visit us · the volunteer experience
Live with the horses, work at Chaar Ranch
Ten days living at Chaar Ranch and taking part in the everyday work: feeding and caring for the horses, working alongside the horsemen, and getting to know one Chaar horse who is yours for the whole stay.
the programme
Small on purpose
We take one or two volunteers at a time. It suits people who love horses, nature and real experiences, and who want to spend time on a working ranch instead of visiting one as a tourist. You don't need professional riding experience, but you should be comfortable around horses and fit enough for everyday ranch work.
This is volunteering, not a holiday with excursions. What you do each day depends on the season, the weather and what the ranch needs.
What volunteers do
- Live at Chaar Ranch
- Help feed the horses
- Help with basic horse care
- Keep paddocks and facilities in order
- Spend time watching the Chaar horses
- Learn how the breeding and conservation work runs
- Explore the mountains around the ranch
- Spend your free time with your own horse
your chaar horse
One horse, paired with you for the whole stay
Each volunteer is paired with one Chaar horse for the length of the stay. You get to know it, help with its daily care, and spend time with it: feeding, grooming, checking how it's doing, getting it ready to ride. In your free time, when the ranch team says conditions are right, you can ride it around the ranch. If two of you come, you each get your own horse.
The horse stays the responsibility of the ranch team throughout. Whether it's suitable to ride, and when, depends on its health and condition, its workload, the weather and the ground. The point isn't to hand you a horse to ride, it's for you to understand the animal and what caring for it involves.
a typical day
The work is practical, and sometimes hard
morning
Horse care
The day starts with the ranch routine. Depending on the season that means feeding, checking the horses and foals, watering, preparing feed, cleaning the horse areas and basic paddock work. The team explains each job and keeps an eye on you where it's needed.
daytime
Ranch work
Whatever the ranch needs that day: moving hay, cleaning and repairs, fences and paddocks, water systems, general upkeep, helping with the horses and foals, and the jobs each season brings. The work is real and can be physical.
evening
Your own time
Once the work is done the day is yours. Depending on conditions and the team's say-so, that might be time with your horse, grooming, a ride around the ranch, exploring, photography, walking in the mountains, or just the quiet.
from our volunteers
In their own words
Past volunteers wrote about their time at the ranch. Tap one to read their story.
Léon Mitouard: from France to the Kyrgyz steppes
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Léon Mitouard: two weeks on a Kyrgyz farm
Léon Mitouard: an evening at the farm
A Parisian's journey to the heart of Kyrgyzstan
Léon Mitouard: Kyrgyz hospitality
Léon Mitouard: my bond with horses
Léon Mitouard: beauty in disorder
Josette Obin: becoming part of the Chaar story
participation
€500 donation per person
Volunteers are asked to donate €500 each to the Chaar project. It goes straight into the conservation, feed, care and development of the horses and the work of the ranch. For two people travelling together that's €1,000.
This is a donation to the project, not a payment for accommodation, horse hire, riding lessons or a tourism service. Volunteering means taking part in the daily life of the ranch. The room and the time with the horses are part of that, not something you're buying.
Where you sleep
A room at the ranch. One volunteer gets a private room; two travelling together can share. The facilities are simple, as they are on a working mountain ranch, so don't expect a hotel.
Food and other costs
Food isn't included, so you buy your own while you're there. The ranch is remote, so plan ahead and the team will tell you where and when supplies are available. Flights, travel to and from the ranch, and travel, medical and repatriation insurance are also yours to arrange.
who it's for
Who can volunteer
- Horse lovers and riders
- People interested in horse welfare
- Nature lovers and photographers
- Anyone curious about Kyrgyz culture
- Travellers after something real
- Anyone who wants to help the Chaar horse survive
about riding
You need riding experience to ride on your own
Nobody at the ranch is free to teach new riders or supervise riding in free time, so without the right experience riding isn't possible, for everyone's safety. These are young working ranch horses and the riding is on mountain trails with no phone signal, so you have to be confident and sensible outside an arena.
We strongly recommend a helmet around and on the horses; without one, your insurance may not cover medical costs or repatriation. We can lend you one, but ask us before you come so we can check one is available.
All riding depends on the horse's condition, the weather, the ground and the team's approval. The horses come first.
what to expect
A real working ranch, a long way from anywhere
This is not a luxury trip. Expect simple accommodation, rural conditions, physical work, early mornings, dust and mud, mountain weather, a schedule that shifts, and very few shops or services.
What you get back is ten days living with horses in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, and a direct hand in keeping the breed alive.
If you'd like to come, fill in the form below and tell us when you're thinking of visiting and a bit about yourself. We answer every message.
Not the right fit? There's the Chaar Expedition in July, the Spirit of Kyrgyzstan journey in spring, or you can support the herd from home with a monthly gift or by owning a foal. There are also other ways to visit.