Horse Sitter for two well behaved lovable characters and an adorable barn cat.
Introduction
We are a couple originally from Zimbabwe and Sweden. We have lived and worked in many different countries and have finally settled in southern France. We have 3 horses and a barn cat. The horses are really Carolyn's passion but Pierre Ioves them too (really). We need someone who enjoys spending time with horses and in nature to look after them when we are away seeing family and friends in far flung places. The cat lives with the horse in the barn but loves company.
Show more...Home & location
Comfortable 2 bed, 2 bath farm house with all mod-cons set in a quiet location but within cycling distance to the centre of the village which has two large supermarkets, bakeries, fruit and vegetable sellers, butcheries, pharmacies, several cafes and restaurants. The village is on the banks of the Durance River and between two national parks - The Alpilles and the Luberon. There are lovely views of the Luberon mountains from the house. Great walking trails on the doorstep. Short walk to the bus stop for the bus to Salon de Provence and other villages and towns in the area. It is a 45 minute drive to Aix en Provence in one direction and to Avignon in the other direction. Arles is also within an hour's drive. Marseille airport is 45 minutes away. The coast and the beautiful coves of the Calanques are within an hour's drive. The area is full of Provencal delights for you to explore. More photos of the interior of the house to follow soon. We only just moved in and are still waiting for the furniture. You will have your own room and bathroom. There is a very large kitchen/dining room plus a separate huge living room and large entrance hall. Two large outdoor seating areas under the shade of the enormous plane trees in summer or in the sun in winter. The house is south facing and has central heating.
Show more...Responsibilities
Feed Jack (the old horse) three times per day. Top up hay and water daily. Muck out the shelter area daily. Feed the cat (who lives outdoors with the horses). Water the plants. The horses need to be fed in the morning and evening every day. Jack needs 3-4 meals per day so if you are here during the day you can feed him a lunch. If you go our for the day you can give him the third feed late night before you go to bed.
Show more...Meet the pets
Leucat-Camou
2 years
Jack
30 years
Dingle
14 years
Sitter Reviews (6)
Homeowner Reviews (0)
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Our stay in Carolyn and Pierre's house was just great! I enjoyed very much taking care of the horses. All three of them are very sweet and fun to be around. I am sorry that our stay couldn't be longer and I miss them already! Camou is very cuddly and follows you like a dog:) We had really nice dinner and entertaining conversation on the first night with Carolyn and Pierre. They gave us some good tips for places to visit around their home. We are sorry that we didn't get a chance to see them again before we left. We did some really nice trips to the mountains, the area around Ceret is really lovely. We hope we will be able to come again! ❤️
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Carolyn's house-sit was a strange one as the "pets" didn't actually live in the house, or in the garden, but an 10 minute electric bike ride away along a wonderful lane past farms and woods on a mountainside. The 3 horses were independent and yet dependent, they liked to let you know what they needed and after some hard work of about 30 minutes twice a day, it was a joy to watch them contentedly stroll across the field to graze. The house was a delight, modern yet with a Spanish feel. The sitters can stay on the ground floor down their own corridor with bedroom, study, bathroom & loo. Use of the kitchen dining room and living room with a programable wood- burner that came on at 7am to warm you. Carolyn left great instructions and made us feel very welcome. The villages around were delightful and exploring the history and beauty of the French life in the Pyrenees-Orientale was a joy involving as many croissants as possible and an insistence on a baguette a day being the only way to live. Truly a very beautiful area with amazing mountains, wonderful chateaux and old mines and abbeys and historical bridges to discover, a real gem of a place.
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We have just finished a fortnight sitting for Carolyn & Pierre + Jack, Lu, Dingle & Camou the Kitten. We had a wonderful welcome the night before, were shown how to get to The Land (where all their animals live), given clear written instructions to read and follow and best of all, given a delicious meal and evening together before they headed off mid-morning. We were given two essential hands on sessions with Carolyn to learn her way of feeding and handling the horses. Despite not being very experienced, we learnt quickly and soon got to know the characters of each horse and to love the tiny but very purry Camou. There is quite a bit of physical work to be done with mucking out for 3 horses, moving 15kg bags of dry food, mixing food and manhandling large hay bales from nearby stockpile as and when needed. This is not a criticism of this housesit but merely making it clear that you need to be strong enough to handle the requirements. Eric & I managed it well together and thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast and evening sessions at The Land. We would recommend having a car although you can walk there, it is about 40 minutes each way. The house is very comfortable with brand new appliances and easy to keep clean. The area around Ceret is stunningly beautiful, the village of Maureillas is handy to get to for daily requirements (croissants!) and we never tired of being able to explore in our ample off time. Highly recommend this sit. Watch out for mozzies in October!
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Carolyn
