The Adventure Begins
#bfrdpwy #aginternship #RightRisk
This week marks the first days of my internship at my host ranch! I arrived at the ranch on Tuesday and began working as soon as I had arrived despite not having anything moved in – I was excited to do so! The location of the ranch is absolutely breathtaking. Throughout my first 24 hours on the ranch, I was given a tour that (unintentionally) included elk, bald eagle, and bear sightings. In addition to this, I was introduced to the other employees and interns working at the ranch. They all were very eager to help me get the most out of this internship.
Over the next few days, I was taught a plethora of tasks that I will be completing over the next few weeks of the internship. This includes not only animal health maintenance, but also land and ranch management tasks. I was excited to learn that I will be working with both the agriculture and animal side as I believe this will expand my skill set greatly. Some of the main activities I completed this week included fertilizing a field, performing preparations for a trail ride, assisting in a cattle drive, and building a fence!
As I reflect on some of the concepts challenged this week, I realize the amount of growth that has already been accomplished in just a few days. I knew going into this internship that I would be outside of my comfort zone, a lot. With this, I have always valued the idea that the most growth and improvement occurs outside of the comfort zone. One challenge I faced this week in particular, was learning to saddle up and ride a horse, and further use the horse during a fastpaced cattle drive. If you had asked me just a week ago if I thought I would be riding a horse to help move cattle, I would not have believed you as I had little to no experience prior to
this week. Though that is one thing that I really appreciate about the people here, they make a point of challenging you in ways you would not have otherwise expected, but they do so in a way that eliminates the uncomfortableness as much as possible.
This week also gave me some helpful insight into the concepts of ranch management that are not typically apparent. For instance, I learned a great deal about the irrigation system at the ranch and how the river is used to supply water to the ranch. I was intrigued by the ways in which the water is “controlled” in such a way that the flow can be increased or decreased depending on water levels and other factors. Also, I was exposed to outside ways in which the ranch is able to make extra money through activities unrelated to agriculture. They also make a
great profit off of allowing space for events, such as weddings and corporate events. Considering the ranch’s location and natural beauty, it is a popular choice. Additionally, they use their extra space by renting it out for other activities, such as hot air balloons, river rafting, and a loading area for construction companies.
Considering the fact that I have only been on the ranch for less than a week, I feel as though I have so many questions! Thankfully, there is still plenty of time to learn and ask those questions. A lot of my questions relate to the “why’s” or overall purposes and reasoning for specific tasks. I am interested to learn why certain tasks are performed a certain way or why it is significant. This applies to both the animal health side of the internship and the ranching/agricultural part. This internship is one of my first introductions into a large-scale, working ranch and I am looking forward to becoming accustomed with the ins and outs of such a successful ranch.
One of the questions I have that greatly relates to my future as I pursue a career in the large animal health field, is the symptoms to be aware of when moving cattle. For instance, when we had moved cattle, we were told to keep an eye out for the slow-moving, limping, sickly-looking, or buller cattle. If any cattle fitting this criteria were located, they were roped and doctored accordingly. I am interested to learn more about what specifically is looked for in those selected cattle and how the correct medication/treatment is determined and administered. I am not very familiar with the common kinds of illnesses in cattle or the corresponding medications/doses. This is something I hope to learn more about and become familiar with.
I already feel as though I have learned so much more about not only equine and bovine health, but also about the basics of ranch management and agriculture. I am starting to recognize the ways in which the skills I learn will be helpful for me in my future with veterinary medicine. With the experience I have obtained in just a few days, I am already feeling much more comfortable around cattle and horses and I am able to decipher their tendencies and behaviors more effectively. This will be helpful in the future when I need to determine abnormal behavior in animals to determine the proper diagnosis and treatment.
Besides all of the skills I have already learned, I am planning on continuing to gain more knowledge and expand my skill set. The continued exposure to both horses and cattle in addition to learning the ins and outs of the ranch will have a lasting impact on my future. By immersing myself in the atmosphere created by the ranch, I believe it will lead me to become more educated and comfortable in the animal and agriculture aspect of my studies. The importance and correlations between animal health and ranch maintenance has already been emphasized as an important consideration for each component’s individual success. As I prepare for the next few weeks, I am looking forward to being able to ask more in depth questions and become more skilled at completing tasks so that I can continue to improve my efficiency in regards to animal health and maintenance.
Submitted by: Sydney Thorvaldson
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team
