Spring 2023 CD Weekly Reflection Journal 1

Intern: Erin Cummins
Each week, you’ll use this shared document to track the projects and tasks you’re doing for your
internship. Each Friday, you’ll reflect back on the week in connection to both our seminar topic
and your own thoughts. Please consider it a kind of interactive journal and daily dialogue with
me. Feel free to leave me questions/comments and I’ll use this to check in with you and will
leave comments in return.
Personal Goals for the Internship:

Learn how to manage and care for a group of horses
Specific
- Responsible for daily barn chores
- Cleaning stalls, dumping and filling water buckets, feeding hay/grain/medications
- Learn how to schedule appointments for vet and farrier
Measurable
- Work with horses on a daily basis (including care, maintenance, and exercise)
- Small check in’s with equine manager
Achievable
- Self-reflections each week: strengths and areas for improvement
Relevant
- Strengthen horsemanship skills
- Continuous learning
Timely
- By the end of the semester
Network and expand social connections with others in the horse industry and/or youth
programming
Specific
- Two potential programs:
- Junior Leaders group
- Girl Scouts
Measurable
- Have meetings with each group to discuss ideas and ongoing progress
- *not sure how frequently yet until I have initial meeting
Achievable
- Guide youth programs to developing their projects
Relevant
- Building connections and compassion
- Continuous learning
Timely
- By the end of the internship
Week 1: January 9-13
Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

● Turned out horses to designated pastures
● Mixed dinner grain
● Cleaned stalls and refilled shavings (bedding)
● Dumped, cleaned, and refilled water buckets in stalls
● Dumped and refilled water troughs in pastures
● Fed hay
● Swept aisles and hay loft
● Organized hay loft
● Dusted and got rid of cobwebs
● Organized grooming supplies
● Organized storage room
Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Overall, I thought this week went very smoothly. In the mornings, I was mainly
responsible for the daily barn chores. This meant turning the horses outside, cleaning their stalls,
and making sure they had fresh food and water. I spent my afternoons working on random
projects that needed to be done. This included reorganizing supplies and making sure everything
was neat and tidy . I thought this was a great way to start off my internship because I was already
familiar with how to complete most of these chores. Having past experience allowed me to be
more confident in my abilities as I began my internship. It also allowed me to develop a good
work flow and establish a rhythm with my responsibilities. Once I got there at 8:00am I got to
work and settled into a routine. I knew what was expected of me and I was able to finish all tasks
while also having good time management. Moving forwards, I am content with these
responsibilities, but also looking forward to working on more managerial projects in the weeks to
come. More specifically, I want to work with the horses and design exercise programs to
maintain their fitness. This will then transition into creating programs for both horses and clients
together.

● Turned out horses to designated pastures and brought back inside
● Fed hay
● Swept aisles
● Cleaned and organized indoor arena equipment
● Exercised horses and created a fitness program
● Groomed horses and cleaned equipment
● Began to get in contact with Junior Leaders Program and Girl Scouts

Week two did not go as expected, but it ended really well. It started off with my previous
mentor sending me an email that she is no longer returning to work at Morning Dove. This was
sudden and unexpected, which made Tuesday a long day. I did my best to pick up and slack and
do things the way that my last mentor had taught me. This included turning out the horses,
feeding and watering them, and making sure their stalls were clean and freshly bedded. The
executive director was quite impressed with my work. We did have a volunteer there that day
which was a huge help. When I got home, I sent Amy Arnold an email letting her know that my
last mentor no longer worked at Morning Dove, and I asked her what paperwork needed to be
completed. Thankfully a new Director of Equine Programs and Operations stepped in quickly.
Wednesday morning I met with Emma Meeks and we had a great conversation. We talked about
what my goals and expectations were for this internship and she gave me ideas of upcoming
projects. We also discussed how to reorganize the day-to-day operations of the barn to have
things run more efficiently and organized. One major change was restructuring the feeding and
turnout times of the horses to best suit them and their needs. For example, instead of feeding
large amounts of hay all at once, we decided to do small amounts more frequently to help
maintain their digestive system. Another task that Emma and I worked on was beginning to
refine the herd. This means that we discussed which horses needed to be exercised and which
horses needed to retire. There are eleven total horses at Morning Dove, but we decided that six of
them would be best suited to serve the organization. Thursday and Friday I had my first
experience with working with a few of the horses. I worked with three different horses each day
and began to assess their strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. I took very detailed notes of each
horse so Emma and I would know how to design an appropriate training program for them. Each
horse was very different from the other which made it both a fun yet challenging experience to
assess them. I organized an excel sheet so we both had access to the notes that I took on them.
Once again, we assessed each horse on their confirmation (body type), their abilities, their
strengths, and their weaknesses. As we get to know the horses more, Emma and I will continue
to develop a training regime for them. My meeting with the Junior Leaders director will happen
tomorrow, January 23 in the afternoon. We are still waiting to hear back from the Girl Scouts
group leader. Although this week did not go as planned, I am very excited to work alongside
Emma moving forwards. We have similar management styles and work ethics which I believe
will be a strength of us working together. As new systems begin to be put into place, I think that
Morning Dove will be a better place than when I first started. Things are still a work in progress,
but I have to remember to take things one step at a time, and be open to learning along the way.

*Will share assignment description for your Internship Work Sample

● Fed hay
● Swept aisles
● Managed a few volunteers and guided them through projects
● Continued to work with horses through designated fitness programs
● Meeting with Sue Moore (leader for Junior Leaders)
● Discussion of beginning project “Barn Buddies”

Overall, my weeks seem to have several consistencies to them. Equine care is a huge
responsibility of mine and I even managed a few volunteers through different projects. With the
leadership turnover, my manager is still trying to gain a sense of all the volunteers and which
ones are consistent on a weekly basis. This week we had a few different volunteers come out and
offer to help. I was seen as the go-to person to assign and oversee tasks. It was easier that the
volunteers had some work experience at Morning Dove because they knew the expectations and
where all the supplies were. It was a little challenging because the volunteers were older than me
and I had no pre-existing relationships with them. However, I am no stranger to managing and
providing instruction to older adults. The facility in which I board my horse at, I am the youngest
rider/owner there. One thing that was different this week was that I had my meeting with the
leader of Junior Leaders, Sue Moore. She was very excited to have me be a part of the team. We
talked about past projects that Junior Leaders had been working on as well as future ones they
wanted to start. Sue was going to reach out to the group members to find a time where we could
all meet together, most likely virtually. This should be occurring within the next few weeks. My
manager, Emma, and I are also working on another side project called Barn Buddies. We hope to
implement this program towards the end of February, early March. This would be an opportunity
for clients to come out for a couple evenings and do fun equine related activities. This includes
learning how to properly groom horses, make horse treats, prepare their morning feed, learn the
anatomy of horses, the different equipment, and more. In the next few weeks we will work
together to create an itinerary for the Barn Buddies program. Overall, we are hoping to bring
more recognition and people into Morning Dove. We want to do this by strengthening the Junior
Leaders program, creating Barn Buddies, and hopefully encouraging the Girl Scouts to do a
fundraiser. More to come with this in future weeks. With all the leadership turnover, it definitely
is a lot of work. However, I definitely think it will all be worth it.
Week 4: January 30 - February 3

● Fed hay
● Discussion of beginning project “Barn Buddies”
● Stripped stalls and removed mats for new foundation and limestone (Friday)

Think about . . .
*What have you learned so far and how does it connect to personal values?
*What is your overall goal?
Week four was extremely labor intensive (believe it or not, I did around 35,000 steps each
day). Moving forwards, however, I should be transitioning into some new roles. Emma has an
interviewee coming in next Tuesday with the intention of hiring her to do the stable work/equine
care. This will lessen the burden off of me so Emma and I can work on other projects together. I
will be part of this “working interview” since I have taken over as interim barn manager for the
last few weeks. During this interview, I assume that I will demonstrate how I have been running
operations in the barn. This includes the horses feed and turn out routine, cleaning stalls, washing
and filling water buckets, etc. I definitely look forward to hopefully bringing someone else on
the team to help with the equine care. I had a little practice with this as I met a couple new
volunteers this week. With this being their first time volunteering at Morning Dove, I was
responsible for assigning them tasks and guiding them through mini projects. I’d say that overall
it was a success. I was able to provide clear instructions for them and tasks were completed in a
timely manner. It was nice to have some new friendly faces.
Another role that I will be transitioning into is helping Emma, and another intern (Tara),
plan and coordinate the upcoming “Barn Buddies” project. We plan to have a meeting next
Tuesday to finalize dates and brainstorm ideas for this youth program. I will take detailed notes
during this time to help with my final project and presentation for this class. I will pay close
attention to creating an artifact as well. I am excited to participate in this program.
Overall, it was an extremely busy week at work. We do have some very exciting things
coming up though, and I am ready to progress within my internship role. Now that our executive
director and our equine manager have started to get their feet underneath themselves, we can
start launching projects and build up this organization. It means a lot that they’ve trusted me and
given me so much autonomy within my role. It’s been a lot of work, but I feel good with
everything that I have accomplished.
Week 5: February 6-10

● Stable Committee Meeting (Monday)
● Working interview (Tuesday)
● Barn Buddies Meeting (Tuesday)
● Organization of grooming supplies and other equipment (bridles, saddles, leg wraps)
● Organization of medicine cabinet
● Fed hay

I started off my fifth week by having a virtual meeting with those on the Stable
Committee for Morning Dove. This meeting included two board members, my mentor (Emma),
and myself. During this time we discussed the new changes and updates that Emma and I have
implemented. This included talking about the downsizing/addition of horses to the herd, which
instructors would be returning for programing in March, managing the horses’ feed and
maintenance appointments (vet and farrier), and restructuring the barn/office space. It was nice to
be part of this meeting because I was able to see how all the updates that Emma and myself have
been making then got back to board members. Overall it seems like the board members were
content with the changes and looking forward to the continued progress. It appears that this
Stable Committee meeting will be a recurring meeting every month.
Tuesday was a very productive day because we had the working interview and the Barn
Buddies project meeting. The working interview was a great success. The interviewee was very
eager to learn and they did have past horse experience which was of course helpful. It was nice
that Emma allowed me to be a part of the interview because not only was this an opportunity for
me, but it’s always nice to make connections and open up new relationships. In the afternoon, we
had our Barn Buddies project meeting. This consisted of Emma, myself, and another intern at
Morning Dove. Her name is Tara and she is studying to be an occupational therapist. This
meeting went great for a lot of reasons. Overall I felt that we all melded together really well. We
each had ideas to bring to the table and we were also able to build off one another’s ideas. Emma
already had pre-determined dates for the program along with a participant and volunteer list. Our
job was to create an overall outline of what the six days would look like. Each day will have
three separate activities: a heavy-work activity, a classroom learning activity, and a creative/craft
activity. In order to be prepared for this, Emma has tasked me to create a Barn Buddies 2023
Binder. This will not only serve as a tool for the program, but also the artifact that I will use for
my final semester project. I was excited to not only have a role in planning this project, but also
be able to create a physical artifact to showcase my work. This will benefit me in both an
academic and professional manner. More to come on this project next week!
I finished off the week by completing my routine equine care and barn chores. Although
this part of my internship is very labor intensive, I am used to it and I know that it is part of
working with horses. I am excited to report that the horses have been making excellent progress
within their fitness programs. It’s been really fun for me to work with them and get to know their
different personalities. It also helps strengthen my own personal horsemanship skills. Currently,
we have a total of eight horses, but I think two more are coming in next week for trial. I believe
that lessons and programming will begin on March 6th. This means I have about a month to
continue working with these horses and getting them into shape so they can perform their best
for their riders.

● Arrival of two new horses (Monday)
● Fed hay
● Worked on and finalized Barn Buddies Binder

Week six was a little less hectic than the previous two. As always, I continued my work
with equine care and stable management. We have started to have more consistency with the
volunteers too which has been great. They do a lot for us, so I am very grateful for them. It’s also
been nice to start forming connections with others. When I first started, it was a little lonely
because it was just myself and my former site mentor. However, over the last few weeks Emma
and Matt have done a great job recruiting new people to come out.
On Monday I finalized the work for the Barn Buddies binder. The first day of the
program was Wednesday, 2/15. I was unable to attend in person because we had our seminar that
evening. However, I was able to help them be prepared by providing them with the binder. Inside
this binder there was an overview of all the activities planned and we separated them by day. We
also included a step-by-step guide on how to do certain activities (i.e grooming a horse). This
showcased a piece of my work because equine care is a huge part of my role as an intern at
Morning Dove. We also provided short summaries of each activity which explained the
importance of the task and what the participants were to takeaway after the completion of the
task. I am proud of the work I accomplished and I’ll be excited to turn it in for my end of the
semester project.
Overall, it was a pretty easy week. This month is going by rather quickly, so we have
increased the training with some of the horses. This means we have increased the intensity and
complexity of their exercise programs. It’s been a lot of fun for me to work with them. I’m
getting to use my riding and horsemanship skills which has been one of my goals for this
internship. I also had the opportunity to work with the two new horses that arrived on Monday.
From my first impression, I believe they will make an excellent addition to our herd. We have
them on trial for 30 days, and then we will make a final decision. Anyways, that’s it for this
week.

