EAGLE MOUNTAIN -- Katie Neal of Midvale is a veterinary technology student who wants to work with horses. Problem is, she doesn't have a horse.

"I've never really worked with a horse before, so I get experience," Neal said. Konik, the horse she was working with on a recent day, "makes me happy," she said.

At the shelter, the students give vaccinations, worm medication, take blood samples, do X-rays, give physical therapy, and help socialize both horses and dogs, putting into action all the things they have been learning in school from textbooks and lectures.

Many, if not all, of the animals at the shelter have been mistreated or neglected in some way. Many have physical problems or health issues. Many arrive scared of humans because of the neglect they have suffered. The students work to overcome all of this.

"I had no idea about horses," said Aubree Gailey of Riverton. Since volunteering with her class at the Eagle Mountain rescue shelter, "I've learned how to halter the horses. I've learned not to be afraid of horses. The horses don't scare me anymore, so I can enjoy them."

Shannon Daley of Sandy was working with Titan, a 20-year-old Spanish mustang who was 200 pounds underweight and suffering from skin lesions when Friends In Need rescued her.

"He had bad manners," Daley said of the Titan's early behavior at the shelter. "He would bite and push and spook a lot. After working with him, he's become a real gentleman."

Blake Horn of Riverton said she had no horse experience before coming as a volunteer to the shelter.

"I was more afraid of Titan than he was of me," she said with a laugh. "I have started to be comfortable. This is a great program, and a great opportunity."

Working at the shelter gives the students hands-on experience, said their teacher Kathy Nuttall. The students get to see the benefits of consistent work with sick or abused animals, and the animals get the attention and care they need, too.

"Too many times the students get to see only bits and pieces, not the whole put together," Nuttall said.

To donate or volunteer with the Friends In Need animal rescue shelter, call (801) 891-2622.