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We talk with Vivian about her winter internship at Friesians of Majesty in Vermont and how a promised training opportunity turned into isolation, unsafe work, and constant pressure to push through. We compare her memories with Emma’s similar experience and pull out practical red flags young horse people and parents can use before committing to a barn.

• the farm’s public image versus day-to-day reality for interns 
• recruitment hype and exaggerated praise used to hook eager riders 
• isolation without transportation, limited phone service, and dorm-style housing 
• unsafe horse handling “tests” and being put in danger early 
• overcrowding signs, back pasture concerns, and uneven care 
• sleigh rides in brutal weather and risk normalization 
• injuries followed by blame and public shaming 
• missing lessons, minimal riding, and training promises that never happen 
• low stipends, late pay, and staff turnover 
• how to research an internship and what parents should verify 

https://vtdigger.org/2025/07/06/fourth-seizure-of-horses-from-townshend-farm-highlights-animal-welfare-systems-ongoing-gaps/

https://www.benningtonbanner.com/local-news/dozens-of-horses-seized-from-friesians-of-majesty-in-townshend/article_e74021b5-e197-4f4a-894e-612c4a5f5030.html

https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2024-09-26/legal-troubles-continue-for-townshend-horse-breeder

https://equiery.com/gentle-giants-draft-horse-rescue-takes-in-31-friesians-seized-in-vermont/

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https://youtube.com/@emmajenkinsondressage?si=Zt9ma9vtpMK2iZV7