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Name: Laura Watt
Programme: Canada Community and Wildlife Volunteer -
Working at a Horse riding school for disabled children and adults in Victoria, BC.
Dates: 7th May- 2nd June
How did you feel before you joined the programme?
I was a bit apprehensive when planning my trip to Canada, as I was travelling alone. Alicia (my Real Gap advisor) was always on the end of the phone to answer any queries, which made me feel more comfortable.
Alicia also helped me to arrange all my plans really quickly as I had left my planning almost right down to 3 weeks before I left!
What was the accommodation like?
I stayed in a home stay accommodation in Saanichton, which was about a 15 minute bike ride away from the disabled riding school that I was working at from Tuesday to Thursday. The house that I stayed in was really pretty and had a big garden. I had my own bedroom and shared the rest of the house with the family that I stayed with.
The family were really welcoming and great at giving me information on Victoria and other places that were close by and worth visiting at the weekends.
What did you think of the programme?
I had an amazing time, whilst I was in Canada; British Columbia was full of beautiful mountains, forests, lakes and great beaches. I didn't expect the scenery to be so stunning!
The riding school programme that I did was a brilliant experience too! The staff and volunteers were really good at teaching me everything that I needed to know, in order to be the best that I could in my job.
The children that attended the riding school were probably the most inspirational part of the trip. Just to see the enjoyment of riding the horses and learning new skills was great! The children had amazing personalities and so did the staff that worked there! It was a lot harder work than I thought it would be, but at the same time it was really rewarding.
How have you benefited from your experience?
I have become a lot more confident in myself, due to travelling on my own and making new friends.
I have also grown an appreciation for nature and wildlife, as Canada is full of gorgeous scenery!
Due to the riding school placement I have become more patient and I have grown a love for working with disabled children.
What advice could you offer to someone considering this project?
In terms of the riding school: Don't worry if you do not have that much experience with horses. If you want to work with disabled adults and children and also horses then you will get on fine! The Staff are really helpful and will teach you everything you will need to know. I didn't even know how to tack up a horse before I went, and now I can confidently handle a horse and prepare it for a lesson.
I would advise anyone doing this project to travel around at the weekends as much as possible, when not working. There are so many great sights to see in Canada, so make the most of it!
 Further information on Canada Community and Wildlife Volunteer
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