Expand Your Equestrian Education & Experience New Cultures in Argentina or Mongolia

Do you need a break from horse showing? Consider going to Argentina or Mongolia! If you are high school age, the perfect summer experience abroad is waiting for you. The Experiment in International Living has two incredible study abroad trips that include equestrian experiences. You can get to know your horse while exploring the Chicoana Mountain in Argentina, or ride a Mongolian pony around the ancient, pristine Lake Khövsgöl.

With more than 85 years of experience in international education and experiential learning, The Experiment is the flagship program of World Learning, a global nonprofit organization that works to create a more peaceful and just world through education, sustainable development, and exchange programs with impact in 150 countries.

The Experiment programs focus on student-centered immersive learning and genuine cultural experiences. You’ll be part of a diverse group of no more than 15 participants, led by two carefully selected and trained adult group leaders. The Experiment also offers a network of in-country support to ensure the safety of all participants.

The Argentina program boasts a month’s worth of outdoor activities, community service, and Spanish language classes from July 4-31. The trip begins in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, where you can explore the city’s sights and architecture while practicing your Spanish. A boat trip to the surrounding islands in the Tigre Delta will lead you to artisan markets and more.

An integral part of The Experiment is a homestay with a local family. In Argentina, the homestay takes place in Colonial Jujuy for two weeks, during which you will also work on a community service project like volunteering at a center for children with developmental disabilities or helping to renovate an orphanage or school. Learning how to rope cattle and discovering the Salinas Grandes, Argentina’s massive salt flats, are part of the outdoor adventure portion of the trip.

Of course, the best part of the program is the horseback trip! It includes camping under the stars, enjoying a traditional asado (a barbecue prepared by Argentine cowboys known as gauchos), and trail riding through the mountains. Just bring your helmet!

Not sure if you’re equipped for a trip like this? Don’t worry – you can easily find all the camping gear you need here.

Laura, a participant in the 2017 Argentina program, said, “Community service was like the icing on the cake; I could not be happier to have helped the local communities of Jujuy and Chicoana. Our community service projects such as gardening, painting, and remodeling a run-down police station and the humble school gave me the chance to learn life lessons I will sincerely hold dear to my heart. During the last couple of days, our group experienced white-water rafting on the Juramento River, horseback riding up rocky mountains, and camping in winter weather. Over the span of 25 days, I experienced a lifetime of adventures. Indeed, it was a summer to remember.”

Or, when you return to school in the fall, what could be cooler than telling your friends about the month you spent in Mongolia? This program is one of The Experiment’s most unique trips. The program runs from July 5-August 2 and starts in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, with language lessons and cultural experiences such as playing the morin khuur (also known as the horsehead fiddle). You’ll also visit important Buddhist pilgrimage sites and study traditional Mongolian arts, while your community service project will take you to the Khövsgöl province to teach English to local students or paint a school.

But what’s really neat about Mongolia is the horseback riding. Gallop along the magnificent grasslands around Lake Khövsgöl, the second-largest freshwater lake in Asia. Visit the Naadam Festival to see horsemanship, wrestling, and archery competitions. You will live in a traditional ger, a round, felt-lined tent, and help your host family tend livestock, cook traditional meals, and ride even more!

Helmets are provided in Mongolia, but you can also bring your own, along with boots and half chaps.

The trip in Mongolia wraps up at the Gobi Desert with Buddhist temples, meditation caves, and learning about Danzan Ravjaa, known as the Lama of the Gobi. You’ll venture into the desert on camelback and spend the night sleeping in a ger under the giant desert sky.

Sophie, who took the Mongolian trip in 2014, said of her experience, “My absolute favorite part of the trip was the horse trek from community service to the ger camp where we were staying for the night. Other awesome parts were painting a school alongside Mongolian students, taking an overnight train into the Gobi Desert to explore the monasteries and holy sites there, cooking with my host mother, and hiking up to places with the best views I’ve ever seen. I absolutely loved Mongolia, and I’d highly recommend the trip to anyone looking for an adventure!”

More than 70,000 alumni have traveled abroad with The Experiment in International Living. In a recent survey, 85% of alumni said The Experiment increased their understanding of international social issues, 75% said it increased their ability to work with others in groups or on teams, and 73% said that The Experiment programs proved useful on academic applications.

Book your summer adventure with The Experiment in International Living today by visiting www.experiment.org! Check The Experiment out on social by searching for “ExperimentAbroad.”

The Experiment in International Living has been the leader in international education and experiential learning for high school students for more than 85 years. On our two- to six- week summer abroad programs to 26 countries, students explore the world through hands-on experiences and homestays in local communities through the lens of a specific theme. Each year, hundreds of students come away from The Experiment with invaluable cultural, leadership, language, and college-prep skills that help them thrive in diverse environments.

Today, The Experiment is the flagship program of World Learning Inc. (worldlearning.org). Over the decades, World Learning Inc. has built on The Experiment’s success to become a thriving global organization made up of The Experiment in International Living, School for International Training (SIT), and World Learning, a nonprofit that runs our global development and exchange programs.