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The Natural Gait Internship Description and Application Page Print this page THE NATURAL GAIT INTERNSHIP APPLICATION GREETINGS! We’re glad that you are interested in interning at The Natural Gait. The Gait is a great place to spend the summer, learn about the horse, meet new people, and have lots of fun. If you enjoy learning about horses, your time here will prove to be an experience of a lifetime. The heart of the intern program derived from our wanting to share a way of living, thinking, and feeling about horses, natural horsemanship and how it applies to everyday life. Before long, you will discover that you will be spending more time working on yourself than on the horse. Our commitment to you is to offer the opportunity to advance your horsemanship knowledge. You will learn how to communicate with the horse in a way they understand (i.e., communication that operates with respect not fear), how to interpret what the horse is telling you, and how you can work together on common ground. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, be physically fit. Those accepted into the internship program are responsible for their travel expenses to and from The Natural Gait. Duties involve significant physical activity. Applicants accepted into the internship program do not need prior experience working with horses but it would be beneficial. Interns must have a strong work ethic and adhere to The Natural Gait safety standards at all times. Here are a few of the personal qualities you should consider before applying as an intern: Do you enjoy being around people and horses? Are you willing to learn and try new things? Are you flexible and willing to help out any time? SKILLS REQUIRED • People skills • Be a team player • Organization skills • Able to ride, saddle and care for horses or possess the drive/motivation to learn how. • Observation skills • Problem Solving • Physically fit/ able to work in a fast paced atmosphere
DAILY DUTIES • Groom, saddle, bridle, and medicate horses who require medication • Ride time (2 – 3 horses per day) • Clean stalls and barn area each day • Observe all horse injuries, lameness, illness, or any unusual behavior PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Able to carry saddles and associated tack (weighing up to 50 lbs.) and lift onto horses backs • Able to move or assist in moving bales of hay weighing up to 60lbs. • Able to lift salt blocks weighing up to 50 lbs. • Able to mount and dismount from horseback easily • Able to climb down hay stacks • Able to pull or push wheel barrows and garden carts containing up to 120 lbs. of materials. • Able to respond instantaneously to sudden, unexpected moves of horses while either on the ground or on horseback CHORES • Clean all tack: blanket, cinches, breast collars, etc. • Prepare for upcoming week • Repair any damages as necessary • Deep clean barn, tack room and empty manure wagon • Check first aid kits and replace as necessary • Catch and hold horses for the farrier MEDICAL PROCEDURES • Aid veterinarian if TNG staff is not present • Give injections, medications, and bandage when necessary • Stay posted on daily medical procedures and emergency medical procedures All you need to bring is an abundance of enthusiasm and an iron strong desire to better yourself as a horseperson. You will get a lot of riding time and supervised work with our horses. We will cover such topics as horse behavior, useful groundwork, riding skills, trailer loading, correcting behavioral issues from the ground and from the saddle, recognizing and correcting ill fitting tack, and dealing with horse health issues. Most importantly, you will develop your power of observation in recognizing and understanding the smallest change and or try a horse is offering. Your daily duties will be assigned according to your prior experience and level of expertise, but you can expect to spend time cleaning stalls, corrals and doing other barn chores.
You will also be assisting in TNG horsemanship clinics with beginning riders, exercising horses, assisting with guided trail rides, and performing maintenance and some guest duties which could include cleaning rooms and helping with meals. You will participate in at least 2 riding lessons per week but will have many more hours in the saddle and will have the opportunity to work with horses in training. The internship is a non-salaried position, however the internship includes transportation while at The Natural Gait, room and board (a value of $1,000 a month), lessons and instruction (a minimum value of $200 per week), use of The Gait’s horses (a value of $400 a month) participation in clinics (a value of $400 to $1600 per month, (depending upon the timeframe you are able to stay)). We accept interns for varying lengths of time. An optimum stay is 6 months, as this allows an intern to accomplish insight of long-term projects, such as in the cases of working with specific horses; for instance, bringing a youngster along to the point of being ready to start under saddle, starting a youngster under saddle and reaching the level where the horse can comfortably walk, trot, canter, open and close gates, or working with horses who might have saddling issues are barn sour or have confidence issues. Interns are involved in all aspects of the operation in a true "hands on" approach. Interns receive riding instruction, riding time, in addition to their duties including fencing and bucking hay bales. You should also know that we do not tolerate the use of narcotics or illegal drugs; we do not allow drinking under the age of 21. We do expect certain standards regarding personal appearance. If you think you would be interested in being a part of The Natural Gait and are willing to devote 3 or more months, please complete the enclosed application form. Please fill it out completely, including phone numbers and zip codes. Our intern program is available from April through October. Please advise us of your earliest arrival and latest departure date. We look forward to learning more about you, The Natural Gait Staff 1878 Old Mission Dr. Harpers Ferry, IA 52146 563 535 7231 e-mail thenaturalgait@acegroup.cc
THE NATURAL GAIT INTERNSHIP APPLICATION PLEASE RETURN BY MAIL. Name_____________________________________ Present address_____________________________ City______________________State____________ Phone____________________ Zip_____________ Home Address______________________________ City_____________________ State____________ Phone____________________ Zip_____________ E-mail Address_____________________________ Today’s Date________________ EDUCATION School presently attending_____________________________________Major_____________________ Future planned education and / or occupation________________________________________________ SPECIAL INTERESTS / QUALITIES Books / magazines you enjoy reading_______________________________________________________ Please list three of your strengths as a person. ________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Please list three of your weaknesses as a person._______________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ At times you may be expected to put in long days with lot’s of physical exertion, early mornings and late nights. Please state how you are prepared to withstand the pressures of, long hours and physical work? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ PLEASE include with this application a brief essay concerning what you personally have to offer as an intern. The reason for applying, what the horse means to you, what you want to learn, and what you have to offer. WORK EXPERIENCE: List any previous employment, starting with your most recent job giving complete addresses and zip codes. Name of employer______________________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________________________ Phone # _________________Contact ____________________________Fax #______________________ Job description_________________________________________________________________________ Optional e-mail address _________________________________________________________________ Name of employer______________________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________________________ Phone # _________________Contact_____________________________ Fax #_____________________ Job description_________________________________________________________________________ Optional e-mail address _________________________________________________________________ Name of employer______________________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________________________ Phone # __________________Contact____________________________ Fax #____________________ Job description _________________________________________________________________________ Optional e-mail address _________________________________________________________________
CHARACTER REFERENCES: Name ________________________________________Occupation_______________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________________________ Phone #______________________Relationship _____________________ Fax #____________________ What qualifies this person to recommend you_________________________________________________ Optional e-mail address _________________________________________________________________ Name ________________________________________Occupation_______________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________________________ Phone # ______________________Relationship______________________ Fax #___________________ What qualifies this person to recommend you ________________________________________________ Optional e-mail address _________________________________________________________________ Please return this application, along with your essay by mail. We choose our interns very carefully as they are important to us and The Natural Gait. It takes a few weeks to process your application and references. If you truly are interested in The Natural Gait, don’t hesitate to follow up on your application. To: The Natural Gait 1878 Old Mission Dr. Harpers Ferry, IA 52146 With your signature below, you are authorizing us to contact all references listed above. Please, if under 18, you must not apply without parental consent._____________________________ SIGNATURE: ___________________________________________________Date_________

