Internships

Are you looking to…

Gain hands-on experience with equine nutrition and exercise physiology research?
Understand how to design and conduct research trials?
Network with equine nutritionists and other professionals in a research setting?

Look no further! It’s all possible with an internship at Kentucky Equine Research.

The Kentucky Equine Research internship program offers the practical experience necessary to understand and implement research protocols. Read more about what goes into a research study in this Equinews article, written by 2024 research intern Emily Robyn.
Imparts the skills necessary to assist in the everyday management of a large and busy research facility, often interfacing scientific design with practical solutions.
Provides instruction on how to conduct nutrition and exercise physiology experiments, including data and sample collection.
Exposes interns to basic laboratory equipment integral to research trials.

Internship Programs

Summer (3-month): ~May-August depending on school schedules. Only open to applicants who are currently within the U.S. (domestic).

Yearlong (12 month): ~June/July to June/July depending on school schedule and availability. Open to domestic (U.S.) and international applicants.

	Summer	Yearlong
Duration	3 months (~May-August)	12 months (Summer-Summer)
Paid	Yes	Yes
Housing Provided	No	Yes; fully-furnished, includes internet and cable
Health Insurance Provided (Domestic)	No	No
Visa Application Cost for International Applicants	N/A	Partial coverage of cost; includes health insurance
Applicant Location	Domestic (within U.S.)	Domestic (within U.S.) and international

Internship Application Deadlines

Applications open: November 20

Summer Application Deadline: January 31

Summer Application Decision: No later than February 28

Yearlong Application Deadline: February 20

Yearlong Application Decision: No later than March 20

INTERNSHIP LOCATION: Kentucky Equine Research, Versailles, Kentucky, (18 miles southwest of Lexington, Kentucky and/or Kentucky Equine Research, Ocala, Florida. Summer internships are in one location. Yearlong interns may experience both locations.

FACILITY DESCRIPTION: Kentucky Equine Research, Inc. is an equine nutrition, research, and consultation company serving both the horse producer and the feed industry. Its goal is to advance the industry’s knowledge of equine nutrition and exercise physiology and apply this knowledge to produce healthier, more athletic horses. The cornerstone of Kentucky Equine Research is its 150-acre facility in central Kentucky where equine nutrition and exercise physiology experiments are conducted. This research center maintains Thoroughbred research horses and includes a high-speed treadmill, a six-horse free walker, and equipment necessary for detailed investigation of nutrient metabolism at rest and during exercise. A second research facility in Ocala, Florida, features a training track for Thoroughbred racehorses, so much of the research performed there involves horses in active training. All research conducted at the research farms and published by Kentucky Equine Research is designed to have direct application to the horse feed industry and relevant to current topics of interest in the scientific community.

Description & Objectives of the Internship Program

Provide routine health care and management of horses. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, cleaning stalls/facilities, ration preparation and feeding, grooming, night checks, conditioning horses on a treadmill and automatic walker, monitoring the health, weight and condition of all horses, and assisting with routine health care such as fecal egg counts, vaccinations, and deworming. Physical labor and farm labor are integral duties of the internship program.
Participate in all aspects of a variety of research studies, such as standardized exercise tests on a high-speed treadmill, digestibility experiments, palatability testing, glycemic response, and in vitro fermentation.
Assist with the recording of data during experiments, the collection of samples during digestion trials and exercise trials, analysis of data, and presentation of results.
Become familiar with the operation of research equipment used in studies during the internship. This equipment may include indirect calorimeter equipment used to measure oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production, heart rate monitors, centrifuge, blood analyzer, and in vitro system to measure gas production and digestibility.
Learn the skills necessary to effectively implement research protocols, including troubleshooting problems as they occur and understanding factors that affect the outcomes of research studies.
Interact with leading equine professionals.
Become familiar with oversight and management of a horse herd and farm.
Expand your equine knowledge and cultural experiences through on- and off-site educational opportunities.

Required Hours

Hours are variable, ranging from 40 to 60 hours per week, depending on the schedule of research experiments. The normal work week will be 6 days. However, during busy times, it may be required that interns work at least a few hours of a seventh day. Days off are not necessarily weekend days.
Due to the nature of research projects, horse care, and farm management, set working hours are not always possible and some after-hours work must be expected.
Every effort will be made to keep working hours reasonable and equally divided, however, applicants must be willing to be flexible with their work schedule.

Required Skills

Good horse handling and care skills are fundamental in this position. Experience with equine husbandry, nutrition, and routine management of a horse farm.
Experience and attention to detail are essential for basic laboratory skills.
Should be dependable, hard-working, able to learn by instruction and observation, organized, able to handle changing conditions and priorities, and sensitive to the detail and accuracy necessary for successful research.
A willingness to get “dirty” as nutrition research and horse farm work are not glamorous jobs.
Be able to lift 50 lb (23 kg).
Ability to work and live well with others in a diverse and changing work environment.
Demonstrated ability to communicate well with others and be committed to working in a team setting.
A strong interest in equine nutrition and research.
Good working knowledge of computers, including Word and Excel.
Must speak, read, and write English fluently.

Education & Experience

Must have completed at least 2 years of a bachelor of science degree (or equivalent degree) in animal or veterinary science (equine emphasis).
Veterinarians or applicants with a doctorate are typically considered overqualified for this internship.
Knowledge of basic horse handling and care is necessary for the safe handling of research animals, safety of coworkers, and effective implementation of experimental design.

Application Procedure

Applications for our 2026 internship programs will open November 20, 2025!

The Application Portal links will be available here this fall.

Summer

Yearlong

Please refer questions to:

Ashley Fowler, Director of Research

Internships

Internships

Equine Nutrition and Exercise Physiology Research Internships

Are you looking to…

Look no further! It’s all possible with an internship at Kentucky Equine Research.

Internship Programs

Internship Application Deadlines

Application Procedure

Please refer questions to: