Certificate or Diploma in Horse Behaviour, Welfare &
Education – Theory & Practice
The one year diploma course has been designed for both professional and amateur
horse people interested in specializing in the behaviour, management, teaching and
welfare of horses, using up to date information from science and critically assessed
experience. There is a strong emphasis on combining the theory with the practice of
all aspects of the care, teaching and working with horses.
The students have a lesson once a week, either working from the ground or riding,
and are given a horse from the Druimghigha stud to learn, from for an hour each day
6 days a week. The students look after the horses (under supervision) and
consequently have experience of handling, feeding, breeding, disease treatments,
foot care, shoeing, working and teaching of mares, stallions, younsters and foals
(and other animals e.g. cattle, sheep, dogs, if they wish).
They learn how to construct fences, make hays and other forage, crops, and work
horses on the land, how to treat simple diseases and all other aspects of keeping and
breeding horses. They may also have some experience of accompanying members of
the center to consultancy work at other horse establishments, endurance and
dressage competitions and workshop, depending on locations, time etc.
International visitors with particular expertise visit, and are invited to discuss issues
and different ideas with the students.
Once a week there are 1-2 hour seminars for which students are expected to read
text books beforehand. Once a month they write an essay on a current subject. An
experimental project is selected by each student on an aspect that particularly
interests them and submitted for the final examination (6000 words).
There is a two day examination for the diploma - one day practical, one theory. Two
examiners from the center and one external examiner are appointed. The standard
of the practical riding examinations are approximately those of an Assistant
Instructor BHS, or Galop 5 level. But a broader base of practical skills is required.
The knowledge of the theory is more wide ranging and advanced than these other
qualifications with an emphasis on a serious study of behaviour and welfare of
equines.
The teaching is either in English or French, but it is advisable to have some reading
knowledge of English since most of the references are published in English. Students
may produce written work in either language. We have good library and visitors most
of the year.
The student’s day involves an early start to do the morning stables and feeding,
followed by breakfast, then practical experience and jobs of the day from 9.00am to
1.00pm. After lunch the students are free to study, read and work with the horse
provided for them.
They have one day off a week (not always Sunday) and two consecutive days off
once a month to allow them to visit others. They have a 2 week spring break, and a
one month summer break. They have caravan or bunk house accommodation, eat
breakfast and lunch with everyone, and cook for themselves in the evening (from
food provided off the farm - any other food they wish, they must purchase
themselves) except one evening a week when we all eat together. Meal times are
often times for discussion of the day activities and help with course problems.
Everyone is expected to help with cooking & cleaning of the shared facilities and
because of shortage of water, to wash their own clothes in the summer.
The center is an ecological farm where we try to have less environmental impact on
the earth and consequently we eat our own home produced food, and live rather
simply. Students are expected to be able to adapt to this. We all work hard, but have
much fun and live more intimately with other animals than many do.
The cost is €11 000 to be paid in 2 installments in advance living in. Students who
live locally are sometimes accepted.
If you are interested in attending the course, then telephone to arrange to come for
an interview.
Equipment
Old rough warm clothes to work in, Wellington boots, a hard hat and shoes with
heels for riding, other riding gear is optional. Plenty of energy, cheerfulness and a
sense of humor, enthusiasm and a serious interest in learning to understanding other
humans as well as equines point of view, adaptability.
SYLLABUS FOR 1 YEAR COURSES
Week 1
The horse and other equines. What they are? Physiological, anatomical & social
evolution. The effect of domestication.
Week 2
The equine’s world. What & how they perceive: eyes, ears, taste, touch, smell,
hearing, etc. How the receptors work & what we know about the analysis of
information.
Week 3
The anatomy and physiology of the brain and central nervous system.
Week 4 & 5
Physiology and simple anatomy of the horse. Eating and drinking. Nutrition, what
and how they eat and digest, how to feed horses.
Week 6
The cardio-vascular system & muscles.
Week 7
Exercise and exercise physiology. Physiological and mechanical fitness and how to
assess this.
Week 8
The limbs, lameness, hoof and hoof care.
Week 9
Horses physical needs.
Week 10
Shoeing, basic principles and balancing the foot and limb. Four point/natural balance
shoeing. Practical learning to take off a shoe and to learn about if the horses is well
shod.
Week 11
Tack, saddles and bridles, bitting and the action of different bits, fitting saddles to
horses and humans.
Week 12
Common equine diseases, their cause and cure, colic, lameness, worm, and working,
ticks etc. Good health and how to maintain it. Physiological & Psychological
consideration for disease control.
Week 13
How horses learn & learning theory.
Week 14-17
Communication in horses. Smell, taste, sight, touch & audition. How, why, when, if,
etc.
Week 18-20
Horse society, and individual relationships, Sex, maternity& growing up.
Week 21-22
Grazing & grazing management, fencing, total intake, selection. The horse as a
botanist.
Week 23
Handling horses, how and why, in theory and practice.
Week 24
Handling young horses, early learning & lunging, early harness work.
Week 25
Working horses on the land, when and why. Harness & implements for harness work.
Week 26
Working from the ground & teaching, use of body and voice and teaching simple
language to equines.
Week 27
First riding, first harness work.
Week 28
Horses as ecologists.
Week 29
Horses as sociologists.
Week 30
Horse’s emotions, what can they feel?
Week 31
Horse’s intellectual needs and abilities.
Week 32-36
Horse’s cognition. Can they think? What do they think about? Are they aware of
themselves or others? Introduction to the current debates on Consciousness and
animal cognition.
Week 37
Health and healing, different techniques and ideas.
Week 38
Different ideas on educating equines: classical European, western, Roberts, Parelli,
Rarey & various others contrasted and discussed.
Week 39-41
Equine welfare. What is a “good life” for horses in different situations, countries, etc
and why. Debates on animal welfare science and environmental ethics.
Week 41-51
Projects, 1 experimental project of choice, and one research essay on a subject the
student wishes to examine further. (5000 words)
The order of the subjects and timing may change depending on practical details. The
course will cover other equines as well as horses, and students may specialize in
donkeys, zebra or mules, but will nevertheless be expected to understand and know
this material. The examination is 1day practical (riding, working, handling, working
from the ground, etc.) and a 3 hour theory written examination involving some
compulsory & some choice questions. The theory teaching will, as far as possible, be
synchronized with the practical work but weather, farm activities etc. have to be
taken into account.
The Certificate course is 6 months in which most subjects are covered in less detail.