The Natural Gait Internship Description and Application Page

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THE NATURAL GAIT INTERNSHIP APPLICATION

GREETINGS!

We’re glad that you are interested in interning at The Natural Gait.
The Gait is a great place to spend the summer, learn about the horse, meet new people, and have lots of fun. If you enjoy learning about horses, your time here will prove to be an experience of a lifetime.

The heart of the intern program derived from our wanting to share a way of living, thinking, and feeling about horses, natural horsemanship and how it applies to everyday life. Before long, you will discover that you will be spending more time working on yourself than on the horse.

Our commitment to you is to offer the opportunity to advance your horsemanship knowledge. You will learn how to communicate with the horse in a way they understand (i.e., communication that operates with respect not fear), how to interpret what the horse is telling you, and how you can work together on common ground.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, be physically fit. Those accepted into the internship program are responsible for their travel expenses to and from The Natural Gait. Duties involve significant physical activity. Applicants accepted into the internship program do not need prior experience working with horses but it would be beneficial. Interns must have a strong work ethic and adhere to The Natural Gait safety standards at all times.

Here are a few of the personal qualities you should consider before applying as an intern:

Do you enjoy being around people and horses?
Are you willing to learn and try new things?
Are you flexible and willing to help out any time?

SKILLS REQUIRED
• People skills
• Be a team player
• Organization skills
• Able to ride, saddle and care for horses or possess the drive/motivation to learn how.
• Observation skills
• Problem Solving
• Physically fit/ able to work in a fast paced atmosphere

DAILY DUTIES
• Groom, saddle, bridle, and medicate horses who require medication
• Ride time (2 – 3 horses per day)
• Clean stalls and barn area each day
• Observe all horse injuries, lameness, illness, or any unusual behavior

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
• Able to carry saddles and associated tack (weighing up to 50 lbs.) and lift onto horses backs
• Able to move or assist in moving bales of hay weighing up to 60lbs.
• Able to lift salt blocks weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Able to mount and dismount from horseback easily
• Able to climb down hay stacks
• Able to pull or push wheel barrows and garden carts containing up to 120 lbs. of materials.
• Able to respond instantaneously to sudden, unexpected moves of horses while either on the ground or on horseback

CHORES
• Clean all tack: blanket, cinches, breast collars, etc.
• Prepare for upcoming week
• Repair any damages as necessary
• Deep clean barn, tack room and empty manure wagon
• Check first aid kits and replace as necessary
• Catch and hold horses for the farrier

MEDICAL PROCEDURES
• Aid veterinarian if TNG staff is not present
• Give injections, medications, and bandage when necessary
• Stay posted on daily medical procedures and emergency medical procedures

All you need to bring is an abundance of enthusiasm and an iron strong desire to better yourself as a horseperson. You will get a lot of riding time and supervised work with our horses. We will cover such topics as horse behavior, useful groundwork, riding skills, trailer loading, correcting behavioral issues from the ground and from the saddle, recognizing and correcting ill fitting tack, and dealing with horse health issues. Most importantly, you will develop your power of observation in recognizing and understanding the smallest change and or try a horse is offering.

