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A
class in working with draft horses at Brigham Young University-Idaho proved
to be a way to find a summer job for several university students this
summer.
Rudy
Puzey, who developed the curriculum for the new class, admits he was
surprised at the demand for student wagon drivers.
“We
found some of the dude ranches had some real interest in finding students
who could drive the teams,” he says. “All of a sudden it
provided employment and internships in the summer.”
He
estimates about half of the 20 class members ended up driving teams this
summer in such tourist places as Jackson, Wyo.,
and West Yellowstone, Mont.
Jim
Thomas, owner of the Bar-T-5 Covered Wagon Cookout & Wild West Show in Jackson,
hired four drivers. “It’s made all the difference in the world
when we get students with a class under their belt,” he says.
“They’ve all done a good job.”
The
two-credit class, “Draft Horses – For Work and Pleasure,”
was held at the livestock center west of Rexburg. When students completed
the course, they were given a grade and also a draft horse and teamster
certification card.
Offered
through the Animal Science Department, the purpose of the class is to
prepare students to safely hitch and drive a variety of horse-drawn
vehicles with draft horses for work or recreational purposes.
Students
gain experience by individually handling, harnessing, hitching and driving
draft horses.
He
is grateful to Mitch Jacobs of Hamer, Dell Barney of Rexburg and Bud Price
of Rigby for providing draft horses and wagons for the training. Thomas and
Jacobs also helped teach the classes.
Puzey
says such a class is a bit unusual at the university level, but he knows of
similar classes at the College of
Southern Idaho in Twin
Falls and at Michigan
State University.
He
says the class will be held again during the winter semester.
Contact
Don Sparhawk if you need a photo.
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