[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Meet Marion, our voluntary from France who has the responsibility of the horses:” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:18px|text_align:left|color:%23825534|line_height:36px” google_fonts=”font_family:Alice%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1507128518919{margin-bottom: 23px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=””Each horse has their personality and you need to know them to match them up with our visitors”” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:30px|text_align:left|color:%23825534|line_height:36px” google_fonts=”font_family:Alice%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1507128538640{margin-bottom: 23px !important;}”][vc_column_text font_size=”16″ line_height=”30″]Marion (25) from Paris, France has lived and worked voluntarily at Estancia La Península from January to April 2017 where her main responsibility has been to take care of the horses and do the horseback riding activity with the visitors. Our visitors may only see her during the horseback riding, but her day starts very long before the first sailboat arrives:
“A typical day starts in the morning where I go to the paddocks to search for the horses. This takes between 1 to 2 hours, 1 hour if I am lucky. The horses never stand in a group together, and the paddock where they are roaming is huge! You get a couple of horses, go down to the shed with them and then you go back to get some more horses and so on. When all horses are tied up, I clean them, fix their equipment and put on saddles and bridles”.
When the visitors arrive, Marion helps them put on the equipment like helmet and chaps and then make a demonstration of how to control the horse. The horseback riding takes between 1,5 hour to 2 hours and during the activity, she makes sure the group stays together, and no one lags behind. Getting back to the Estancia doesn’t mean that her work stops here.
“After the horseback riding, I take care of the used equipment, put it back in place, then take off the equipment of the horses and take them back to their paddock. I need to make sure all material is clean and is working for the next time we have horseback riding.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”353″ img_size=”1600×900″ alignment=”center” hover_effect=”img_remove_color”][vc_empty_space][vc_custom_heading text=”From the warm desert of San Pedro de Atacama to the cold wind and extreme nature in Patagonia.” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:30px|text_align:left|color:%23825534|line_height:36px” google_fonts=”font_family:Alice%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1493055967542{margin-bottom: 23px !important;}”][vc_column_text font_size=”16″ line_height=”30″]Marion has been in Chile since July 2016 and worked as well with horseback riding up north on a ranch in San Pedro de Atacama. When she arrived in Patagonia the first time, she went directly from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales. Here she started searching for estancias near Puerto Natales in Google.com:
“I think I sent like 10-15 emails telling that I had been working on some ranches up north in the Atacama and wanted to continue working with horses here in Patagonia and therefore offered my help within this area. At that time Estancia La Península didn’t have a web page, so I didn’t find the contact information through Google. Another tourist place wrote back telling me they didn’t need anybody at the moment, but they would forward my email and contact information to another Estancia they knew. And that’s how I got in contact with Marco (one of our employees who is responsible for the activities at La Península).
Marco invited her to come and visit the estancia to get to know La Península and see if she liked the place and the rest is history. La Península is very different from the ranch she was working at in the Atacama. Not only the temperature and the surrounding nature but the ranch in the Atacama just had 15 horses and only carried out horseback riding as an activity. Not sheepdog demonstration, the shearing etc.
“You can say that the work is more or less the same because I am only doing the horseback riding, but the concept here is different. People come to experience life at an estancia; they have lunch here, do different activities and see the demonstrations.
Since the visitors not only come here to do horseback riding they often have a lot of curious questions about the surrounding nature and wildlife. This means that Marion had to learn not only the names of the horses but also the names of flora and fauna at peninsula Antonio Varas.
“Each horse has their personality, and you need to know them to match them up with our visitors. We don’t choose a random horse to a visitor – that is why we always ask about people’s experiences and how they feel about horseback riding in general. If they feel insecure, we give them a well-domesticated horse that takes care of them and makes them feel safe. Furthermore, I had to learn about the names of the plants, the trees, and the names of the birds”.
To the question why one should come and work here voluntary like she does Marion says
“because of the energy here. Estancia La Península is Buena Onda (cool). I cannot say something specific; it’s more like a general feeling. So far I like being here, and if you are into being outside most of the day and work on a farm, La Península is a great experience. First of all because of the amazing nature here and second because of the people working here. People are very likable and help you if needed”.
Marion still doesn’t know where life will take her and she doesn’t seem to worry too much about it because she is happy where she is at the moment.
“I am a person who lives in the moment, and I always plan my things until the very last minute. So far I know I am staying here as long as there are visitors. When there is no more work, I don’t know what I am going to do. I would like to stay some more time here in Patagonia because I like it. Maybe I come back for the next season; maybe I will try something new. I want to go back to France during winter to see my family but then come back again. But now I am here. And I like it”.
Final words from Marco, who had the initial contact with Marion and worked and lived with Marion during her stay:
“This year we had a special volunteer, a very loving girl with a beautiful smile who day by day earned the respect of the staff for her conscientious and responsible work. She worked with the horses and took good care of them. She was responsible when working with our visitors and impressed everybody by speaking both English and Spanish and her mother tongue French. We had a great time, and I wish you all the best in your future. Thanks for being who you are and for all your help here. It is highly appreciated, and you are always welcome here”.
Thanks for everything Marion,
Team Estancia La Península[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”417″ img_size=”1600×900″ alignment=”center” hover_effect=”img_remove_color”][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row]