Blog : Equus Education

Mentoring for a Horse Career

February 17, 2017 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

I was made aware of a website online awhile ago that offered part time / casual work for mentors. If you were to be mentoring people, then you made yourself available via Skype or online to be able to talk with mentees at a time that mutually suited. Mentoring could be in relation to study, career choice or other life choices. And this got me to thinking – why not mentoring for a horse career?

So there are two options I believe for this to be a horse career:

Someone could set up and provide a place online where people are able to mentor others with regards to horses
People can become a mentor with regards to horses for those in need

Mentoring for a Horse Career - Would you do it? — Mentoring for a Horse Career – Would you do it?

So this perhaps raises the question – what would someone need a mentor for? And what that relates to horses?

Take your pick! People could provide mentoring in the areas of :

Buying your first horse
Choosing a horse career
Help with organisation of a horse business
Assistance with regards to studying horses / completing a horse course

Mentoring for a Horse Career

I am sure there are many people with a wealth of skills, knowledge and qualifications regarding horses. It’s quite possible that they could couple this with a desire to help others. If there was a place online that linked capable mentors with those seeking guidance, I believe this could be another way to earn income in the horse industry.

Whether you’re just starting out with horses or in the horse industry, or whether you’re a season pro – what area do you think you could have had the assistance of a mentor in?

“For many young girls, having a horse of their own ranks high on the scale of importance, right up there with breathing.” ― Kim Meeder

Researching Equines and Teaching Equine Science

February 15, 2017 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

There are some things that are or have been discovered by others that fascinate me, especially when they relate to horses. Recently I read the Partnered Pony by Jenifer Morrissey. It contained a statement regarding researching equines. It left me thinking, ‘wow! How cool!’

It turns out that supporting the gut bacteria facilitates serotonin production which can lead to calmer equines.

Researching Equines is an Incredible Field

What’s so interesting about this statement?

There is a link to how horses can be made calmer. This can greatly affect their performance, health and ease of management.
It is linked with the horse’s digestive system. This in turn is linked with what we feed the horse.

In short? Particular foods that keep a healthy environment for microbes can lead to calmer horses. Nutrition for horses can be designed that results in a horse that isn’t seen to be so ‘hot.’ Again: wow! How cool!

Researching Equines

This information may have not first been discovered with regards to horses. However, there are funds out there for people wanting to undertake studies around the equine species. Many of the teachers of my Equine Science Degree were also researchers. They were able to continue their passion (research) by having a day job (teaching). This day job just so happened to link in with their passion – both were related to equine science!

For those who are interested in researching equines, consider the idea of teaching equine science, too. As you do your masters and maybe even go on to a PhD, teaching can be a great way to fund your desire to study and learn more about the equine species.

“From horses we may learn not only about the horse itself but also about animals in general, indeed about ourselves and about life as a whole.” ― George Gaylord Simpson

Pack Trip (Saddle Club #18) by Bonnie Bryant

February 13, 2017 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

Carole, Lisa and Stevie have been offered an incredible opportunity in Pack Trip, book 18 of the Saddle Club series. Their friend Kate Devine has called with a request for them to join her and Christine on a pack trip in the mountains.

Pack Trip (Saddle Club #18) by Bonnie Bryant

The first obstacle is to determine how they will afford the trip. When they are able to find a solution to this problem, it is then a question of Stevie convincing her parents that she can go – and that she’ll get on top of her homework before the end of the trip.

There are three other riders who will be going on the trip also and it seems that they’re each matched to the Saddle Club! Stevie has found a fellow trickster in Amy, whilst Lisa is drawn to Amy’s brother, Seth. Carole is rapt to be able to consistently talk horses with John.

As the trip progresses, Amy gets more impulsive. This then causes the others to question if she is fun or just plain dangerous. Seth is desperate to protect his sister and Lisa finds herself drawn into their drama as she works to help Seth. Stevie recognises the issue before anyone else and calls a Saddle Club meeting – it’s time to intervene! But can the other girls convince Lisa to see reason – and before Amy does something that puts them all in danger?

