The Department of Animal Science offers a variety of hands-on internships and classes for undergraduate students. With a teaching herd of 30-50 head of horses, donkeys, and mules, the UC Davis Horse Barn offers valuable hands-on opportunities for undergraduates to learn more about horse production.
Herd Health and Management Internship
- Offered: Fall, Winter, or Spring quarter (1 quarter internship)
- Commitment: 3 hours per week per unit
- Prerequisites: Requires basic prior horse experience (safe haltering/leading etc without supervision) or ANS 49E (preferred)
- Application: Applications are due August, November, or February 15th, depending on the quarter
- Overview: Students learn about anatomy, nutrition, herd health, reproduction, facility maintenance, event preparation, and first-aid. For this internship, you will be participating in whatever is going on at the barn that day. This may include: assisting vets, watching stallion collections, assisting interns with foal handling/training, administering medication, exercising horses, cleaning pens, prepping for events, etc
Mare & Foal Management Internship
- Offered: January-June (6 month internship through Winter and Spring quarter)
- Commitment: 5 unit internship, 20 hours per week
- Prerequisites: Requires moderate-extensive prior horse experience and completion of at least one equine course
- Application: Applications are due in October for the upcoming Winter/Spring internship
- Overview: This internship is primarily focused on the training of young equids, as well as overseeing mare foaling. Interns will be involved with identifying signs of impending parturition in mares, assisting during parturition, and caring for mare and foal post-foaling. Foal managers will be assigned a yearling to prepare for the Annual Production Sale in June. Preparation will include training foals to lead, tie, pick up their feet, stand to be clipped and bathed, load in a trailer, etc. Additionally, foal managers will work with young foals from an early age to teach them to halter and lead. Foal managers are responsible for caring for the foals, yearlings, and pregnant mares including grooming, exercising, stall cleaning, and related care. Interns will be involved in facility events, such as FFA Field Day, Picnic Day, and more!
Breeding Management Internship
- Offered: January-June (6 month internship through Winter and Spring quarter)
- Commitment: 5 unit internship, 20 hours per week
- Prerequisites: Requires moderate-extensive prior horse experience and completion of at least one equine course
- Application: Applications are due in October for the upcoming Winter/Spring internship
- Overview: This internship is focused on stallion and mare reproduction. Interns are involved with all aspects of from handling and collecting stallions, processing and evaluating semen, and calculating breeding doses for fresh, cooled, and frozen semen. In terms of mare reproduction, interns will execute estrous cycle tracking via teasing, palpation, and rectal ultrasound, assisted reproductive techniques including artificial insemination, uterine lavage and infusion, estrous cycle manipulation, and pregnancy checks. In addition, stallion managers are responsible for caring for Horse Barn owned and client stallions and mares, including grooming, exercising, stall cleaning, and breeding management. Interns will be involved in facility events, such as FFA Field Day, Picnic Day, and more!
Student Assistant Barn Manager
- Offered: June-June (1 year position) paid or credit option
- Commitment: 20 hours/week
- Prerequisites: Extensive horse experience (Prior Stallion/Mare Foal Management or 92/192 internship strongly preferred)
- Application: Applications are due in April
- Overview: Student will assist Horse Barn Manager with daily management of an equine facility. This position aims to give students valuable experience in managing a horse facility of 30-50 horses. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following: scheduling vet appointments, farrier appointments, and tours; manage daily care of horses including making feeding charts, stall cleaning schedules, coordinating medical treatments; assist barn manager with facility maintenance, outreach, office duties, etc.
Student Resident (Live-in position)
- Offered: June-June (1 year position)
- Commitment: 10 hours/week in exchange for room, requires weekend and holiday shifts
- Prerequisites: Moderate horse experience (Prior Horse Barn internship preferred)
- Application: Applications are due in Nov/Dec for the following June move-in
- Overview: Residents feed, administer medications, complete treatments, daily observations, and night checks. They are the facility's "first-responders," helping keep the horses happy and healthy. They treat illnesses and injuries from start to finish and gain valuable horse health care experience. Residents also assist with events, event preparation, and chores as needed. This is a year-round position that involves working some weekends, school breaks, and holidays. There are two resident positions at the Horse Barn. Dorm-style resident room is one bedroom with bunk beds and own bathroom.
Barn Cleaning Assistant
- Offered: Year-round paid or credit or credit option
- Commitment: 5-10 hours per week, requires weekend and holiday shifts
- Prerequisites: Basic horse experience, stall cleaning experience preferred
- Application: Applications are typically due in October for positions to start in December
- Overview: The Horse Barn maintains a herd of 30-45 horses living in stalls, outdoor pens, and large pastures. Stalls need to be cleaned daily and pens are cleaned weekly per the herd health protocols. The student assistants will be responsible for maintaining a clean living environment for the horses, daily stall cleaning, weekly pen cleaning, as well as helping with other facility preparation where needed for events and inspections. This is a year-round position that involves working some weekends, school breaks, and holidays. Work load and scheduling will be dependent on time of year and number of horses in stalls and pens.
ANS 49E: Animal Management Practices- Equine
- Whether you are brand new to working with horses or would like to get your foot in the door for future opportunities at the Horse Barn, ANS 49E is the best place to start. This hands-on lab course is taught at the Horse barn in Fall quarter and no prior horse experience is required. Learn all about caring for horses including basic horse handling to more advanced topics including treatment of injuries and illnesses, nutrition, reproduction, and more.
For more information, or for an application for any of the opportunities listed above, contact the Horse Barn Facility Manager, Kelli Davis, at [email protected].