internships

» Program

We accept interns (working students) for varying lengths of time. An optimum stay is 9 months or longer, as this allows an intern to achieve realization of long-term projects, such as in the cases of working with specific horses; for instance, bringing a youngster along to the point of being ready to start under saddle, starting a youngster under saddle and reaching the level where the horse can comfortably respond to aids for walk, trot, canter, open and close gates, bringing an already under saddle horse to the next level of performance such as moving up a level in dressage or learning to scrimmage at polo. Interns who can only stay for 3 months will still learn much and will benefit from our program. Interns are involved in all aspects of ranch life in a true "hands on" approach. Interns are encouraged to develop a level of autonomy in approaching the position, and become members of our 'ohana, or Hawaiian extended family. Interns receive extensive instruction, riding time and competition opportunities, in addition to their ranch duties.

The internship is a non-salaried position, which includes room and board (a value of $1,200 a month), lessons and instruction (a minimum value of $200 per week), memberships in local equestrian associations, where applicable (a minimum value of $75), competition entry fees, where applicable (an average value of $100 per competition), and show transport costs, where applicable (an average value of$100 a competition).

Our application process involves submitting a curriculum vitae which includes your school or university studies, your interests and hobbies, and your equestrian background, including types of riding (flat, jumping, trail riding, bareback, etc.), along with appropriate references for us to consider. We also require a photo or video of you riding in some capacity. The photo/video need not be professional quality.

» Catherine Longworth (Accrington, England)

One of our 2001-2002 interns hailed from Lancashire to take a work year during her pursuit of an Equine Sciences degree. She was already competent in many skills related to equine management and riding, and applied those abilities to working with specific horses to improve their performances. She especially enjoyed our emphasis on integrating the use of equine body language in working with the young horses in their ground handling, and she is extremely observant and excellent at instructing, as well. She continued the ride on the apprehensive retrain gelding, and brought him along so that not only did she win the Hunter under Saddle circuit championship with him, but she began to bring him along over fences as well as helping him to make the transition to having other riders on an occasional basis in order for him to integrate into a more normal lifestyle. She competed successfully in Dressage competitions, Horse Trials, and Hunter competitions during her stay. She became ever more adept at reading the young horses' body language, and learned to manage their ground work to develop their manners, expectations, proprioception, attention span and other related skills. She has excellent bookkeeping skills and helped to maintain our daily horse log in a user-friendly format. She has returned to England to complete her studies following a stay of nine months with us. She is working on her thesis and working with several horses as well starting a youngster.

"I performed nine months on work experience on the ranch and had the time of my life. I learned a lot more than I thought could be accomplished in such a small period of time. Now I feel confident in starting youngsters, training riding horses and competing in all disciplines. EKM made it possible to become skilled at trimming feet, medicate minor injuries and handle the ranches daily routine.

All the hard work is definitely worth it. Nancy and Trey were not only great teachers they were also exceptional friends. If you have what it takes to become a real horseman, then I recommend paying them a visit
Currently I am working towards my BSc(Hons) Equine Science & Management. In my spare time I enjoy helping others train their horses."

» Sarah Critchley (New Zealand)

Our late winter/early spring 2001 student traveled to us from New Zealand. She had traveled extensively and proved to be a very competent hand with horses. She competed a client's mare in a Hunter competition after having been here only four days, giving the horse a nice, quiet ride for the horse's first time out at that type of show. Her skill at show turn-out was amazing and unsurpassed, and everyone was agape at the lovely plaited tails and manes on our horses at the show. She competed a client's gelding in the Novice Horse Trials in which they placed third -- he had his best dressage test ever, and she went on to successfully compete another client's mare over fences. She enjoyed learning the system of manners, which we require of our horses, as well as learning our methods of starting the young horses. She picked up working with the apprehensive retrain gelding, and connected so well with him that she was able to compete him on the flat (his first time ever to compete) in the final hunter show of the season, garnering several top placings. We had time just before she left to do a sojourn to Ka Lae (South Point) to the exotic and remote green sand beach. She has returned home to New Zealand where she is works long hours as well as catch-riding show jumpers and hunting zealously in the wild and wooly Kiwi fashion.

» Rosi McKenzie (Prestwick, Scotland)

Rosi completed a year-long internship at E Komo Mai Sport Horses Learning Center. She was quick to read the equine body language during ground handling. She learned many aspects of reading the body language of the young horses and worked with them on the same skills mentioned above. She enjoyed observing all the aspects of the herd behavior, and was competent and effective in her mounted skills. She was able to give good rides to many of the horses and was proficient at bringing them through from behind. She enjoyed learning to ride some of the horses bareback with a halter. She, also, was adept at updating the horse logs. She competed successfully in dressage competitions, horse trials, and hunter competitions during her stay. Around the ranch she embarked on a project of building and painting a set of jumps to be used indoors in the arena. During her stay she had the opportunity to attend two unique livestock auctions as well as to attend a Hawaiian luau and to spend a day exploring Volcanoes National Park, where she caught a day with impressive viewing of the current river of lava. After completing her internship she returned to Scotland to complete her university studies. She is working in a show jumping yard and catch riding eventers, dressage horses, and hunters. She is competing a horse made by John Whitaker, and started an international quality young jumper whom she is just beginning to compete.

