Not all finals take place in a lecture hall. For more than a dozen animal science students, the year’s toughest test will come in the auction arena during the annual horse production sale — featuring 13 horses and a mule that the students have bred, raised and trained.
The public auction, this year called the “Proof Is in the Progeny” sale, is scheduled for June 20, starting at 6 p.m., following a preview of the animals at 2 p.m. and a barbecue dinner at 4:30 p.m.
Four weanlings, eight yearlings and two adults are up for sale. Among them are registered American quarter horses, American paint horses and an Appaloosa. The catalog also shows two warmbloods that are eligible for registration with the Selle Francais Association, and notes that the mule is already registered.
“This is a great opportunity for these students to work with horses, from foaling to the sale ring,” said Joel Viloria, equine facilities supervisor for the Department of Animal Science. “The horses that we put through the sale have been introduced to everything under the sun, and most of them have even had saddles on their backs already.”
“We welcome both potential buyers and members of the community who just want to enjoy the sale to come out and support the horse barn program. The student interns have put a lot of sweat and tears into these horses.”
The sale is the culmination of a six-month internship for the students serving as foal managers. The program offers them an opportunity to learn how to handle and train weanlings and yearlings, as well as provide care for the mares and foals before and after birth.
The students also are responsible for grooming the horses for the sale, and for training the foals to stand tied, load into a trailer, and stand to be clipped and shod. The students exercise the horses regularly and expose the foals to a variety of activities involving large crowds, heavy equipment and the show ring.
Proceeds from the sale, which traditionally brings in $20,000 to $30,000, support the animal science department’s Equine Management Program. It provides hands-on experience for students preparing for careers in the horse industry or for further studies in veterinary medicine or graduate school.
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Dave Jones, Dateline, 530-752-6556, dljones@ucdavis.edu