● Fed hay
● Midterm meeting (Wednesday)

Overall, this week was fairly similar to last week. One thing that was different was we
had our midterm meeting Wednesday morning. I’m very glad and grateful that you, as my
professor and another internship mentor, were able to come out to Morning Dove to have this
meeting. I think it really meant a lot to Matt and Emma because small details like that matter to
them. I also really appreciated having you out and giving you a tour. The meeting itself went
very well. Emma and I had met last week to work through the forms together. This allowed us to
get a big picture perspective while also focusing on some finer details (i.e. future upcoming
projects). I’m glad it was a collaborative effort because it allowed me to be a part of the
evaluation and reflection process. One thing that you brought up in our meeting on Wednesday
really spoke to me. You mentioned how these journals serve multiple purposes. Not only do they
track what activities and projects we complete, but they also showcase our skills and all the
opportunities we have been able to learn from and demonstrate those skills in. With the
organization starting from scratch, and me having a standard routine, it’s easy to lose track of all
the experiences I am gaining. However, after our meeting on Wednesday it opened my eyes to all
the opportunities I am able to be a part of. For example, I have been doing equine care and
exercise routines for almost fifteen years of my life. I know the standard and I can easily live up
to that standard. However, through those experiences I have learned so much and developed so
many skills that I can use in other aspects of my professional and personal life. Taking a step
back and doing some personal reflection helped me realize that. Anyways, I look forward to
continuing my time here to help me strengthen my pre-existing skills and learn some new ones.
Week 8: February 27 - March 3

● Fed hay
● Mock lesson with trainer (Monday)
● Mock lesson with horses (Thursday)
● Vet appointments (Friday)
● Saddle fitting (Friday)
● Tack room organization (Friday)

Week eight was extremely busy, especially towards the end of the week. Riding lessons,
also known as “sessions”, begin next Monday and there was a lot to be done before the riders
came back. Along with my routine equine care responsibilities, I also worked on a couple of
other projects. One major task that I got to be a part of was the mock lesson we conducted on
Monday. This involved Emma, myself, and a trainer of Morning Dove. In the execution of a
mock lesson it allowed us to see how sessions would typically run. For example, we went
through warm up protocols, mounting and dismounting protocols, and the various
responsibilities of the horse leader and sidewalker. Some of these protocols I was already
familiar with from my previous work at Agape. However, I am still glad that we took the time to
go through everything step by step. A second part to this mock lesson was actually incorporating
the horses. On Thursday, we took all the horses through a mock lesson. This means they were
tacked up, led to the mounting area, led around the arena through various patterns, etc. We tested
them in the same ways that we would need them to perform in lessons next week. Some horses
did very well while others will continue to need more training. Although lessons will be starting,
Emma and I determined that we still want the horses worked regularly by either Emma or
myself. Continuing their fitness programs will keep them sharp for lessons and also help
maintain their fitness.
Friday was the busiest day of the week. The vet came out to give all the horses their
spring vaccinations and also check their teeth to make sure they were healthy. While I did not
assist the vet personally, I did give him a short summary of all the horses and their well beings
(especially since I have been the main person taking care of them for the last several weeks).
Later in the afternoon I helped Emma with saddle fittings and organizing the tack room,
otherwise known as the room where all the equipment is. In this room there are the saddles,
bridles, girths, grooming supplies, different types of boots and wraps for the horses’ legs, etc.
Emma had printed off labels with the horses’ names on them. We put these labels on the saddle,
bridle, and grooming kit shelves making sure each horse had their own supplies and it was easy
to find and have access to. The saddle fitting was especially important because in order to ensure
the horse’s comfort, their saddle has to fit properly on their back. For humans, it's like finding the
appropriate shoes for exercising.
Lastly, I also got a ton of managerial practice on Friday. We had two volunteers come in
to help with the barn chores and equine care. I managed those individuals through cleaning stalls,
refilling bedding, and scrubbing, dumping and filling water buckets. We also had two individuals
come in to help prepare the barn for sessions. I managed them through the cleaning of all the
equipment. Most of our equipment is leather which means it has to be taken care of properly in
order for it to last. They ensured that all of the equipment was clean and ready for use come
Monday. Overall, it was a very full week, but thanks to our productivity, everything and every
horse will be ready for sessions to start Monday.
Week 9: March 13-17

