UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Paulina Oleinik, a senior in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, started her college career at the University's Altoona campus, she had no idea that one day she would call a horse barn her home.
Oleinik and four other students are live-in employees at the Penn State Horse Barn. The on-campus horse farm is home to approximately 70 American quarter horses and an active breeding facility, which raises about 20 foals per year and trains them for sale by the time they reach two years of age.
Barn living
Oleinik, of Chesterfield, New Jersey, is majoring in animal science with minors in equine science, international agriculture and German. She began working at the barn in the summer of 2017 but is new to the live-in position. She moved in last fall and said she is more than thrilled to have the opportunity to be even more involved in the horse program.
"As a freshman, I didn't even realize Penn State had such extensive livestock facilities," Oleinik said. "Living at the barn has been the best experience of my life; that may sound like an exaggeration, but it really is true."
She explained that Penn State-raised horses are used in classes for the equine science minor and for research projects. Horses born at the farm also make great pets for people with a wide variety of equine interests, and many also have gone on to show extensively. Along with the five live-in students, there are six other student employees and two full-time managers who are responsible for the care of these horses.
Oleinik said she has gained invaluable experience from this job. From working hands-on with young horses, to giving treatments to sick animals, to helping with the collection of stallions and insemination of mares — every day at the barn offers a new lesson.