LEXINGTON, Kentucky — Morgan Gustin, a native of Merrill and a 2016 graduate of the University of Maine in Orono, recently graduated from the Kentucky Equine Management Internship (KEMI) program based in Lexington.
Designed to immerse students in the Thoroughbred industry in Kentucky, enrolled students are required to complete a rigorous 22-week internship, attend weekly classroom sessions and present projects relevant to the equine industry.
Gustin completed her internship at Trackside Farm, a farm that both boards Thoroughbred mares and delivers their foals, and prepares horses for the sales ring. She learned routine care of Thoroughbred mares, foals and yearling horses, and was responsible for the administration of scheduled medications and routine veterinary work. She was also on call to attend all births of foals.
Morgan will move to Florida to pursue a job opportunity as the manager of a local company in Gainesville. She plans to do veterinary technician volunteer work at the local large animal hospital to continue building her skills in the veterinary medicine realm.
“KEMI has allowed me to expand my network of connections and gain great exposure to so much of what this [Thoroughbred] industry has to offer,” Morgan says. “I have been able to hone my understanding of what I love and am skilled at.”
“As Coordinator of the KEMI program for the past 16 years, it has been a pleasure to welcome students such as Morgan to Kentucky to expose them to the Thoroughbred industry and to help them define their career goals,” says Program Coordinator Leslie Janecka. “We’re confident that being a part of the KEMI program helps so many students refine their horse-handling skills and land jobs within the equine industry.”
