Equine & Barn Management Internship
Overview: Work directly with Equine Staff to learn skills relating to equine and barn management. Opportunities include learning about horse care and training, health care and first aid, and building a relationship between horse and rider. Interns may also choose to work with PATH Intl. certified instructors through observation and mentorship, to learn about lesson planning, skill progress and program implementation. Additionally, arrangements can be made to work directly with the Executive Director and/or Volunteer Manager to learn valuable skills in the non-profit sector.
Responsibilities May Include:
- Attend staff meetings & volunteer trainings.
- Leading and side-walking during lessons as needed.
- Attend prospective equine and rider evaluations. Learn about pairing riders with horses.
- Assist with equine training. May include lunging and/or riding horses.
- Assist with grooming, bathing, tacking, feeding, turning in/out and during vet/farrier appointments.
- Maintain barn, arena, tack room and stall organization and cleaning practices.
- May have the opportunity to participate in selecting new members of our herd of therapy horses.
- Learn how to write individual and group goals, evaluate rider progress and create lesson plans.
- Understand the why’s behind risk management procedures, PATH Intl. standards, and precautions and contraindications.
- Other duties as assigned.
Eligibility:
- Complete majority of hours on Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays between 9am-6pm.
- Enrolled as a student of a college or university, with a GPA of 2.8 or above.
- Moderate to advanced equine skills and/or knowledge required.
- Must be able to lift 45lbs and physically able to walk/jog for up to 45 minutes during lessons.
- Internships are unpaid. Ride for Joy does not provide housing or stipends.
Additional Requirements:
- Ability to independently complete required forms, schedule online and report volunteer hours.
- Cognitive capacity to follow directions, clearly communicate, respond to an emergency and focus attention in the present.
- Reliable roundtrip transportation (uber/lyft do not pickup here).