Hi everyone!
I’m Madison and I was an intern at Ride for Joy over the last winter and spring lessons. I am a full-time student at the College of Idaho in Caldwell where I also participate in both soccer and track. I am double majoring in psychology with an emphasis in childhood development as well as nursing. I have lived in Caldwell the last three years, but I am originally from Twin Falls, which is where I was able to gain most of my equine experiences before this internship.
The emphasis of my internship was non-profit programming which gave me the opportunity to work directly with our executive director to reach out to local businesses and raise money for our upcoming auction event. I was also able to write grants and utilize our databases in order to reach out to past donors or volunteers. Outside of the office, I participated in many lessons as a side-walker. It was great to meet all of the volunteers and riders and see their faces light up every time they stepped into the arena. The PATH certified instructors always put together thoughtful activities and games for the riders to do every day, which helps the riders to build confidence in themselves. Toward the end of my internship, I was able to work more in the barn directly with the horses doing everything from grooming to tacking. It was so great to spend time out in the barn because every horse at Ride for Joy is special and it gives the intern time to get to actually know the horses better.
It was so great to get experience both in the barn as well as in the office to see just how much it takes from everyone to keep this non-profit running smoothly. Completing my internship at Ride for Joy was an amazing experience and really helped me to utilize my psychology major and gain more experience with equine.
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