Download the Internship application
Next Level Horsemanship Interns:
Sarah Stanley:
Sarah began riding when she was 10 years old, quickly finding a passion for horses. Through the years, she has ridden for a number of local trainers of both English and Western disciplines, always eager to learn more. Throughout high school, she was a member of Silver Spurs and the Clover Club in 4h, where she rode her horse Chance through the hoof hours program. At 16, she began working for Dreams Go On, a Therapeutic Riding Facility, where she worked hands-on with conditioning, training, and care of the horses, as well as instructing both therapeutic and able body riding lessons. She has also worked at several boarding farms, where she has been responsible for day to day care of the facilities, and learned a lot in the process. Sarah has completed 2 of 3 phases of her CECTH National Therapeutic Riding Instructor Certification. She has also completed the first workshop toward a Masterson’s Method Certification. “Throughout my years of riding, horse behavior and psychology have always interested me. I loved to learn what horses do and why they do it, and found myself studying horse training and trying out methods I found on every horse I could get my hands on!” After attending clinics and gaining experience in the field, Sarah applied and was accepted to the University of Findlay as a Western Equestrian major, where she rode on both the English and Western IHSA teams. It was during the fall semester of her sophomore year when she joined the Next Level Horsemanship internship program.
Sarah had attended one of the Mustang sales at Next Level Horsemanship and had a few lessons with Suzanne previous to the internship, and to her it was a “no-brainer” in deciding that NLH is where she wanted to complete an internship to help push her to be the best that she could be. During her time with NLH, Sarah has been given the opportunity to work hands on with a variety of horses, both finished and in training, and receive personal and in depth instruction. “During my internship, I have really grown my skills both on the ground and in the saddle. I feel that my riding and overall understanding of concepts have greatly improved during my time here. I love working with Suzanne, and her staff, because she is very knowledgeable but able to teach in a way that makes it simple and easy to understand what she is saying. The community at NLH is very supportive and kind, it is relieving to get to grow in an environment that is truly invested in your success! I feel inspired every day that I am here to be the best that I can be, and I am excited to see where my experiences at NLH take me.”
Katrina Pike:
Katrina Pike is from Hollidaysburg, PA and grew up on her grandfather’s farm where she started riding early in life. “My earliest riding memory is when I was three years old and talked my family into adopting my first pony. It was clear early on that horses would be a huge part of my life.” Katrina participated in the 4-H horse program and there discovered her love of working with young or inexperienced horses. During her 4-H experiences she accomplished three top ten, a top five, and two state championships. Since her 4-H days Katrina has worked with several trainers along the way who helped develop her current methodology for training horses. “My primary discipline has always been Western Pleasure, but I have worked Hunt Seat and over jumps. I have shown at both the All American Youth Show, and the Quarter Horse Congress, and have returned to the Youth Show with trainees whom placed in the top ten.” Despite her accomplishments thus far, Katrina was looking for something to help round out her horsemanship experience and give her a perspective on how to develop a solid program for training from start to finish. “A family friend and client of Suzanne’s suggested I look into the Next Level Internship program, and that I attend the Pennsylvania Horse World Expo to see Suzanne in action. Following the expo and some research into Next Level Horsemanship I knew I needed to do what I could to be a part of their team and learn as much as I could. I was very impressed with Suzanne’s willingness to adapt her program to fit individual horse’s needs; as well as the idea of creating a partnership between the rider and the horse that is ever growing and evolving. The Next Level Horsemanship Internship program offered the perfect opportunity to learn from such an accomplished trainer, increase my own skill by working with different disciplines and grow even further as a horsewoman.” We welcome Katrina Pike to the Internship Program this year and look forward to helping her succeed as young trainer in the future.
Marie Madaras:
“Teamwork, determination, and loyalty have always been my greatest values throughout life, whether it was simply helping a friend at 4 am, pushing teammates through workouts, or helping my team win the world championship in ultimate frisbee,” says Marie. Marie Madaras graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2012, and initially dreamed of training marine mammals for the US Navy. Actually, she spent a season as a ski bum in Vail, CO, where the mountains stole her heart. The winters there she spent snowboarding and exploring the back country, while in the summers she worked on different ranches and it was there that she realized she had a passion for horses. In the past 4 years Marie has moved every 6 months in order to see and experience many different things. Recently she moved to Port Matilda, PA to participate in a Next Level Horsemanship Internship after she saw the possibilities for learning so much more there. “Although I have worked/ridden horses on and off for most my life, it was not until recently that I developed a great respect and intrigue of the human-horse relationship. Riding has become more of a partnership than I could have ever imagined. From the little training I have been fortunate enough to do I have found that working with horses is more of a team sport than any other sport I’ve played. I have been fortunate enough to start my education training horses in Colorado over the past year in which I have grown both as a horseman and a person, but I am thrilled to finally be following my dream of training and working with horses full time.” Marie cannot wait to learn anything and everything about all sorts of disciplines, the business of running a training operation, and to really develop her connection with the horses. “I am not sure where the field may take me, but I hope to one day be able to help with equine therapy for veterans and be back in the mountains.” Marie will be participating as part of a team of Next Level Horsemanship interns this summer and we welcome her team spirit to the Program. We’re excited to be a part of her continuing endeavor for learning more about horsemanship!
Sarah Tabin:
Sarah started riding when she was eight years old and has been working on farms since she owned her first horse. She had attended several clinics throughout the years and in high school was serious about barrel racing. During her first two years of college, she joined and showed through IHSA on the western team at Slippery Rock university. After transferring to Penn State her junior year she quickly learned there was no western team at that time. “I had developed a love for reining being on the IHSA teams and I wanted to learn more about that type of training. I heard about Suzanne’s internship program from a friend in class and was invited out to volunteer. I was impressed with the spins, stops, and how horse and rider could reach their full potential. I also was amazed at the connection Suzanne and interns had with the mustangs. I wanted to get a better all around training experience, and learn how to train from scratch.” Sarah applied for a Next Level Horsemanship internship position for the summer of 2016 and was accepted into the program. “This summer I hope to gain confidence in not only riding and training but also in myself. I will be starting vet school in August 2016 but I hope to one day participate in the mustang challenge with the information I gain from Next Level Horsemanship during my internship experience.”
Brianna Wolfe:
Brianna has loved horses and animals her entire life and began riding when she was 7 years old. She started with instruction in English riding and later began to diversify to include the western disciplines. Brianna’s interest in horses soon expanded beyond riding and she became very interested in how to make them better partners with people through training. While still in high school, Brianna volunteered at Cozee Valley Horse Rescue in Huntingdon, PA and worked with the horses there to make them more suitable for adoption. Over the years Brianna attended multiple clinics and seminars to increase her understanding of horse behavior and to improve her skills in horsemanship. In February of 2015, Brianna attended one of Suzanne’s seminars at the Pennsylvania Horse World Expo in Harrisburg and became very interested in the Next Level Horsemanship Training Program. After meeting Suzanne and discovering the possibilities for learning through the NLH Internship Program, Brianna applied for an internship position and was accepted several weeks later.
Brianna currently holds a full-time, paid internship position with NLH and we are excited to have her on board! She is extremely dedicated to learning and no stranger to hard work. Brianna is learning new things every day in the areas of horse handling and training, equine behavior, farm management, client relations and program development. One of my favorite things about this internship is the ability to work with so many different types of horses,