Working Students

Working Students at Windrock Farm

Windrock Farm offers the opportunity to a hard working talented rider to live and work on the farm in exchange for housing and lessons. Daily chores include feeding, cleaning tack, riding horses, grooming, and organizing the barn. The students also have the opportunity to travel to clinics with top instructors such as Hardwig Burfiend, Lendon Gray, Peter Leone, Carston Jaeger, Tony Mason to name a few. There are also numerous opportunities to visit New York City and surrounding areas. the students live in the main house and are expected to respect the rules of the house by keeping their rooms and the house neat and tidy. the length of stay varies from one month to one year. Students are rewarded for their hard work with trips to the city or other cultural activities including dance, poetry, film, and lectures.

Working Student Comments

I was a working student for Cari for about 3 months. I am from Denmark and met Cari in Florida, Wellington where I was working at quarantine. As she was in need of a working student and I was interested in moving on this sounded like a good idea.

When I arrived to Windrock Farrm in March it was cold and there was lots of snow, but jet this was the most beautiful place you could ever imagine!

Cari’s warming obligingness made me feel very much at home from the first day!

 Working at Windrock Farm was great. Not only because I got to ride many different horses everyday, but also because Cari gave me the opportunity to go to cliniques and shows with her, and also to watch her give lessons to other people taught me a lot. I am defiantly a much better rider now, than before I came to Millbrook.

All together being a working student for Cari Swanson was one of the most important and enriching experiences in my life – and I am definitely coming back!     
–Anne Sofie Ahlmann, 20, Denmark.

Working at Cari's farm is a really great experience for me in the riding world.  Each day we get up, go down to the barn, do some chores and then ride two to three horses.  Riding different horses has helped me become a better rider in many ways.  Also, we go swimming with the horses in the pond next door when it is hot out, it is so much fun!

Another great experience that I got to have was meeting different people from different countries. Not only was this a great experience for me but for my horse too.  His knowledge and mine have improved together and I hope we can return again to share another great riding experience.  Now me as a rider, I feel more confident and fell that I have accomplished so much since I have arrived.  So, thank you Cari for this great experience.
– Kayla, 15, Connecticut