“I almost didn’t apply for this because I didn’t think I’d get it,” Graves said. “It's been one of the best things I could have done.”

Despite her doubts, Graves was the sole individual from a pool of applicants ultimately awarded this coveted position.

Purina’s Animal Nutrition Center, owned by Land O Lakes, primarily develops animal feed. This feed nourishes the livestock responsible for the Land O Lakes products, like butter and cheese, sold in stores.

“They really go from crop to the end product, which is pretty cool,” Graves said.

Aside from her morning chores, Graves’ responsibilities included training one-year-old horses. She worked with these yearlings, including horses with behavioral issues, to improve basic skills.

“One-year-old horses kind of know how to do the basics, like get haltered and get led around, so I’m teaching them how to stand tied, be respectful and how to do all the different things they’re going to have to do,” Graves said.

Most often, Graves and her horses navigated the learning curve of exercise. As a part of a research project, she evaluated the capabilities of each horse before and after training and tracked their exercise data. They learned to use horse treadmills, round pens and utilize the equicizer — an exercise tool made to hold six horses so they can practice their walk, trot and canter without needing to ride or lunge.

“I was really debating if I wanted to go into training if I wanted to go into animal nutrition or equine reproduction, so I kind of found something that incorporates both of these areas,” Graves said.