Caring For Horses

Improve your Knowledge of Horses

This course explores and explains the fundamentals of appropriate horse care aims and techniques.  It considers horsemanship as a combination of art and science. 

Working with horses is primarily about giving and receiving respect, often followed by the beginning of an ever-lasting bond.  By studying this short course you will learn how to care for horses and the ways and benefits to forming a positive and long lasting relationship with these kind animals.  The course comprises ten lessons, and is completed with a final self assessment.

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. BREEDS AND IDENTIFICATION
   • Introduction
   • Breeds
   • Sports Horse
   • Light work horse
   • Draught horse
   • Driving horse
   • Andalusian, American quarter horse,Warnblood, Appaloosa, Arab, Belgian draught, Cleveland bay, Clydesdale, Friesian, Hackney,Hanoverian, Morgan, American paint & pinto, Paso fino, Percheron, Shire, Standardbred, Tennessee walking horse, Thoroughbred, Trakehner.
   • Horse identification characteristics - height, sex, colour, head makings
   • Leg markings, Whorls
   • Additional identification methods - microchips, hot iron branding, freeze branding, lip tattoo
2. ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY AND MOVEMENT
   • External Points of the Horse. - muzzle, chin groove, poll, throat latch, crest, withers, back, loins, croup, thigh, buttock, etc
   • Skeletal and muscular Systems
   • Cardiovascular System
   • Pulse rate
   • Conformation
   • Movement - recognising gaits, leaps, walk, flat foot walk, trot and pace, canter, gallop
3. DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND FEEDING
   • Overview of Digestive System
   • Food
   • Roughage - Forage
   • Concentrates
   • Supplements
   • Feeding Routines and Procedures
   • Group feeding
   • Feeding times and frequency
   • Watering
4. HORSE HANDLING
   • Basic Horse Psychology, Temperament and Behaviour.
   • Temperament types - quiet, Interested, nervous, extremely nervous, stubborn, treacherous
   • Common behaviours - dominance hierarchy, epimeletic behaviour, investigative behaviour, grooming behaviour, ingestion and elimination behaviours, play, minicry, sleeping, walking
   • Safe Handling
   • Catching and releasing
   • Leading
   • Tying up
   • Working around a horse
   • Bridling
   • Saddling
   • Vices and Problem Behavior - biting, cribbing, kicking, stall walking, tail rubbing, weaving, wood chewing, bolting, rearing and striking, shying, pulling
   • Handling a stallion for breeding
5. HEALTH MANAGEMENT
   • Introduction to Horse Health
   • Behavioural signs
   • Superficial signs - coat condition, skin, sweating, discharges etc.
   • Respiration signs
   • Physical examination
   • Internal Parasites- types, effects, controls
   • Skin Conditions -ringwormnettle rask, mud fever, lice, melanoma, sarcoids, etc
   • Equine Colic - causes, signs, treatment, prevention
   • Lameness - signs, causes
   • Contagious Respiratory Conditions – Viruses, Bacteria, Parasites.
   • Non-Contagious Respiratory Conditions.
   • Preventative Health Care Programs - COPD, chronic post viral cough, exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage, laryngeal hemiplegia, etc.
   • Veterinary investigations
   • Preventative health care programs
6. SHOEING THE HORSE
   • Why do horses need shoes? - hoof anatomy
   • The shoeing process
   • Types of shoes - normal, race, heart bar, three quarter, featherhead, wedge heeled, studded
   • Steps in shoeing the horse
   • Accidents associated with shoeing
   • General Foot Care.
7. CARE OF THE HORSE AT GRASS
   • Grazing Requirements
   • Field boundaries - types of fencing, gates, shelter
   • Suitable grasses
   • Poisonous plants to avoid
   • Grazing Management - daily, weekly and annual grass management
   • Feeding and watering a grass kept horse
   • Types of watering
   • Grooming a grass kept horse
   • Exercising a grass kept horse
8. CARE OF THE STABLED HORSE
   • Stabling Facilities
   • American barn stabling
   • Traditional stabling
   • Stable fixtures and fittings
   • Stable Yard Safety -fire protection, etc.
   • Bedding & Mucking Out
   • Common bedding materials - wood shavings, wood pellets, straw, rubber matting, paper and cardboard
   • Bedding management
   • Mucking out
   • Feeding & Watering Overview
   • Grooming
9. SADDLERY AND EQUIPMENT
   • Saddles
   • Parts of a Saddle
   • Saddle design
   • Bridles
   • Parts of an English Snaffle Bridle
   • Bite less bridles
   • Double bridles
   • Bits
   • Ancillary Equipment - martingales, breastplates
10. THE EQUINE INDUSTRY
    • What Do People Do With Horses?
    • Buying & Selling a Horse
    • Hoe can you buy a horse - friends, auctions, trainers and rehabilitators, farms and breeders
    • Common Equine Careers - breeder, owner/ manager (riding school, agistment etc), riding instructor, trainer, therapist, professional rider, farrier, veterinary, equine retailer, etc
    • Final Assessment.

Who is this course for?

• New Horse owners
• Someone who is new to working in the horse industry
• Agriculture or animal studies students wishing to fill a gap in their knowledge
• Refresher course for anyone with some prior experience or learning with horses who wants to bring their knowledge and awareness back up to date.
• Anyone with a passion for horses (amateur or professional) who wants to fill in important gaps in their knowledge and strengthen their overall education with a formal learning journey.