I would do it again - anytime!

I have joined the farmstay program for 8 weeks in 2015 and stayed on a dressage horsefarm that also offers riding lessons, mainly for kids but also for adults who bring their own horses. My stay was off-season so most of the competitions were over and winter break was coming up but I still got to visit some dressage competitions or 3DEs (dressage, crosscountry, showjumping) together with my hostfamily. Since I am not a well experienced rider, I was afraid that a horsefarm might not be the best match for me and that my jobs would mainly be about cleaning out the stables and doing housework but because they have all kinds of ponies and horses on the farm I got to ride a lot and also learnt a lot about riding horses.
My day usually started with preparing the horse food and feeding the horses as well as the cats. After breakfast, I did whatever needed to be done, like gardening, cleaning paddocks, collecting lost food buckets, cleaning out the horse truck, sweep up hay or other spilled horse food and riding the horses. Around lunch time, I usually had a break not just to eat but also to read emails, catch up with friends or do some other spare time activities. In the afternoon I helped my hostmom with the ponies and in the evening I helped her son with the competition horses and fed the horses their dinner and supper.
My hostfamily has been very nice and kind and I never felt like a worker but a part of the family. Therefore, I didn't pay attention to working hours but always talked to them about my plans for weekend trips or a curfew on a day off during the week, just as you would at home. They also took me out often and introduced me to the Kiwi life which I appreciated much. Even though I couldn't spend much time on the farm in NZ, I would do it again anytime!