Me in Aspen, CO.

Hi, my name is Caitlin and I am a senior in high school in Carmel Valley/San Diego, California. I have always been a huge animal lover! In fact, this year I started a Friends of Animals club at my high school in order to spread awareness of animal cruelty and join other teens in advocating for animal well-being.

My favorite animal is the horse, and it has always been since I began riding at the age of six. I am now 18, and I still English horseback ride in the hunter/jumper divisions. Almost all the volunteer work I’ve done has involved horses in some way because I feel most comfortable around them. I used to volunteer in a therapeutic riding program, where I helped teach kids with disabilities how to ride. It was a very rewarding experience!

I now volunteer at the Equine Hospital at Helen Woodward Center, where I work with and help take care of horses with all types of conditions and health problems. I’ve even had the opportunity to assist with emergency situations. For example, I helped perform a bone scan on a horse who had some sort of unknown lameness and just last week, I watched a veterinarian stick a long camera down a horse’s nostril to its throat to examine a lump of hay that was stuck in its digestive tract and could have caused choking. I would love to become an equine veterinarian someday, because I think the work these vets do is fascinating! Of course, I would enjoy most work that involves caring for animals, so I am looking forward to exploring my career options at Zoo InternQuest and throughout college and life.

I am representing the Conservation Team; therefore, look for my comments on conservation efforts here at the San Diego Zoo!

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