FAQs
If you are considering to be a working student at MJ Farms
I will try
to give you an idea of what a working student at MJ Farms does.
We will take working students from April 1st to the end of Oct.
This is a ranch setting( 1/4 section of land) no indoor riding
hall.
You will be learning a land based management method for horses.
We have 70 + horses--- 30 are housed at night.
We are raising warmbloods and Anglo Arabs for the sport market.
A working
student position is a non paying position (volunteer) but room
and
board are provided in a Family setting while you are at MJ Farms.
If you are flying in we will pick up at Calgary International
Airport and make arrangements for you to get to the airport
on your departure date.
Living
arrangements:
Our working
students live and eat with us in a family setting.We expect
6 days a week from our students. Days off will be staggered
as it is quite
busy on the weekends during the summer. Some decide to bank
their days off and travel at some time during their stay in
Western Canada. The days can be long, we quit when it is done.
We understand not everyone can spend 5 months in Canada not
earning money,
or have school commitments--- however we give first consideration
to those
that can stay longer-- as it adds to the continuity for the
young colts in
the breaking/ training portion of the program and allows the
students to
start a colt/s and take them through to marketing them ( a very
good experience for those that want to be in the industry).
We consider those that can commit at least 2 months.
We have 2 bedrooms for our volunteers a small single, and a
large room that
will be shared. Bathrooms are two on the main floor and shared
by all the
family.
We are lookingfor a maximum of 3 working student at a time.
The students will keep their bedrooms and bathrooms clean and
help with the dishes.
Breakfast and lunch are ad hoc. The students make their own
breakfast -
toast or cereal and or sandwiches when it works for them and
their
assignments. "Run of the fridge". We try to take into
consideration food
preferences and provide lots of fruit and vegetables but we
cannot offer a
total vegan diet or a kosher kitchen. We can deal with a white
meat diet
however the fish selection is very limited in our markets. Dinner
is a sit-down county meal.
We are 10 miles from the closest towns. However we find our
past students meet people their own age group and go into town
on their days off or weekend evenings. We try to insure our
volunteers get to the World Famous
Calgary Stampede held in early July, and hit at least one day
of a Spruce
Meadows tournament.
Of course there are daily chores feeding and barn cleaning.
This generally
takes an hour twice a day. Everybody works on this.
A typical MJ season is comprised of:
Foaling ( we will be foaling 12 mares from March to June)
If you are here early enough you can help with the foaling.
The breeding
shed opens late April early May. The experience in this area
: -- you will be teasing mares and handling mares in the breeding
shed every other day, semen collections are Monday, Wed , Fri.
If the student wishes:they can learn AI techniques and Stallion
handling .
Our breeding manager Heather has had 10 years experience at
MJ Farms and a
College certificate for cattle AI from Olds College. We will
be breeding between 20 and 30 mares. Collecting 3 stallions.
Mid April
we start hard grooming and ground work of the young horses.
We
average 8 young horses to start.
We try to match the students to the horses that they will start.
This is
under Jennette's close supervision and teaching. If you are
ready to start a
horse we will work with you to develop enough skill to do this.
We will want
you and your young horse to have a positive experience ---so
we can help
with teaching the skill, or sharpen the skills you need, you
will have to supply the courage .
Jennette has BSC in Agriculture, also has post grad degree work
in horse
nutrition from the U of Kentucky. She was the head of the equine
department
of Olds college for 12 years before she decided to devote full
time to MJ
Farms.She has been training and breaking young horses for 35
years.
Generally at least one of the young horse assignments a day
is worked/
ridden by each student.Grooming, pulling, bathing your young
assignment,
teaching them the ways of a future show horse.
If your assignment has progressed enough to benefit from a clinic--you
will
take part , at no cost to you, in a clinic held early summer
by Eve Mainwaring.
Eve has been Ian Millar's (a Multi World Cup Champion). guru--
she is a
very experienced knowledgeable horsewomen.
Again if
your young horse has progressed enough-- you will be entered
into a hunter/jumper show in the 3rd week of Aug., at no cost
to you, so bring your show clothes.
And lastly if your assignment is chosen it will be consigned
to the Canadian Warmblood sale held in Early Oct.
Early summer we start grooming and preparing the mares that
will be presented for inspection. All students get assignments
in that area.
Mid summer we will be getting client sale entries to prepare
for the Oct
sale.-- grooming and riding assignments made according to students
skills
and departure time. Also preparing show entries for the breeders
show in
Sept .
So as you can see there is a lot of hands on experience with
horses of
different ages. Our working students from the past all felt
they improved
their riding-- and learned many new aspects of the horse industry.
They had
fun doing it as well. Many are now successful in the horse industry.
We work very hard to make this safe for you and our horses but---
You will need to have health care insurance to cover "the
just in case" as
we all know you can get hurt with horses.
You need to be in good health.
You need a strong work ethic,
You need to be a team player as most of the work is in teams.
You must be older that 16-- we prefer 18 and older.
Preference will be given to those that have started a young
horse.
You must understand English fairly well--- to keep you safe
you must understand what is been said.
A sense of humour is always enjoyed.
Now that I have laid it out -- if you are still interested
1. Send us a resume
2. 3 horse contacts references --- info@mjfarm.com addresses please---
if European applicants
3. Your goals for your time at MJ
4. When you would like to come and leave.
For Mara,
Jennette, Heather and Barry
the MJ Team
"I
came to Mjfarm in the end of april 2001 with the goals that
I would lern more about breeding, horsekeeping in
another contry, working with young horses, develop my riding
and lern the
language better.
I lived at the farm with the family and I really feel that I
have been well
taken care of!
I liked
the work and my duties included lot`s of riding and training
with
young horses, work in the breeding shed, halter training foals
and do
chores.
I did get lot`s of help with my riding and many riding lessons
(in both
dressage and jumping) during the time, I also had the opportunity
to be in a 3 days clinic and go to a huntershow!
In the breedingshed I have lern how to breed a mare, handle
and collect a stallion and teasing mares.
When I went
back to Sweden in august I felt that I had all my goals fulfiled,
my riding got so much better and so much more and I was very
sad that I had to leave so early!
cecilia
sauelsson"