● Fed hay
● Refined fitness program for sessions starting
● Lunged and exercised horses
● Desensitized horses to toys, games, props, etc.
● Long-lined horses for hippotherapy (Friday)

The week back from spring break was great. All the staff and volunteers welcomed me
back and seemed happy to see me which gave me a sense of personal joy. There were a few
changes that Emma and Matt made during the week that I was gone. The biggest change was that
they hired a worker to be the facilities manager, meaning that I was no longer responsible for the
manual labor of cleaning stalls and dumping waters every day. Instead, I could focus my energy
on training the horses, and in the future, doing more administrative tasks and projects. Matt
mentioned that he wanted me to connect with their interim volunteer coordinator to gain an
understanding of the work she does and everything that role entails. The plan is for us to connect
and begin working together next week. On the other hand, Emma wanted me to really focus on
the training of the horses, especially since sessions were starting. Training the horses included
everything from riding them, to getting them more associated and comfortable with the toys and
props the riders would be using during their therapeutic riding sessions. During their first week
of sessions the horses revealed both their strengths and weaknesses. Emma had asked me to help
the horses through their various areas of improvement. I had a lot of autonomy with this which
was fantastic for my personal goals of this internship.
On Friday I also learned how to long-line a horse. This is a form of leading the horse
around during a different type of therapeutic riding called “hippotherapy.” Instead of being a
“head leader” and guiding the horse around by their head, long-lining allows for us to drive the
horse from behind (similar to if they were pulling a cart. They do this in hippotherapy so a
physical therapist is able to walk beside the rider/client during the entire ride and give them
various exercises. It allows more space for everyone involved so the client/rider has plenty of
room to move their bodies in accordance to the horse’s movements. It was really neat to learn
this new skill. Overall, it was a good week because I was able to have some more variety to my
routine.
Week 10: March 20-24
Progress on Projects & Preparing Presentations

● Fed hay
● Equine Operations Meeting (Monday)
● Staff Meeting (Monday)
● Bathed horses (Thursday)

Week ten started right off the bat with two meetings on Monday. My first meeting was
with Emma and two other individuals who have been working closely with the horses and their
training both in and out of sessions. During this meeting Emma filled us in on how sessions were
going. This included the procedures of grooming and tacking up the horses before sessions, the
sessions themselves, and then closing down and putting all equipment away at the end of the day.
She wanted to ensure that everyone was on the same page so sessions could continue to go
smoothly. Emma also allowed us to give feedback on how we felt that things were going. I did
not have much feedback to give, however, I do appreciate and respect that Emma took the time
to allow us to give feedback. It shows a lot about how she cares about the staff and how she has a
“team approach” mindset. The second meeting was with Emma, Matt, and the other intern who is
studying to be an occupational therapist. We discussed several topics during this meeting, mostly
giving an overview of what we have accomplished as well as a small glimpse of what was ahead.
More specifically pertaining to lessons and recruiting volunteers to come and help with evening
lessons. Currently, Morning Dove is having trouble getting consistent volunteers to come out and
help with sessions. We were trying to brainstorm together specific ways to recruit more people to
volunteer. We really want to try and use social media as a platform to promote Morning Dove.
Just the other day I helped Emma film a short promotional video with one of our new ponies,
Coco. I am not much into marketing but it was fun to be involved and hopefully it’ll inspire
others to come out.
The rest of the week I resumed my normal equine care and fitness routines. This included
daily turn out, feeding, grooming and some exercise rides. I can definitely tell the consistency of
working them a couple times a week has helped a lot. Overall I feel that they are making great
progress and I can see improvements from when I started. On Thursday the weather was warm
enough that I was able to give a few of them some much needed baths. Most of them are
shedding out their winter coats so it was a pretty messy process. Still, it felt great to give them a
little extra TLC.
Week 11: March 27-31
Presenting your Internship Work

