German student finds work at Copper Spring Ranch an exciting adventure
Bill Brewster , The Big Sky Sun
Published 08/14/2008 – 9:58 a.m. MST
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Working at Copper Spring Ranch for the summer is a dream-come-true job for a young horsewoman from Germany. The exciting job in the equine industry is perfect for Kristin Kotzur, 19, from the small rural community of Bonsweiher. The summer work at this highly regarded Quarter Horse Ranch near Four Corners has opened up the door for Kristin to learn about the way breeding animals and performance horses are managed in our western states. Although she is no stranger to the classic dressage and traditional English riding world in Germany, her work in the ranch barns and with the performance horses has added a new dimension to her knowledge of horsemanship.
At the ranch this summer, Kristin has been working on a number of projects that run the gamut from grooming horses, cleaning stalls and dealing with the band of highly bred brood mares to working with cattle.
At a recent barrel racing jackpot at the Gallatin County fairgrounds in Bozeman, she climbed in a western saddle for the second time in her life, and made a 22-second run around the barrels. Along with trying barrel racing, she has also test fired the handguns that are used for Cowboy Mounted Shooting.
“I am getting the chance to ride some great western using horses and it is certainly giving me a broader experience,” she said. “The ranch has become my second home since I arrived here in early July,” she said. “The people here are so nice and helpful. You know, I am the first one in my family to come over to the United States.”
For Kristin, horse people are horse people, no matter which side of the Atlantic they call home.
“There are so many similarities among horsemen,” she said. Kristin learned about the ranch from a family friend living in Livingston. After the suggestion, she looked up the website (www.copperspringranch.com) and then contacted the ranch.
The Gilhousen Family has encouraged a policy of hiring students interested in horse industry careers to be part of the ranch’s workforce. In the process, the ranch managers have accommodated their school schedules so they can fulfill their education requirements while reaching their career goals.
Kristin is an example of students from other countries who are also interested in working at the ranch. Through her contacts in Germany, horsemen in that country are now looking at purchasing Copper Spring’s well bred Quarter Horses.
Kristin said she started riding when she was 10 years old. Her riding program included classic English lessons in jumping and dressage. In recent years in Germany, she switched from riding German Warmbloods and Thoroughbreds to riding the versatile and rugged Icelandic horses. As a result, she has spent less time in the riding ring and lots of time riding in the forest on miles of trails. On August 20, Kotzur is heading back to Germany to catch up with friends for a few weeks before starting three years of advanced studies in physical therapy at Heppenheim.
When her studies are completed she plans on specializing in physical therapy for both riders and their equine partners.“Kristin, you have been a delight for those of us who have the pleasure of meeting you. We wish you all our best as you return home to Germany,