Adolfo Arenas Experience at the Kentucky Equine Management Internship
Kentucky Equine Management Internship (KEMI) is a 22-week internship with a spring and fall session. I did the fall session which is the yearling sales-prep/breaking and training. This is a very hands-on internship allowing one to get a lot of handling experience. During my time in Kentucky I learned how to prepare yearlings for the sales including everything feeding the proper diet, proper grooming, and daily exercise routines. After the sales the breaking of yearlings begins.
The horse industry in Iowa is growing faster than ever before. From activities surrounding horse breeding, showing, racing, housing, training, riding and care, it employs more than 2,100 people and accounts for millions in revenue each year. The economic impact from horse breeding and owning is doing much to support our state’s ag-centric economy, and we need you to play an important part in making this message heard.
Lecturer, Nikki Ferwerda, teaches Animal Science 317B, Equine Behavior and Training - Yearlings. Part of the class includes a trip to Lexington, Kentucky to observe the November Fasig-Tipton sale. Fasig Tipton is an auction house for Thoroughbred horses founded in 1898. It is the oldest auction company of its kind in North America and the November sale is the world's premier breeding stock event.
The class also had an opportunity to see the opening day/book one of the Keeneland sale, another American thoroughbred auction house in Lexington, founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing/auction entity on 147 acres of farmland west of Lexington. The November sale focuses on Breeding stock and features broodmares and weanlings with some stallions.
Students were able to explore career opportunities, visit the Kentucky Horse Park, Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center, New Vocations and connect with some ISU alums in the industry. They also had the opportunity to go to several stallion farms to evaluate stallions for future breedings that will be sires of some future Iowa-breds that will touch the lives of more students through ISU’s equine classes.
This summer I spent 3 months living in Kodiak, Alaska where I worked as the Summer Barn Director. I was in charge of running and planning horse camps, general horse care, and group events at the barn. I thought it would be another camp counselor job, but I was challenged every day by new tasks appointed to me. We had 5 horses, 1 pony, and the 1 and only mule on Kodiak Island that I was responsible for retraining, maintaining, and every day. Of course coming from the Midwest and working with competition level horses, I had a lot to learn when it came to Kodiak.
Equine public relations, marketing specialists, audio, visual design, web design, track photographer
The commission generally oversees the licensing within the industry. Positions such as commissioner and executive secretary are generally appointed while the remaining are hired positions.
Career Opportunities in the area of equine training
Equine career associated with the care of the hoof.
