable, but the days are long and the sun dries the fields out quickly.
Time In/Out
Time In
You will play polo, stick and ball and chukkas every afternoon, 6 times per week apart from Mondays (the groom’s day off) and general activities will take place for 6 - 8 hours per day. They have two polo fields allowing them to rotate if needs be. Main Polo matches take place at weekends.
You will receive a daily work schedule on arrival, a basic orientation and training to help you in your role at the stables. Occasionally polo activities can be cancelled if it rains or if the school considers it's too risky to play on a wet field. At these times alternative activities are arranged by Diego or Horacio.
You will very much be part of the family and will have all meals with them and their guests and will be required to mix easily. Diego has 5 brothers, with children aged between 11 and 1 year old who live in town and drop in frequently, so there are always children about!.
Time Out
The family will happily arrange transport into Buenos Aires or to visit local areas of interest on days off. Despite only having one day off a week they are happy for you to take a weekend now and then to explore Argentina.
Top trips
Visiting Buenos Aires, learning to dance the tango and shopping to your heart's content(!), attending a traditional Gaucho horse auction, walking and cycling. They also offer a one day horse riding trip visiting a neighbouring farm, a horse breeding facility and a very old local country bar - not to be missed!
Costs/Dates
Departure Dates
2010 for 6 or 10 weeks
February 15th, August 2nd, September 1st
2011 for 6 or 10 weeks
February 14th, August 1st, September 1st
N.B. Once on the placement it is possible to switch from 6 to 10 weeks.
Costs
Up until 31st August 2010 Up until 31st August 2011
6 weeks £2620 6 Weeks £2920
10 weeks £4120 10 weeks £4620
Includes:
Selection and briefing on all aspects of the scheme.
24 hour emergency back-up, management and support by UK team and in-country Placement Manager, with reliable communications and infrastructure.
Polo, riding and chukkas.
Safety and induction course on arrival.
Airport pick up and transfer to and from the placement.
Food and accommodation throughout.
Not included:
International flights and airport departure tax, travel insurance, medical expenses (reclaimable through travel insurance), soft drinks/beer etc and independent/weekend travel. e.g. food and accommodation whilst away from the placement location and any excursions not listed above.
We are happy to arrange flights through STA Travel, who are well known for offering good value.
Exchange Rates
Please note we are paying the project host in US Dollars to cover all in-country costs. The cost of the placement is set so far ahead, if there is a big change in the exchange rate or fuel increase we reserve the right to increase the cost of the scheme, as per our Booking Conditions. We will of course absorb any minor fluctuations, and will give plenty of warning if we have to raise prices slightly.