● Fed hay
● Staff Meeting (Monday)
● Assisted Emma in teaching beginner lesson (Tuesday)
● Horse leader training with a volunteer (Wednesday)

The start of this week began with our staff meeting on Monday. During this meeting we
discussed the upcoming Veterinary Careers Program. This is a group of students from Avon High
School enrolled in their JEL program. They are required to work with both small and large
animals, which means they will do their large animal training and education with us at Morning
Dove. Emma does not have all the details, but I am excited to work with them during their time
here. During their programming they will be learning about horse care, nutrition, basic anatomy,
grooming, and how the horse communicates with body language instead of verbal
communication. All of these topics I have had years of experience with, so I am looking forward
to sharing my knowledge and educating them.
On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to assist Emma with her morning lesson. I have had
previous experience of teaching beginner lessons, but it had been quite a few years. Emma did a
majority of the teaching, but I was able to help the rider navigate through different obstacles and
activities. One activity, for example, asked the rider to weave through a set of cones. I helped by
being a visual point for the rider to look at while they were going through the cones. I also was
responsible for handling the horse throughout the lesson. Emma asked the rider to put their hands
on their hips to work on core strength and balance. I stood by the horse’s head and led them
around the arena since the rider no longer had control of the reins. It was a great lesson and I am
glad that I got the opportunity to be a part of it.
Another project that I completed this week was doing an informal training for horse
leading. We have a regular volunteer each Wednesday that expressed interest in becoming a
horse leader for sessions. Since I work with this volunteer on a weekly basis, Emma had asked
me to do an informal training session with the volunteer. The volunteer was not able to make it
to the formal training last week, so Emma had asked me to work with him on Wednesday. This
position (as horse leader) requires the individual to know how to properly lead a horse around the
arena and through designated obstacles. It is also crucial to know how to “think like a horse.” In
other words, the person needs to learn how horses communicate with their body language and
how they will respond to certain stimuli. For example, if the weather conditions are windy which
causes the doors to make a loud noise, that would come off as scary to a horse. They might be on
high alert and it is the horse leader’s responsibility to know how to properly handle their horse
through scary situations. Another large component of being a horse leader is knowing the verbal
cues. For example, if we need the horse to “stop” the horse leader should say “whoa.” If we need
the horse to “go forward”, the horse leader should say “walk on.” Throughout my time here I
have been dedicated to teaching all of the horses these verbal cues. These verbal cues are helpful
to all parties (human and horse) because it standardizes all cues and makes communication very
clear. Part of being a horse leader is using these cues throughout sessions. Overall, I’d say it was
a great training because the volunteer was eager to learn and quick to catch on.
Week 12: April 3-7
CYC Portfolio Work

● Fed hay
● Taught volunteers how to groom a horse (Monday)
● Farrier (Wednesday)

Emma had me start off my week by teaching a small group of volunteers how to properly
groom a horse. This was a fun project because all the volunteers seemed to have a passion for
horses and were eager to learn. I took them through a tutorial of all the different types of brushes
and explained the purpose of each. I also demonstrated how to do certain things so they would
have a visual example to follow. Working here has given me quite a lot of practice with
managing small groups. I learned how to balance my time between each volunteer to ensure that
everyone felt confident and things were going smoothly. I also appreciated that some of the
volunteers felt comfortable enough to ask questions and learn more. Overall, it was a great
experience for all parties involved.
On Tuesday, I once again had the opportunity to assist Emma with her beginner lesson. It
ran quite similar to last week. Emma did the instructing and I assisted the rider through various
patterns and activities. This week we played “red light, green light” on horseback. This allowed
the rider to develop the proper cues to get their horse to “stop”, “slow down” and “go.” Cues are
given with both vocal and tactile cues. For example, to “stop” the rider should say “whoa” and
pull back on the reins with slight, even pressures until the horse comes to a halt. The rider did an
excellent job and even got to trot for the first time on horseback. It was great to see his
confidence grow and his skills improve.
Another mini project that I helped with was assisting the farrier. All of the horses got
their hooves trimmed on Wednesday morning. Emma was not able to get into the barn until later
so I was responsible for coordinating with the farrier. This included bringing horses inside from
their pastures and then turning them back outside on a rotational schedule. I had to be strategic
about this because some horses needed to be done first. To the farrier, the order did not matter.
However, due to horse behavior (also known as herd dynamics) it was important for me to be
intentional about the order. This is a skill of a good horse person because it shows that you truly
know the individual horse personalities and how to be safe when handling them. For example, all
of the horses go out in either groups of two or three. There is always a hierarchy in a herd,
meaning that one will be the dominant one. As an equine manager, it is key that I am aware of
that order. This will ensure that all horses and people (myself included) are safe when handling
the horses.
Week 13: April 10-14
CYC Portfolio

