Equine Studies - Diploma

The aim of this course is to provide students with a useful grounding for further studies on the subject of horses, their care and behaviour. Students will study how to identify common health problems and understand their nutritional requirements as well as understanding a little of equine origins.

Course Modules

• How and why animals are classified
• How horses are classified
• Equine evolution and the ancestors of the modern horse
• General anatomy and physiology of the horse, including skeleton, respiratory and nervous system, digestive system, reproductive system
• Points of the horse
• Dentition

• The points that should be considered before breeding horses
• The anatomy of reproduction for both mares and stallions
• The courtship ritual and mating
• Artificial insemination
• The development of the foetus and care of the pregnant mare
• The birth process, and care of the mare during and after foaling
• Care of the newborn foal
• Research into reasons for equine infertility

• Trickle feeding and the natural eating habits of the horse
• The main nutrients - carbohydrates, protein, fat
• Micronutrients - the vitamins and minerals
• The equine digestive system
• Feeding the horse, the importance of fibre
• Different requirements for foals and broodmares
• Calculating a feed ration, amount and composition of feed

• The signs of a healthy horse and what to look forSome of the signs to look for that could indicate a problem
• The vital signs, respiration, temperature and heart rate
• Parasites and how to prevent and treat them
• Infectious diseases, and vaccination against influenza
• Causes of lameness, such as laminitis and navicular disease
• Respiratory problems
• Azoturia
• Toxic plants and how to recognise them
• Care of the elderly horse

• Preparing to own a horse, the questions you should ask yourself before making the decision
• Choosing a suitable horse
• The different breeds of horse and their characteristics
• Buying a horse, privately and through dealers
• The vetting process
• The equipment required for caring for a horse
• Suitable stables and grazing, identifying the requirements
• Health checks and day to day care of the horse
• Travelling horses safely
• Clipping horses
• The requirements for exercise

• What is behaviour?
• The differences between instinctive and learned behaviour
• The importance of evolution in the study of behaviour
• The domestic horse and the effects of domestication on behaviour
• The young horse and its development
• The way horses learn through habituation and desensitisation
• Using the knowledge of behaviour to train a horse, classical and operant conditioning
• Stereotypical behaviour in horses and the possible causes