Project
For my project I helped my mentor update her webpage. I helped with adding more content as well modernizing the syle of the webpage. Feel free to check out her page at http://www.dawnhoselton.com/ . Over the course of my internship I took several videos and pictures to explain better what it was I was leaning and put them together into a small video which you can watch below.
Project Proposal
My name is Lacey Andersen and I’m a junior at Animas High School. I’ve always had a love for horses and a passion for learning the training involved. For my internship I will be working directly with a local horse trainer and riding instructor named Dawn Hoselton.
Dawn Hoselton works from her home facilities in Bayfield as well as the Durango and Ignacio fairgrounds. She works to train horses from ages 2 and up for anything from ranch horses, show horses, gymkhana horse, roping horse and barrel horses. Her mission is to take other peoples horses (clients), which they pay her to train their horses everyday to teach them new things depending on what the client wants the horse to know dependent on what they want the horse to be used for. Everyone that I have asked says she produces some pretty amazing horses. Dawn is also very active in the youth community with 4H. She supplies lots of riding lessons as well as camps at her house for kids to have a good time and learn more about horses and many other activities.
Dawn Hoselton does not work for an organization but owns her own personal horse training business and facility. My hope is that she will help me improve my horse handling skills and and teach me as many of the processes involved in training horses as possible. Dawn has spent many of her years training and teaching others about horse in turn has lots of knowledge and experience to offer me. It will be very engaging to see what new skills and knowledge I will gain for my time with Dawn.
In this internship my goal is just to learn more about something that I love. I have very little intention of becoming a horse trainer in the future. This LINK is more for my personal knowledge and growth. My original plan was to shadow a wildlife officer in the area because that’s what I’m really passionate about for a career. Unfortunately that did not work out so my second option was to pursue one of my personal interests such as becoming a better horseman by working with a local trainer. I have no doubt that Dawn is going to help me grow and become more skilled in this form of work by the time my LINK internship is complete.
As of this moment I’m relatively unclear what my project will be. I’m sure once the internship begins I will have a better idea of how my time will be best spent to benefit her company. I have noticed that her online website could use some improvements and new pictures that better represent all the things she does as well. To help improve this I could help her by taking videos and pictures of my time there for her to use on her website as well use some of my time improving her site overall. My goal is that this would help get her more business and make it more convenient for her possible clients to move around the site. By doing this I know my computer skills that I learned in Digital Arts will improve.
As far as preparation for my internship goes I don’t have much to do. I will be brainstorming and talking with Dawn to see what's the most beneficial way I can help her with her company through my project and time with her. I feel that there is nothing for me to prepare for my internship other than just being ready to be open to learn new things, be a good listener, work hard and be as much of a help and not nuisance as possible.
During the course of my internship I plan to right daily journals, take pictures and footage of my work, and spend several hours during the evening improving her site however she sees fit. I believe that by working on all these things daily there will be no problem finishing my project on time for the LINK exhibition.
During the course of setting up my internship I had several NO’s and setbacks. Unfortunately most all my time pursuing the Durango Parks and Wildlife and the Southern Utes Wildlife department, which both ended up not working out. I was then in a position for with only a few weeks to nail down an internship. After talking with some close family friends I was referred to Dawn Hoselton. That same day I went and met with her and realized how nice, perfection and organized she was and that same day she agreed to take me on as an intern. It was a great feeling having such a great horseman and trainer being more than willing to teach me some of the knowledge she knows.
All and all I can’t be more happy with my internship and my mentor. It will be a nice change to get out of school for a month and see what the life of a trainer can be and I feel it will be a great time to learn to be more independent and self sufficient. I can’t wait till March to begin this great opportunity and learn new things.