Your daily duties will be assigned according to your prior experience and level of expertise, but you can expect to spend time cleaning stalls, corrals and doing other barn chores.

You will also be assisting in TNG horsemanship clinics with beginning riders, exercising horses, assisting with guided trail rides, and performing maintenance and some guest duties which could include cleaning rooms and helping with meals. You will participate in at least 2 riding lessons per week but will have many more hours in the saddle and will have the opportunity to work with horses in training.

The internship is a non-salaried position, however the internship includes transportation while at The Natural Gait, room and board (a value of $1,000 a month), lessons and instruction (a minimum value of $200 per week), use of The Gait’s horses (a value of $400 a month) participation in clinics (a value of $400 to $1600 per month, (depending upon the timeframe you are able to stay)).

We accept interns for varying lengths of time. An optimum stay is 6 months, as this allows an intern to accomplish insight of long-term projects, such as in the cases of working with specific horses; for instance, bringing a youngster along to the point of being ready to start under saddle, starting a youngster under saddle and reaching the level where the horse can comfortably walk, trot, canter, open and close gates, or working with horses who might have saddling issues are barn sour or have confidence issues. Interns are involved in all aspects of the operation in a true "hands on" approach. Interns receive riding instruction, riding time, in addition to their duties including fencing and bucking hay bales.

You should also know that we do not tolerate the use of narcotics or illegal drugs; we do not allow drinking under the age of 21. We do expect certain standards regarding personal appearance.

If you think you would be interested in being a part of The Natural Gait and are willing to devote 3 or more months, please complete the enclosed application form. Please fill it out completely, including phone numbers and zip codes.
Our intern program is available from April through October. Please advise us of your earliest arrival and latest departure date.

We look forward to learning more about you,

The Natural Gait Staff

1878 Old Mission Dr.
Harpers Ferry, IA 52146
563 535 7231
e-mail thenaturalgait@acegroup.cc

THE NATURAL GAIT INTERNSHIP APPLICATION

PLEASE RETURN BY MAIL. Name_____________________________________
Present address_____________________________
City______________________State____________
Phone____________________ Zip_____________
Home Address______________________________
City_____________________ State____________
Phone____________________ Zip_____________
E-mail Address_____________________________
Today’s Date________________

EDUCATION
School presently attending_____________________________________Major_____________________
Future planned education and / or occupation________________________________________________

SPECIAL INTERESTS / QUALITIES
Books / magazines you enjoy reading_______________________________________________________
Please list three of your strengths as a person. ________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Please list three of your weaknesses as a person._______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
At times you may be expected to put in long days with lot’s of physical exertion, early mornings and late nights. Please state how you are prepared to withstand the pressures of, long hours and physical work?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

PLEASE include with this application a brief essay concerning what you personally have to offer as an intern. The reason for applying, what the horse means to you, what you want to learn, and what you have to offer.

WORK EXPERIENCE: List any previous employment, starting with your most recent job giving complete addresses and zip codes.

Name of employer______________________________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________________________
Phone # _________________Contact ____________________________Fax #______________________
Job description_________________________________________________________________________
Optional e-mail address _________________________________________________________________

Name of employer______________________________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________________________
Phone # _________________Contact_____________________________ Fax #_____________________
Job description_________________________________________________________________________
Optional e-mail address _________________________________________________________________

Name of employer______________________________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________________________
Phone # __________________Contact____________________________ Fax #____________________
Job description _________________________________________________________________________
Optional e-mail address _________________________________________________________________

CHARACTER REFERENCES:
Name ________________________________________Occupation_______________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________________________
Phone #______________________Relationship _____________________ Fax #____________________
What qualifies this person to recommend you_________________________________________________
Optional e-mail address _________________________________________________________________

Name ________________________________________Occupation_______________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________________________
Phone # ______________________Relationship______________________ Fax #___________________
What qualifies this person to recommend you ________________________________________________
Optional e-mail address _________________________________________________________________

Please return this application, along with your essay by mail. We choose our interns very carefully as they are important to us and The Natural Gait. It takes a few weeks to process your application and references. If you truly are interested in The Natural Gait, don’t hesitate to follow up on your application.
To: The Natural Gait
1878 Old Mission Dr.
Harpers Ferry, IA 52146

With your signature below, you are authorizing us to contact all references listed above.

Please, if under 18, you must not apply without parental consent._____________________________

SIGNATURE:
___________________________________________________Date_________