The editors at Hoof Beats magazine asked me to write a short piece for their e-newsletter about what it was like to work on the article I'd done for the July issue. It was a good exercise for my normally cut-and-dried, just-the-facts-please writing brain. You can see the result at http://www.hoofbeatsmagazine.com/newsletternews.html#home or below:


Going Home

When Hoof Beats agreed for me to write an article about the Standardbred yearling program at Delaware Valley College, I was delighted. I graduated from Delaware Valley College as an animal science major and worked with a yearling in the program during my freshman year. For me, working on this article was like going "home."

It had been about three years since I'd been on campus for a visit. Walking through the Sydney J. Markovitz Equine Breeding Center, the horses' names were different and there was a new shed row outside, but everything else was as I remembered.

I was happy to see Dr. Hofsaess and Mrs. Gilbert were still involved in the program. Interviewing them for the article was an interesting turn of the tables—yes, I asked my share of annoying questions during class, but here they were being quizzed by me about all they knew on the subject of yearlings at Delaware Valley College. I give them both "A's" for putting up with me then and continuing to do so now.

The enthusiasm of the students was exciting, as well. I was a stranger in "their" barn, asking lots of questions and carrying a big camera. College-girl giggles abounded, but I'm not sure I would've been as confident as they were. They've probably seen a copy of Hoof Beats on Dr. Hofsaess's desk, but I don't know if they fully realize the impact this magazine has on the industry.

One thing I've always appreciated about Delaware Valley College's animal science major—and what I'm learning about its relatively new equine science and management major—is that the students in this program are in this program. So many equine-industry employers aren't focused on finding employees with degrees; instead they want employees who've gone through "Life 101."

Here, students do both. Those interested in horses are foal watching, managing the stable, administering meds, and collecting semen, whether it's during a blizzard, a 90-degree day, or a perfect spring afternoon when they'd rather be out with friends. There aren't too many places on earth where you can find 20-somethings actually paying (in this case, paying tuition) to clean stalls.

The yearlings here get the same kind of well-rounded, hands-on education, and that's what I hope I was able to highlight in my "Education for All" article in the July 2007 issue of Hoof Beats.

—-Lisa Munniksma