Olivia on "Rosie", Cass on "Snazzy", Brianna on "Silver", Shanna on "Speedy" & Jennifer on "Skippy" a few years back.
Our internship program allows a person to learn natural horsemanship, dealing with horses in a natural herd setting. This is a beneficial program if you want to own your own horse or if you want a solid foundation based on principals of horse psychology. No games, no marketing gimmicks. No barns to muck but during the summer we work from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. or later, 5 days a week, and as needed on the weekends. This is not for those who want something easy on their resume. If your emphasis is breeding and foaling, plan on an April-May rotation. If colt starting is your interest, plan on a summer rotation. Spring and Fall tend to be focused at trail horse training. Thanksgiving through February we do have trail horse training, as well as general training but weather is not conducive unless you are a glutton for punishment. All interns get an opportunity to ride. How well you ride, how soon you develop hands, how assertive you are.... all those things will dictate what you ride. We won't ask, or allow you to ride horses you are not ready for. Again, this summer, when the interns decided 3 of the two year olds were a too rank, those 3 horses went onto my list to ride. I won't ask my interns to ride anything I can't ride. We want success for the horses, and the intern. Toni Laston, the director of Start 'em Right schools directly supervises the students, with Mike coaching and teaching. Toni gives the gals and their parents or spouse a sense of security. We loosely define our interns with three levels; Senior, Intermediate and Junior. Senior interns may assist in training horses of all ages, babies, weanlings, yearling saddle introduction, two year old starting, three year old and older trail horses, and behavioral issues. They will assist when we do classes, clinics and exhibitions. Intermediate interns assist in ground handling and training, and may help with tune-ups. Junior interns will spend their time catching and saddling horses, warming up schooling horses and trail riding as safeties for the senior interns. 
(Photo by Brian MacCormack)
This was taken along the Chattogga River with a group of interns and students. Mike and Toni are discussing some tack adjustments as Christina looks on.
We have resident and local interns. Locals can be either full time and part-time. Part-timers are not popular with me, since we seem to spend a significant amount of time 'catching up', or reiterating. After saying that, we give priority to our students, then 4-H, FFA, and local folks, in that order. Locals that have taken lessons and demonstrated competence and safety are eligible for the summer program. Frankly, those from other schools need to spend significant time as a junior intern here before they are ready to be a senior. Sitting on a horse and riding round and round in a ring may be the standard for some schools, but it is only the beginning here. Riding is only a part of horsemanship. Control through communication is a key to safety. 
Patricia and Bianca both have done two rotations with us, and were here at the same time one summer.
Since they did their internships, Patricia is mid way through her program at Vet school, and Bianca completed her BS in Animal Science and is an assistant director at a zoo in Holland. 
This is a photo taken during the Western Horseman photo shoot. Following the young packhorse is Lauren Flemming on the left, and Brianna Laston to the right.    
On the left is SeleAnne from Holland who was with us 2006. In the middle is Danae from England who did a summer rotation 2008. The two pictures on the right are both of Immy, from England, first on Shybug on the Whetstone Trail system, and then going to the dogs, with Crash and Burn. Either dog outweighted 16 year old Immy. Immy did a summer/fall rotation in 2008. Training interns pay $1000 a month, stay in a motel that they arrange for, eat where they want, what they want, when they want, show up for the training they want to see, and skip what they don't want or if it's too hot or too cold. These interns get priority for the time slots and training they want. Regular interns pay $500 a month, work, train, and ride when I or the foreman work, train, and ride. They live in one of our campers. They pay for their own meals, and find recreation after hours as they desire and can afford. Waived fee interns have their fees waived. They work when work needs to be done. They can expect to be the first ones out in the morning, and the last ones finished at night. Getting the position and keeping the position is based on who is the harder worker, more talented, better anticipates requirements, or is easier to get along with. Lodging for regular interns is typically one of our two campers. Security is provided by three 120 plus pound guard dogs. No outsider enters the farm site at night. The dogs will aggressively protect those living there. Email us to discuss an interview, scheduling, and specifics. We can provide references. 
Jennifer and Boogie sliding into their finale. Jennifer began her internship at about 8 years of age
and dealt with some clients' rough horses over the years. Jennifer rode Boogie the first half the season prior to departing to enter the US Air Force Academy and won the South Carolina Youth Champion Reiner of 2008. She is now at the US Air Force Academy.
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