"Spending 8 months training with Nancy Steinecke has changed the way I work with horses. The E Komo Mai programme covered everything from the correct dressage seat to how to structure physical therapy rehabilitation programme for one of the stallions. Most importantly though I found myself very much in control of situations I would never have been able to handle before as through behavioural techniques Nancy ensured that we knew how to be the alpha leaders of the herd. I made great friends, ate fantastic food and visited some of the most beautiful places in the world...what can I say, I loved it!"

» Lucy Sauncers (Cape Town, South Africa)

In 1999 we hosted a student from South Africa who had completed her degree in psychology and who had worked in the equestrian venue as an extra curricular activity. She, also, wished to learn the applications of understanding horse psychology and body language. She was with us for three months, and we arranged for her to go from here to stay with friends of ours in the state of Alaska for a month, where she had the opportunity to participate in very different horse activities, in addition to experiencing another very unique lifestyle. From there she went on to England to work in a jump racing yard before heading home to South Africa. She has now completed her master's degree in South Africa as well as competing for her country in pentathlon. She will soon begin work on her Ph.D. in New Zealand for which she has been awarded a two year grant. While she was with us she learned round pen techniques, learned to work with horses in a herd situation, handled foals, worked with horses here for re-training, brought along already started horses, learned how to trim hooves, and competed successfully in hunters, jumpers, and eventing, earning several first placings. We were able to participate in a lovely trail ride in the mountains on Mauna Kea Ranch during her stay with us. She also joined us when we were able to attend an exclusive cultural festival of the native Hawaiian dance form, hula.

"I learnt heaps and enjoyed every minute of it (should never have left). Am definately going to visit Nancy an Trey oneday (soon)
The horsemanship skills that I learnt at E Komo Mia I use everyday back here in South Africa, Cape Town. Since working with Trey and Nancy I have worked in a steeple chase racing yard in England. I have also competed in the an endurance riding season completing 30km and 80 km races. The show jumping skills I aquired have definately come in handy when doing pentathlons here in SA. I have been to world champs for pentathlon, England 2001 and All Africa Games, Eygpt 2002. I wouldn't have managed to achieve so much, riding-wise, had it not been for the skills that I learn at EKM."

Nancy has instilled a passion for dessage in me and one day I hope to have my own dressage horse.

» Charlotte Hughes (Devon, England)

Our summer 2001 intern had a degree in Engineering and came here from Devon, England. She had an amazing immersion in doing everything at once, as that is how things go in the horse industry, and she met the challenge with energy and fortitude. She has an acerbic wit and matched Trey joke for joke. She enjoyed developing a sense for the system of manners, and learned to work with the youngsters within those parameters. She increased her ability to allow herself to feel her horse's way of going under saddle, then to show him how to improve his performance, and became proficient in assessing and riding a variety of horses during her stay. She made great strides with several horses in helping them to attain better balance and acceptance of the aids before returning to England and a full time job in electrical engineering. She continues her riding, having completed a course in trick riding, and instructs interns in archery, as well.

"I spent three months at EKM after graduating in electronics before starting a full time job in Birmingham. I learnt more in those three months about horsemanship than in ten years of riding and working on yards in England. I raised my expectations of how a horse should behave and improved my own skills a as a rider, not just in terms of getting the best out of a horse but improving my perception and the application of the aids. I learnt to understand why a horse behaves the way he does and to moderate my approach so he understands what I am asking of him.
Highlights of the trip (so many to choose from) included a trip to the volcano, snorkelling in crystal clear warm water, seeing a turtle, nights out in Kona, the adventures of Mrs. Murphy (the temperamental green truck) but best of all; polo! Nancy, Trey, Catherine, Maki & I bandaged up the horses and spent a fun afternoon practising various polo shots. I really enjoyed getting Lakota , the littlest horse, to ride off Waikula, the grumpiest horse there! And not forgetting the occasion a wild boar got into the pet pig pen and had to be shot before serious damage was done! (He tasted very good).

At the moment I am working for TRW, an aeronautical company but within twelve months am hoping to leave for pastures new. I am looking to set up a corporate entertainment company that will run have-a-go archery stands, Mongolian horseback archery displays, jousting and trick riding. (Nothing like being ambitious) And if that doesn't work out I'll go back to EKM!!"