Hi Everyone,
We just finished up our annual working intern tryouts at the ranch. Shayne and Des invited 5 ladies to the tryouts at the ranch this year after reviewing tons of applications for our internship program. Sam, Skylar, Helena, Lainey, & Liz had the opportunity to stay with us for six days and show us all that they know and have the opportunity to learn! They had the unique experience of getting to ride and learn from Shayne & Des for 5 days in the arena, each getting to experience different horses throughout the week!
We started off the the week by having the girls have a review of how we handle our horses from catching them in the pasture to throwing the saddle on. Next we were on to groundwork. Shayne had everyone go out and show him what they know about their groundwork. From there he broke it down and demoed what he wanted to see. Much of the week was like this. He regularly let them show what they know, see where they were at and then would stop the group, show exactly what he was looking for, and then send them out again to work on the exercise at hand.
Everyone got the opportunity to ride at least 5 different horses who each showed off different qualities and skillsets in the girls. Some they found to be very challenging to be successful and others they meshed well with. Each horse had something different to offer each of them, showing them what they did and did not know in the saddle. Beyond riding, the girls got a feel for ranch work throughout the week. Every morning they went out, checked through all of the herds with Brenda. Broke ice in waterers, treated skin funk, doctored eyes, checked for injuries, supplementing grain, and groomed through the herds. They were each able to rotate through helping with AM & PM feeding on the army truck, whether it was driving or throwing hay.
By the end of the week Shayne had each of the girls demo their own version of a ride working through everything they know that would prepare a horse for success with a guest. Watching was an exciting experience because we all got to see how far everyone had come in their riding and knowledge. We finished the week with a final daunting task that is very much real life around here. The girls joined in on the deep arena clean! They were super helpful and were able to give us a great head start on the deep clean we do of the entire indoor arena. Everyone was amazingly helpful and up for the effort.
Today we will be meeting for breakfast and saying goodbye to everyone as they head home. Each of the girls has been asked by Shayne to write a letter when they go home as to why they want to become an intern at the ranch. Shayne and Des will review them and make their final selection of interns for the 2024 season. We have so enjoyed having them here to learn, and we will be excited to see them again around the ranch as interns or even as students during the season!
-Sami