Ainsley Hutto
Ainsley Hutto is a current UF Animal Sciences student in the Equine Specialization. This summer, Ainsley worked as an Equine Reproductive Intern at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Kentucky. Her primary role was caring for mares and foals, taking their vitals, administering medications, and providing fluids. During her time as an intern, she acquired skills in charting, equine medical care, foal handling, and desensitization techniques.
When asked how this internship has enhanced her undergraduate experience, Ainsley responded saying, “I learned a lot from this internship about how equine hospitals function. This really broadened my understanding of the field. I was surprised at how busy the hospital was, and how many mares gave birth during the foaling season! The hand on experience I gained during my internship will help with my classes moving forward as I take more classes for my equine specialization”
Ainsley said that the most rewarding part of her internship was, “Helping foals from the time they are born until when they are able to walk and nurse by themselves.” adding, “It is incredible to see them develop!”.
For other students who may be interested in this internship in the future, Ainsley offers this advice: “I would suggest they gain experience working with horses. I was immediately comfortable handling my patients because I grew up riding horses. I think these prior experiences made me much more successful in my internship.”
Kaylie Rogers
Kaylie Rogers is a current Animal Sciences student in the Food Animal Specialization. Kaylie’s summer internship was out at Silver Spur Ranch in Walden, Colorado. Most of her days were spent riding horseback through the yearling cattle and the cow/calf pairs, ensuring the health of the herd. But each day looked a little different. Kaylie said, “Working on a ranch, every day brings different tasks”. During the course of her internship, she helped build corrals, fix the fences, bailed hay, and branded.
Her favorite part of the internship experience was getting to rope and drag in the branding process. This was a different style than she was used to on her family farm. Kaylie enjoys roping and was happy to use the practice while working at Silver Spur.
While completing her internship, Kaylie used the experience she had from her family’s ranch, as well as what she has learned while completing her Animal Sciences degree. “The focus area of my degree is in beef cattle, so this internship has enabled me to use what I have learned in my classes in a real-world setting. It has also allowed me to see how different ranching in Florida is from out west.”
Kaylie said that her Food Animal nutrition and reproduction classes helped her be successful at Silver Spur. She was able to artificially inseminate her first cow out there and she said, “Having a firm foundation in beef cattle reproduction really helped me a lot with that.”
Her advice to other students who are considering an internship similar to her experience is, “Get out of your comfort zone. Going somewhere I was not familiar with has helped me learn so much more and meet so many awesome people as well as give me endless opportunities to expand my knowledge about the beef cattle industry.”
2022 Animal Sciences Internship Seminar
Join us at the Animal Sciences Department’s Internship Seminar on Thursday, October 20th at the UF/IFAS Straughn Professional Development Center. Students, educators, employers, and friends are invited to join us as we hear from over 40 current students showcasing their internships. Career Hour will begin at 5:00 PM with representatives from various agricultural enterprises looking to host an intern. And our students will begin their presentations at 6:00 PM.
Employers are encouraged to participate in the Career Hour at 5:00 PM. This is a unique opportunity to network with UF Animal Sciences students eager to explore agricultural enterprises. Students will range from those looking for internships to those interested in a part or full-time position. This is an excellent opportunity to recruit some of UF’s best and brightest students.
Find more information about the UF/IFAS Department of Animal Sciences on our website. Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Any questions or inquiries regarding this piece should be directed toward Savannah Linzmaier at slinzmaier@ufl.edu. Read more stories like this one here: http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/animalsciencesdept/.
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