New Equine Welfare Course - Take Online Learning to the Next Level at Equine Guelph

By Jackie Bellamy

More often than not, once you have committed to the Equine Industry, a life-long passion will ensue! 

Equine Guelph is continually expanding course offerings for these devoted horse lovers to help them transition into dedicated leaders.  The newest course offering from Equine Guelph, running from March 5 to May 27, 2012 is:

Equine Welfare

This online course is designed for individuals who desire heightened awareness of global horse welfare issues including housing, management practices, and procedures that can affect a horse’s well-being.  Equine Guelph’s director, Gayle Ecker, explains, “We know that horses are a prey species and therefore may be very good at hiding health concerns.  It is our responsibility as caretakers, and members of the industry, to reach a high level of education and understanding in order to provide a high level of care.”

Students will discuss pertinent welfare topics including: how to recognize negative emotional states, how welfare can be objectively assessed in the horse, and specific practices which may compromise horse welfare.

Instructor Katrina Franken(BSc and MSc Equine Science) is excited about this unique, online course designed to instill professional perspective and provide hands–on tools to tackle welfare issues. “The horse has a vast variety of roles in our lives. Whether it is a working equid in a developing country, an Olympic athlete flying around the world to compete, or a cherished family pet – they all have similar needs that can be surprisingly different from what we think.”

This course will provide the students with a professional perspective.  All too often, horse lovers project very human characteristics onto their horses. The cheeky teaching pony who pulls every trick out of the bag to ditch its rider might actually be suffering from back problems caused by its saddle. Recognizing situations like these are some of the first steps to becoming a professional with advanced knowledge in equine welfare.

This course will look at the biological and emotional factors that affect a horse’s quality of life.  Students will learn how to assess welfare in practice and will discuss practical issues from a global perspective.  Over the duration of the course, you will be provided with the background that is essential to really make a difference for our horses.

Please visit www.Equine Guelph.ca for more information.