Internships
Annually, we offer a limited number of Horse Training Internships to anyone aged 15 and up. Previous horse experience is necessary, and is required. If you’re looking to gain experience, you’ll want to contact us about a “horse camp“.
Internships consist of colt starting, helping with daily chores on the ranch and around the house, riding saddle horses, attending horse events such as barrel races, moving cattle, sorting cattle, helping the neighbors, attending brandings and whatever else each day brings. Interns will be given horses and colts to start based on their abilities and will be supervised as needed. A typical day begins with breakfast between 8:30 and 9:00am, and supper is between 7:30 and 9:30pm.
The internship program runs from May through September each year. Currently, we can take 2 interns at a time for which we will provide meals and (shared) lodging here at the ranch house (the intern will have access to the laundry facilities as well as internet, phone and television- guest house coming soon!). If we are full, and you desire to intern, you would be on your own for lodging, but we would provide meals. We will provide transportation to and from the Pierre, SD Airport. Transportation can be arranged for an additional fee to the Rapid City, SD Airport. Students are allowed to bring one horse. Internships consist of 8 weeks and the first intern coming in the summer, will be a teaching internship. That intern will be expected to teach the second intern, who will arrive 4 weeks after the first intern. Interns will arrive on Sundays and leave on Sundays, unless otherwise specified.
Days here are often long, but you will learn a lot, as well as have LOT of fun! That we can promise. And it’s not all work and no play- there will be an occasional afternoon off- where you can nap, or we’ll take a trip to the river to swim. After all, we live in God’s ultimate playground! What makes our internship so unique is that here, it’s an all-hands-on-deck learning environment. There is no barn, so there’s no stalls to clean. You will get real-world, hands on experience, in horse training, horsemanship and horse handling, as well as studies in horse behavior.
Preference for internships is given to college students pursing Equine Degrees. We will work with their Universities to make sure that the curriculum meets the needs of each student. Special pricing is given to college interns. Please contact us if you are a college student looking for an internship.
Tuition for the internship program is as follows:
- First year internship costs are $425/week.
- Second year internship costs are $325/week.
- Third year internship costs are $225/week.
A non-refundable deposit of $250 is required to secure your time here. If you desire to pay the full amount of the internship up-front, you will be given $100 off the total amount. College students pursuing equine/ranch related degrees may intern for $175/wk. The cost is to cover expenses of room and board.
To gain an internship position please apply below. To be considered the application is due by March 20, 2012. You will also need to provide a video of you catching, saddling, bridling and riding your horse, and any other information you feel you’d like to include for consideration. Videos may be put on YouTube, or Facebook, emailed or mailed via DVD. Just make sure we receive confirmation of seeing your video.
If your application is accepted, we will notify you by phone, and payment may be made via check or paypal.
Applications for 2012:
Tweets that mention The Ducheneaux Ranch » Internships -- Topsy.com says: August 12th, 2010 at 8:30 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jenn Zeller, Jenn Zeller. Jenn Zeller said: we've got our website updated with the info you'll need to intern or come to the ranch as a camper in 2010! http://bit.ly/clAhry [...]
The summer of 2010 was hands down the best summer of my life. I got the opportunity to intern for Zach Ducheneaux and Jenn Zeller, two of the most amazing people you will ever have the joy to come into contact with. I arrived to the ranch, without the slightest clue what I was getting myself into. Days were long, and hard, but so incredibly worth it. From the colt starting, to working cows, the brandings, halter breaking babies, late night guitar sessions, and meeting the nicest people on the face of the planet, not to mention being right in the middle of “God’s country” made it that much more memorable. Along with all the fun though, there was lots of hard work. Between the building fence, and fixing it, to (well okay, let’s face it nothing at all was really all that hard…) But needless to say, it’s an experience I wish everyone could get. All the hands on, and figuring out how to solve something yourself is something I not only use when I’m on my horse, but in everyday life as well. I treasure the memories, but also all the amazing things I’ve learned. If you get the privilege of being accepted into this program, take it with an open mind, and come expecting to be blown away. As I was told when I arrived on that sunny afternoon, “This is going to be your favorite hello, and hardest goodbye,” a truer statement has never been spoken.
I am an Animal Science Junior at Oklahoma State University in search of a summer internship within the equine industry. I am most interested in learning more about the internship that you offer.
Cheyenne, our 2012 Internship application is now available on our website. Please fill out the form, and provide a video of you catching, grooming, bridling, saddling and riding a horse.
I am an equine major at black hawk east in galba il and im looking for and equine intership, and when reading about your intership it was pretty much dead on as to what i am looking for! id love to hear from you guys!! thanks so much!