Horse Care And Yard Volunteer
Description
Help us care for our 18 rescued horses on an off-grid coastal site in the Scottish Borders. Each horse has their own rehabilitation story, and we work with trust, patience and shared leadership rather than pressure. Tasks include mucking out stables and field shelters, filling water troughs and hay nets, grooming and bathing horses, cleaning, conditioning and repairing tack, walking and leading horses to and from fields, quiet ground time with the herd (being present, building trust), and helping with feeds and turnout. You will get hands-on time with our rescued herd, full induction and training, tea, coffee and a friendly welcome, and a calm, encouraging environment where it is okay to ask questions. The possibility to develop towards BHS or ABRS accredited learning is open if you stay longer term.
The impact you'll have
Volunteers help us provide daily care for 18 rescued horses, all of whom support our charitable work with young people, women, refugees and families. Your time directly improves equine welfare and supports the wider community programmes ESR delivers.
The skills you'll need
You will need to have the following skills in order to participate:
No experience needed. Full induction and training provided. Comfortable around large animals, or willing to learn slowly. Willingness to work outdoors in all weathers.
Directions - public transport
Berwick-upon-Tweed train station (East Coast Main Line, direct from Edinburgh, Newcastle, London Kings Cross). Taxis available at the station for the 5-mile journey to site. Volunteers happy to share lifts where possible.
Directions - car
From the north (A1): take the Lamberton turn-off 5 miles after Eyemouth, follow round for 2 miles, site on the left at the bottom of the hill. From the south (A1): take the Lamberton second left, past Pheenbox Yard on the right, 2 miles. Parking on site.
Location
Quarry Farm, Lamberton, TD15 1XB
When
Commitment
Ongoing
Available Slots
1
You will need
Minimum age: 16
Getting here
Quarry Farm, Lamberton, TD15 1XB
EAT SLEEP RIDE
Families, children and young people
Eat Sleep Ride is an off-grid, solar-powered Scottish charity on the Berwickshire coast a 24-acre former landfill that we have spent the past four years bringing back to life.
Today it is home to 18 rescued horses, a wildlife pond, wildflower patches, raised beds, a sensory garden, a polytunnel, silkie chickens, and a yurt that holds everything from yoga to fireside storytelling.
We harness the power of horses to transform lives. Every paying guest experience helps fund our work with young people in foster care, refugees, women in recovery, autistic children, young carers, and families experiencing isolation or low income. In 2025 we engaged over 400 regular participants and our charitable work is the heart of everything we do.
Our values are simple:
- Horses are partners, not props. We work with trust, patience and shared leadership never pressure
- The land we steward is regenerating, and so are the people who come here
- Every voice in the herd, the team and the volunteer community matters
- We take what we do seriously, but we have a laugh while we're doing it
Volunteering with us looks like this:
You might spend a morning in the garden weeding raised beds, an afternoon mucking out, an hour cleaning tack, or a full day brushing horses, walking the land, fixing fences, repotting seedlings, feeding chickens or just sitting quietly with a horse who needs company. Some volunteers come once a week, some come monthly, some drop in for a season. We welcome people of all ages, abilities and life stories including those who have never been near a horse before.
You will work alongside our small team and a network of regular volunteers in a calm, friendly, slightly muddy environment where the kettle is always on. We will match what you can offer to what we need. Bring waterproofs and sturdy boots. You will leave a little tired, a little muddy, and usually a little better than when you arrived.