This unique course was developed by veterinarians at the world-renowned University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. The course will address horsemanship from a welfare perspective, within the context of “The Five Freedoms” of animal welfare. We’ll explore equine physiology, behavior and basic needs including housing, nutrition, hygiene and disease management. You’ll learn how to perform basic tasks to assess the overall condition of the horse and identify problem areas. We’ll also examine the specialized needs of the equine athlete and the major responsibilities we as owners, handlers or competitors must assume in order to ensure the health and welfare of our equine companions. Finally, we’ll look several special topics in equine welfare including disaster planning and the international welfare efforts now in place to protect working horses and other equids in key industries such as racing, international competition, tourism and even mining. By the conclusion of the course, you will be well equipped to develop a comprehensive welfare plan for any horses in your care.
Offered By
Equine Welfare and Management
University of California, DavisAbout this Course
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Offered by
University of California, Davis
UC Davis, one of the nation’s top-ranked research universities, is a global leader in agriculture, veterinary medicine, sustainability, environmental and biological sciences, and technology. With four colleges and six professional schools, UC Davis and its students and alumni are known for their academic excellence, meaningful public service and profound international impact.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
The Normal Horse: Basic Physiology
In this module, you will be able to identify the parameters of normal health in a horse. You will be able to measure a horse’s vital signs, including temperature, pulse, and capillary refill time, or CRT. You will be able recognize ranges of what are considered normal vital signs for the species, breed and individual horse. You will be able to monitor these normals over time to detect changes and alert a veterinarian to a problem.
Maintaining Good Hydration and Nutrition
In this module, you will be able to discuss the water needs of a the horse. You will be able to manage and meet those needs in a variety of situations. You will be able to discuss dehydration and be able to test for a horse's level of hydration. You will be able to properly assess hydration status and will have some knowledge of ways to prevent and react to dehydration. You will be able to identify essential parts of a horse's digestive system. You will be able to discuss the characteristics of a horse's digestive system and be able to develop a nutritional plan suitable for your horse. You will be able to successfully communicate with your veterinarian about your horse's water and nutrition needs.
Providing Proper Care and a Safe Environment
In this module, you will be able to discuss proper husbandry for your horse. You will be able to identify the second of the five freedoms – freedom from discomfort. You will be able to recognize the importance of creating a proper and safe environment. You will also be able to analyze best practices for proper flooring, bedding, footing, exercise, and safety for both you and your horse. You will be able to review the steps needed for emergency preparedness, evacuation, and rescue situations. You will be able to develop a safety plan utilizing the standards of care for your facility.
Assess Fitness, Prevent Common Diseases and Injuries
In this module, you will be able to discuss common injuries and diseases that can afflict horses. You will be able to identify the characteristics of the fit horse and the impact of fitness in injury prevention. You will be able to recognize common symptoms of illness, discomfort, and pain and the importance of hoof and dental care. You will be able to review common fly management and deworming practices. You will be able to prepare a vaccination plan for disease prevention.
Reviews
- 5 stars89.54%
- 4 stars8.82%
- 3 stars0.98%
- 2 stars0.65%
TOP REVIEWS FROM EQUINE WELFARE AND MANAGEMENT
This course covered a little bit of information in a wide variety of topics. The presentations were clean and engaging. I definitely recommend this course for beginners.
The course was absolutely amazing and was so informative. I honestly learned a lot about Equine welfare.
Beyond my expectations,it was more than a basic or introductory course,it covered all materials even though not in full details(expected ).Great I took the course.Easy to understand.
This course is solid in its information, interesting in its presentation, full of good resources, and able to be paced to fit in with my work schedule. It was definitely worth my time and effort.
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