● Fed hay
● Desensitized horses to motorized lift (Thursday)

This week was fairly similar to my first few weeks at Morning Dove. A majority of my
time was spent doing equine care and stable maintenance. They were short staffed this week so
Emma and Matt had asked me to step in and resume the daily barn chores of feed, turn out,
mucking stalls, and dumping/filling water buckets. While these tasks can be very demanding,
they are a vital part of keeping the operation running. I did get to take a break from barn chores
to help Emma with her Tuesday morning lesson. The weather was nice enough that we got to do
the lesson in the outdoor ring. The pony, however, was not on her best behavior. Emma had
asked me to get on the pony for five minutes to get her to cooperate, otherwise known as a
“schooling ride.” I hopped on the pony and gave her some training so she would behave for
Emma’s lesson. Eventually, the rider was able to get back on and finish their lesson. With the
weather warming up, the horses can act a little more energetic because like humans, they feel
good and are happy to be spending more time outside. This is something that I’ve known after
being a horse person for almost sixteen years.
One last project that I worked on this week was helping Emma with desensitizing a few
of the horses to the motorized lift. This is an automated machine that assists with the mounting
process of equine therapy. For those riders that need more assistance with getting on the horse,
the lift allows an easier and safer process for all involved (rider, trainer, sidewalkers, and horse)
because it lifts the rider onto the horse’s back. Morning Dove has a lift, but Emma and I learned
that none of the therapy horses were trained to use this equipment. Since I have many years of
horse experience, Emma wanted to make certain that I help her train the horses to use the lift
before my internship was over. Additionally, I have been working very closely with the therapy
horses for the past four months, so I was knowledgeable of their strengths, weaknesses, and
different personalities (which is key information to have when training the horses a new skill).
Overall, it went very smoothly and the horses seemed to have no issues being introduced to the
new equipment. From both a personal and professional perspective, I was glad that I could be
part of this experience.
Week 14: April 17-21

● Fed hay
● JEL Group (Monday)
My last week started off with a completely new project. We had a group of students from
JEL come out to the barn on Monday to get practical hands-on work with horses. These students
are training to be veterinarians and their program requires that they gain large animal hours, so
they decided to come out to Morning Dove. Emma had me assist with this programing. I
modeled how to properly approach a horse, halter them, lead them, and put them in the cross ties.
After my demonstration I took half of the group and supervised them as they each had a turn to
apply their skills. We also discussed how to read horse body language and general barn/equine
safety rules. This included how to read a horse’s ear and tail movements as well as proper barn
attire and rules. Overall, the group seemed a little nervous to work around horses. Some
individuals did not hesitate to volunteer, but most of the group seemed timid. It was a fun project
to be a part of because it gave me more practice with working with youth groups and
demonstrating how to “lead by example.”
Unfortunately I sustained a work accident so I was not able to go to work for the last part
of the week. I concluded my internship by dropping off a hand written thank you note to both
Emma and Matt. Unfortunately they were not on property to receive it in person, so I just left the
note on Emma’s desk. It wasn’t the best ending to all the hard work I put in this semester, but I
will take every experience that I learned at Morning Dove with me as I continue along my career
path.

Spring 2023 CD Weekly Reflection Journal 1

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Spring 2023 CD Weekly Reflection Journal 1

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Intern: Erin Cummins

Personal Goals for the Internship:

Week 1: January 9-13

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Week 3: January 23-27

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Week 4: January 30 - February 3

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Week 5: February 6-10

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Week 6: February 13-17

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Week 7: February 20-24

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Week 8: February 27 - March 3

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Week 9: March 13-17

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Week 10: March 20-24

Progress on Projects & Preparing Presentations

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Week 11: March 27-31

Presenting your Internship Work

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Week 12: April 3-7

CYC Portfolio Work

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

Week 14: April 17-21

Weekly Agenda/Task Planner

Friday Reflections and ABT Highlight Moment

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