What our Working Student Programs offer to you

We have two working student programs, the Long Term Working Student Program (duration 6 months) and the Short Term Working Student Program (minimum 14 days). Both are designed to offer you the possibility to focus entirely on your horsemanship for the time of your stay. We offer you the chance to do what you love and to study in a group of motivated and like-minded people.

Board & Lodging for you

Accommodation is provided in double bedrooms in the working students house. A nicely filled fridge is also included.

Board & Lodging for your horse

Your horse will live in a pasture/ in a paddock with shelter together with other working students' horses. The basic daily ration of food: hay, pasture and basic mineral supplement to cover the nutritional needs are included. Special food supplements, health or vet costs, osteopathy and hoof care are at your own cost

A First Class Horsemanship Facility

Haras Naturel du Plessis offers you an indoor arena, an outdoor arena, a playground with honeycomb, a lake, a huge forest for trail riding and plenty of obstacles. In late summer after the grain harvest we can also ride kilometer after kilometer in the huge fields.

Plenty of time to play with horses

The working student timetable is divided into more or less 75% ranch work and 25% horsemanship. Every day a minimum of two hours is allocated to your playtime with your horse. If you add to that the time you will spend getting savvy with the daily tasks in interaction with horses and then add a possible project horse you can look at 50% of your time as horsemanship time!

Horsemanship DVD Library for your self-study

Your horsemanship study will include self-study. You will have access to our big Horsemanship DVD Library including the latest "Parelli Four Savvys Program"!

Lessons in Parelli Natural Horsemanship

Marie-Claire de Selliers, 3***Parelli Professional and Gabi Neurohr, Horse Developement Specialist are responsible for the working students' training. Most of the time, one of them will be available for you. Depending on your level you will have theoretical and practical lessons when you ask for them and /or when you need them. Marie-Claire and Gabi rely on you being a self-responsible learner.

Lessons in Equine Nutrition and in Hoof Care

Gabi Neurohr is a Horse Nutritionist and a Natural Hoof Care practitioner. On request you can have lessons in equine nutrition and in hoof care. You are responsible for learning the theory of Natural Hoof Care in your own time. For your self-study we recommend you to buy Pete Ramey's 10 DVD set "Under the Horse"

Important to know:

The success of your stay is entirely up to you. Our role is to facilitate you on your journey to become a horseman/woman and to guide you through your horsemanship and personal development. The Haras Naturel du Plessis is managed by Marie-Claire. She is a trained psychologist and a 3 Star Parelli Professional with 35 years of experience in horses as well as in teaching people. She is Head Instructor at Haras Naturel du Plessis and ultimately responsible for the teaching program and for your progress reports.