International Students
and ESL Students
The owners of Dreamscape Ranch have been welcoming International Students and ESL
Students (English As A Second Language Students)
into their home for over 20 years. Students are provided
with a unique opportunity to practice their English
language skills in real world situations and to help
with the day-to-day running of a working Horse
Ranch.
Please know
that staying at Dreamscape Ranch is not free - but it is
very affordable. The money you pay to the Ranch covers the cost of providing your meals and the
utilities you use during your stay with us.
Where
Is Dreamscape Ranch?
Dreamscape Ranch is on 160 acres of
land in a small community named 'Knutsford' (pronounced
"nuts-ford") which is
approximately 18 kilometers south of the city of
Kamloops in the province of British Columbia.
Knutsford is a very friendly place
and there are often community events at the
local Knutsford Hall or at one of the neighbor's
properties or ranches.
We are within driving distance
of the neighboring communities of Kelowna, Merritt,
Armstrong, and Vernon. The closest major city is
Vancouver (the third largest city in
Canada) which is a 4 hour drive away.
Look through the various photos here
on the website to get a good idea of what the
countryside looks like in our area. There is a
beautiful combination of forest, grasslands and
small lakes that stretch out over rolling hills.
What
Is Dreamscape Ranch?
Dreamscape is a working Horse Ranch
and a Guest Ranch, so while it is our home it is
also a business.
As a Horse Ranch we have many of our own
horses for riding as well as brood mares and
foals. We also have horses boarded here that belong to
other people, and we provide rehabilitation for
horses that are recovering from injury.
As a Guest Ranch we provide a
place for guests to have a relaxing
holiday away from city life, as well as giving them the
opportunity to experience horses and horseback
riding in the
beautiful countryside.
Would You
Like To Come To Dreamscape Ranch?
International Students and ESL
Students come to Dreamscape Ranch for a unique
opportunity to practice their English language
skills in the real world while helping in the
day-to-day running of a working Horse Ranch. This is the perfect setting in which to
meet new people, learn and experience new things,
and practice your English language skills all at the
same time.
We Want
You To Feel At Home
▪ It
is important to us that students treat the Ranch as
their home - you will share it with
Lea, her husband Bud, other students and Ranch guests.
▪ The food and meals at the Ranch are
very good. If you have any specific likes, dislikes
or allergies please let us know so we can make sure your stay with
us is a pleasant as
possible.
▪ We always have our meals together at the dinner table
- that's always the best way to
get to know each other, share stories and enjoy some time together.
▪ We choose to live in the countryside because it is
peaceful, quiet and we are
surrounded by beautiful scenery and animals. We only travel to the
city when we need
to - so be prepared to spend most of your time here at the Ranch.
Student
Responsibilities At The Ranch
▪ Staying at Dreamscape Ranch is not free - but it is
very affordable.
▪ Your stay at the Ranch isn't considered to be a
'holiday' because students have a
responsibility to help with the day-to-day running of the Ranch,
which includes daily
chores.
▪ Most of the chores at the Ranch involve taking care of
the horses. This includes daily
feeding and the cleaning of paddocks. Other responsibilities may
include helping with
meals and housekeeping, and different types of Ranch projects and maintenance.
▪ Dreamscape is also a Guest
Ranch so there may be guests here during your
stay.
Everyone helps out when there are guests –
entertaining, serving food, manning the
barbeque and
helping out with horse related activities.
▪ Even though students have
daily chores to do there is still have a good amount of
time
each day for you to do what you want to do... this is typically when most
of our
students choose to go horseback riding, improve their horsemanship skills,
or take a
riding lesson here at the Ranch.
Horseback
Riding
▪ In return for
helping with daily Ranch chores you are provided with
lots of
opportunities for horseback riding in our arena and on our
beautiful trails.
▪ Please understand that your safety is always the most
important thing to us, so the
amount of riding you do and the types of riding you do will depend
on your horseback
riding ability.
▪ If you wish to take horseback riding lessons they are
available for an extra fee.
Other
Information
▪ Be prepared for
the weather: In the summer months it is hot and dry. In
the winter
months it can be quite cold and snowy. Daily chores must get done
regardless of the
weather conditions.
▪ The Ranch has a land-line telephone, internet
connectivity, and mobile/cellular phone
coverage.
▪ Just in case you have any fears or allergies, we want
you to know that we have dogs
and cats that you will be in contact with each day.
▪ Internet connection is available for a fee. To make telephone calls from the Ranch you
must
purchase an international phone card which you can get in Kamloops at a very
reasonable price, or
your family and friends are welcome to phone the Ranch.
The time
zone at the Ranch
is Pacific Standard Time (GMT -8:00).
Student
Cancelation Policy
▪ The "busy" season
here at the Ranch runs from June through September. For
student
bookings during the busy season, payment in
full must be received by May 1st.
▪ The
"slow"
season runs from October through April. For student
bookings during the
slow season, payment in full must
be received at the time of booking.
Refund
Policy
We only
take on a small number of students at any given time and we rely on their
help here at the Ranch. Most student bookings are made
well in advance so it is very difficult for us to find
new students to fill cancelations. Due to this we have
found it necessary to have a cancelation/refund policy.
▪ Busy
Season: After payment has been made, there are no
cancelation refunds for or
during the busy season.
▪ Slow
Season: (1) If you cancel your stay four weeks or more
before your arrival, your
payment will be refunded - less
an administration fee. (2) Cancelation of your
stay after
you have arrived requires four weeks notice.
If you continue to work at the Ranch
during your four
weeks notice you will be refunded your payment for the
time after
your four week notice has ended. (3) If you
cancel your stay and do not work through
your four weeks
notice, your refund will not include those four weeks.
Who
Would Enjoy Staying at Dreamscape Ranch?
We want your stay at Dreamscape Ranch
to be a great experience that you will remember for
the rest of your life... but is staying at our Ranch
right for you?
▪ Do you
like beautiful scenery and being in the countryside?
▪ Do you like being outdoors, helping with projects, and
sometimes getting a bit dirty?
▪ Do you like nature and working with animals?
▪ Have you ridden horses before?
▪ Do you like learning and experiencing new things?
▪ Do you like meeting, getting to know and working
with new people?
▪ What if the weather is cold, snowy or rainy - can you
deal with that?
If you said yes to all (or most) of
these questions then we think you would really enjoy
your stay with us at Dreamscape Ranch!
Now what about these questions:
▪ Do
you want the excitement and bright lights of the
city?
▪ Do you like to spend a lot of time on your mobile
phone and texting?
▪ Do you like to spend a lot of time on the internet
or watching television?
▪ Are you wanting a holiday where you can just relax
and have no responsibilities?
▪ Do you want to do a lot of shopping and
site-seeing?
▪ Do you find it difficult to get along with new
people, or work with others?
▪ Are you uncomfortable sharing a room and bathroom
with other students?
If you said yes to all (or most) of
these questions then our Guest Ranch is not going to be the right fit for you.
Contact Us!
Would you like to come for a visit, or simply find
out some more information?
Please - give us a call, email, write to us, or pay us a
visit.
Dreamscape Ranch is within easy driving distance of
the neighboring communities of Salmon Arm, Chase,
Oliver, Armstrong, Kelowna and Merritt. Please note
that we are on Pacific Standard Time [GMT -8:00]
Telephone and Fax: 250-372-2928
Postal Address: P.O.104 Knutsford, Kamloops, B.C. V0E
2A0
Email: DreamscapeRanch@telus.net |
