Bavarian hideaway with ponies

About this assignment

We are a middle-aged couple, half British, half German living in rural Bavaria. I teach and my husband works on archeological digs. Pete is a real handwork's genius and renovated most of the cottage himself, which started as a holiday house for city people in the 1970s, then got lived in by an old chap before we moved in and introduced all mod-cons. We are both non-smokers and eat mostly vegetarian, but are tolerant of all other preferences in life. We like the simple life-style, nature, travelling and animals. The last two don’t go very well together, and therefore we are looking for you! I have two ponies and a border collie who comes along on our travels. We’ve had house-sitters in the past, from the US, UK, Germany and even from Australia and the time we’ve spent together with them has been an enriching experience for us! We loved hearing their stories and are still in touch with them.

We are looking for a house-sitter or a house-sitting couple who would want to spend some time in a cottage in Bavaria, and is ideally equipped with some riding skills to exercise the Connemara pony (1,47 cm, so a girls/lady’s horse, with English as well as Western saddle). The other pony is a sweet old pony with no teeth left so is reliant on food other than hay three times a day.
There is a garden you can relax and have BBQs in and you can also explore the surrounding area and cities like Nuremberg and Regensburg or join in at the local festivals. Plenty of walks into fields and forests start right on your doorstep. You are welcome to bring your own dog provided he/she gets on with the ponies.

Riding is possible and desired with appropriate, proven previous experience. Possible for the single horse lover, couple or small family. You could use the cottage as a retreat for studying, a base to explore Bavaria or a work from home base. Due to the rural location a car is necessary.

What responsibilities are required of the house sitter

The ponies live in an open stable and paddock area next to the house. They will need hay in the mornings and evenings, Twiggy needs soaked pellets due to her lack of teeth with an extra portion of that sometime during the day - times are not fixed for this. However, trips away for 24 hours are not possible - the ponies are fairly flexible as to what times they get their meals but I would like them to be checked upon three times a day. They can have their breakfast any time between 6 and 10 am and their dinner any time between 5 and 9 pm, and a quick meal for Twiggy in between, giving you plenty of hours to do things in between. They need to get mucked out daily and the manure is ideally driven off with a Piaggio Kipper ( which you see in one of the photos) to a nearby farm once a week. Twiggy needs a tablet (Cushing Syndrom) in the morning and in the evening and the hooves need to be picked every other day and some grooming once or twice a week would be great. They are allowed out into the neighbouring orchard but only for a few hours, when it suits you and the weather, and they need to get fly protection and a mouth guard (so they don’t overeat, the old horse has cushing and the younger one also needs to slim down for health reasons) for the orchard field. The water bucket gets filled once a day from a big ibc container in the horses main paddock (they walk in and out of their stable freely) and this ibc container needs refilling once every fortnight via a hose from the house. oh yes, they like being talked to and being stroked as well! Although Twiggy is old, she is wide awake and has no inclination of dying yet. If there were any problems, we’d always be just a two hour flight away and one of us could come to check as we’ll be working on the cottage ruin for most of the given period. But I cannot see a need for that happening!

What are the good features of the property and location

The cottage is located in rural surroundings next to a small village and close to fields and forests with many beautiful walks. It as a large, completely private garden where a lot of time is spent during the warm summer months. But even in the winter we sometimes light a fire for a BBQ here. You will have a small but cosy bedroom upstairs and the kitchen, livingroom and both bathrooms at your disposal. The house is well-equipped with everything you need for a normal modern life-style, yet it is remote due to its location. You access our house on a gravel drive and in the off-chance of a lot of snow, you might be snowed in for a day (doesn’t happen often, though) The house is equipped with central heating and two wood-burners, so you won’t be cold. Despite its rural location, urban attractions like Nuremberg and Regensburg are only a half to one hour drive away. But there are also a lot of other beautiful small towns in easy driving distance. Depending on your interests, you can go for endless hikes, for example in the nearby Fränkische Schweiz or Altmühltal with large forests and caves, or dive into history or architecture in cities like Nürnberg, Regensburg, Altdorf, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and so on. There are a lot of good traditional restaurants in the surrounding villages and towns. A car is necessary, the nearest train station is 10 km away and it’s hilly…if needed a car can be used, provided you have the necessary documents and driving experience. Supermarkets, other shops, hospital and doctors are also 8-10 km away. You are very welcome to bring your dog as log as he/she is okay with the ponies! Unfortunately we are both allergic to cats and cannot have them in the house, sorry!

What does the house sitter need to consider before applying for this assignment

We want you to feel at home with us, and you will if you like the rural surroundings and animals. This place is not for people who are looking for a place in the bright lights of the city, rather for nature lovers who like to experience the seasonal changes and a crackling fire in the fireplace at night. Still, there are many culturally interesting things to do in the area. The house is not a luxury accommodation, but it has everything to live a comfortable life (for us, anyway). In the cold months the two wood burners are used a lot, but there is also central heating.

Can I bring my own pets?

Yes
Restrictions: We both have a cat allergy but any other pet is fine!

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