D.E. King Equine Program Offers Internships

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Shelby Hampton, riding her horse Bentley, helped care for horses as part of her internship with the D.E. King Equine Program.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The animal science department in the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences offers a variety of internships, and one of the more popular options is offered by the D.E. King Equine Program.

The equine internship is serious business for anyone who accepts. Hard work and chores are inevitable, but there is plenty of reward in return.

For senior agricultural business major Shelby Hampton, days began with an early arrival at the university-owned Pauline Whitaker Arena to hear the tasks at hand. Kathi Jogan, the barn manager, would assign responsibilities such as cleaning water buckets, cleaning pastures, grooming horses and assigning blankets for the horses during the colder days.

Hampton said the interns would also have lectures to learn about diseases, vaccinations and different health management topics. Students work with broodmares, or female horses used for breeding, throughout the foaling season, primarily focusing on health, breeding techniques and how to handle emergency situations within an equine environment, according to the D.E. King Equine Program’s website.

“In order to get involved with this internship you have to meet with and be approved by Kathi, fill out an application and meet all of the academic requirements,” said Hampton.

In addition to her major in agricultural business, Hampton plans to graduate in May 2014 with a minor in equine sciences. She plans to continue on in the horse industry, and said she will emphasize this internship in future job applications.

“At the time, I thought this internship would help prepare me for my future because I was interested in a future as a farm manager,” said Hampton. “It actually taught me more about how to care for horses and how to run a barn efficiently with a large number of horses in it.”

Hampton said after initially joining the internship to pursue a farm management career path, she realized she wanted to focus more on the business side and keep the hands-on activity as a hobby.

“I grew up with many animals and have always had a passion for horses in particular,” said Hampton.

Hampton grew up with four rabbits, a bird, a hamster, several cats and dogs, and a horse. In addition to owning several pets, she has been riding horses competitively from the time she was 10 years old.

Hampton worked at New Hope Boarding and Grooming in Rogers for several months.

“That job prepared me for an internship like this,” she said. “I had to clean cages, exercise animals, feed and water dogs, and administer medications.”

The internship is challenging and time-consuming, but beneficial to students who wish to work in the horse industry.

Hampton said she feels like this internship would be beneficial for all students interested in a future with animals, even if they were not specifically animal science majors. Students who participate will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue a career in the horse industry.

“This internship is enjoyable and taught us a lot about the horse industry,” she said. “It helped me decide if that particular job is something you really want to do.”