Overview
From September through June, Slieve Aughty Centre offers working holidays for ages 18 and older. Five days a week, working holiday guests split their day between hard work on the farm and relaxing rides. Guests who chose a working holiday can expect to experience rural life and the responsibilities of running a large tourist farm. They will also gain appreciation for working with, caring for, and riding horses and interact with other guests from a variety of nationalities.
Working holiday guests work 4 hours a day (20 hours/week) and ride for 10 hours over 5 days of the week. Working hours may be spent cleaning stables, tending the organic garden, helping in the kitchen, cleaning accommodation areas, mending fences, building jumps, painting, etc. Trainees are off two days each week and may stay at the Centre and relax or ride, or they may choose to visit Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, or other Irish treasure. Working holidays must book 2 weeks minimum stay September to June and one month or longer in July and August.
As with the regular riding programme, guests arrive on Saturday and begin the week with a ride in the forest on Sunday with all other guests participating in riding programs. Days off are flexible and will be determined by the needs of the centre and guest wishes.
Guests stay in cottages or cabins at or near the centre, sharing with other working holiday guests and/or staff. A single room is possible (subject to availability) for an additional 25,-€ per night. Depending on the time of year, meals are either at The Three Towers Organic Kitchen or in the working holiday guest accommodation. During the quiet season, food will be provided for the guest to reheat or prepare for him/herself each day, and there is always the option to enjoy something freshly picked from the garden. When meals are prepared at The Three Towers, breakfast is at 9:00 (10am on Sundays), Lunch at 14:00, and dinner at 18:00 daily.
Saturday
Arrival and departure day is Saturday. During the day all new guests arrive while those staying longer ride in the afternoon. New guests have time to settle into their accommodations, meet other guests, visit the horses, and relax after their journey.
Sunday
Sunday begins with a late breakfast at 10am. If Sunday is a work day, the work may start earlier than this and breakfast taken on your own earlier. In the afternoon, all new guests go on their first ride at 15:30. Each rider prepares his or her own horse, beginning at 15:00. The ride is an easy trek through the forest to get to know the horses and the countryside.
Monday - Friday
On Monday morning, the weekly routine begins. Work may begin right after breakfast or in the afternoon after the 14:00 lunch, depending on the riding schedule. Riding may include guided treks in the surrounding forest, lessons, or natural horsemanship sessions as planned daily by the yard manager. The daily ride plan can be checked to find out what horse or pony guests are assigned for the day. Riders are expected to prepare their mount 30 minutes before the scheduled ride time.
Additionally, guests may take advantage of the local bus to nearby Galway, a lively coastal city on Ireland’s west coast. This bus is only available the 1st Saturday of each month and leaves from the local shop in Kylebrack at 11am, returning at 17.45 (leaving Galway at 17.00). Every Thursday there is a local bus to the nearby town of Loughrea, leaving at 10.15am. The bus fare to Loughrea or Galway is not included in the working holiday programme and is therefore at own cost and must be booked in advance.
Of course, guests with their own transportation can take a day off riding anytime to go on a tour of Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Aran Islands, Bunratty Castle, etc. We would be happy to advise about nearby “must sees”.
