Almost everyone has seen or heard of the Horse Barn on the north side of campus, however most don’t know what goes into running it. They have both mares and stallions as well as multiple foals at the barn.

Many workers have to come in at 6 a.m. to start their chores or come in late at night to help the mares go through labor. Some of the horses that are kept at the barn are not owned by Iowa State itself but by others who want their horses cared for temporarily.

“Lots of owners like to bring their pregnant mares in so that we can see them through the labor and the aftercare.” said Nikki Ferwerda who is a lecturer, an adviser and manager of the barn. “We have been doing this for awhile so the owners tend to trust us to take care of them.” Ferwerda manages the barn and is also an adviser and lecturer who teaches classes from the barn with AnS 332E starting at 7:30 a.m.