Horse Care & ManagementDiploma Course

The Horse Care and Management Diploma Course covers the basics of what you would expect from an equine course of this type: horse anatomy, mucking out and grooming your horse. This online horse husbandry course also focuses on horse care from an ethical and scientific perspective. This means the course covers areas such as learning theory, equine welfare and group housing, among others.

The course begins by giving a thorough overview of horses. This covers: a brief description of their evolution, anatomy with specific attention paid to the head, legs, and hooves, terminology used for markings and coats, the physical ways in which horses communicate their emotions, and how horses learn (which is actually remarkably similar to humans).

We then go onto what a horse needs to be emotionally and physically happy. We teach you how to recognise a healthy horse as well as how to check them over and how to spot pain by changes in the horse's facial expressions and behaviour. Students will learn how to: train a horse to accept health checks and medical treatments, recognise common health problems, administer first aid, and understand worming and the importance of having an appropriate worming programme in place.

You will learn how to act around horses and limit the risk of accidents occurring. The course talks about nutritional needs and things to avoid in a horse's diet, and promoting good health with grooming. There is also information on blanketing, explaining when this is and isn't necessary, and both the barefoot and shod methods of keeping a horse's hooves.

We show you how to get the best from horse's environment, for the enrichment of their mental and physical development and welfare. This covers: stabling, group housing, turnout, and the social structure of horses.

Owning a horse is actually less expensive than it is perceived to be. This said, it is a lifetime commitment and the costs are a lot more than your average house pet. We highlight the average ongoing costs of horse ownership, along with things to consider before buying a horse, what to look out for when viewing a horse, and how to go about taking your new horse home.