Pack Trip is an action packed novel by Bonnie Bryant that is full of adventure and horses, of course. It’s nice to find Kate and Christine in the picture again and the trip is well described. An interesting and also entertaining read.

Author: Bonnie Bryant
Fiction – pre and early teenage years.
In My Library? Yes, along with many others.
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

Monty Roberts Equus Online University

February 10, 2017 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

Boy have I not been aware of a niche area online! Although I too am offering horse related courses online (equine passive streams and breeding the mare), I wasn’t aware of how popular this was! Recently reading Alyssa Knee’s debut book, Spike, I was made aware of Monty Roberts Equus Online University.

Monty Roberts Equus Online University - Have you Enrolled? — Monty Roberts Equus Online University – Have you Enrolled?

It makes sense to me that trainers would have online courses. Especially those who have gained a following locally – and even worldwide. How wonderful to be able to pay a subscription fee and to then have access to many resources. These often include videos and articles by the trainer/s. In fact, there’s a deal going on their site currently:

Register now with the promotional code ‘DAYPASS’ and you’ll have access to over 350 Monty Roberts quick and easy training and instructional videos and lesson notes. Learn at your own pace with Monty Roberts. See for yourself why people say that Monty is the best, and the original ‘horse whisperer’, recognized by our international Equus community for his gentle and effective horse training.

Monty Roberts Equus Online University

Monty Roberts has his own website and products, which you can find here. To have his own domain and setup for an online university also, I think is awesome. Here you can access a lot of his resources and products. For those who are familiar with his join up work and the dually halter, you may be interested to purchase the head collar for your horse work.

Here is a trainer who provides some great examples of what you can turn into income through training and reaching other people:

videos that people subscribe to (passive income!)
live demonstrations that people pay to attend
horse products for better handling or welfare
qualifications to be able to teach others the same training method

Horse training will always be big, I believe. As long as we have domestic horses, we will need guidance. Having such a place as an online university for a particular method is great. It provides you with a local area to talk with others about their progress as well as learning.

Horse Hair Jewellery – Red-Tail Designs

February 8, 2017 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

Whilst reading Rosie and Scamper by Vicki Watson, I was made aware of the idea of horse hair jewellery. This was particularly in the form of bracelets made from horse hair.

At the end of this novel, Vicki provides details from one such jewellery designer. Susan of Red-Tail Designs has a website detailing the products that she makes and sells around the world. What’s unique about her designs is that they are named after specific horses that have affected her life.

As it says on her website:

Who knew a purchase from a tiny gift shop in a Montana airport would spark a new business venture?
That’s what happened in the mid-1990s when Susan Newquist found a barrette adorned with a simple 3-strand horse hair braid She bought the barrette, all the while thinking like any good craft aficionado, “I could make that.”

Horse Hair Jewellery

If you desire to have a personalised gift, then you can actually send her horse hair from your horse. Or maybe a friend’s horse and it can be turned into jewellery. This can be a great memento for friends, especially if they have lost an equine friend.

This is another example of a unique horse related business and product. What is special about it is that it can be unique to each person. This is through being created from the hair of a horse they know. There are a number of different designs available to buy, at varying prices. Being made from an animal product, there is a question of customs and getting the hair out of your country to Susan. This is so that she can make your design. That said, it is possible to do and she can answer questions regarding custom queries as is shown on her site.

Further adding to her art, Susan also provides classes on creating jewellery like hers. The events listed on her site don’t appear to be recent, but perhaps with enough interest she would be willing to do more!

“For the most part, I’d say if you crossed a cat with a smart dog, made him a matriarchal vegetarian, gave him sleek beauty, a mass of muscle, and the desire to run, then what you’d have is a horse.” ― Tom Spanbauer

Mentoring for a Horse Career

Mentoring for a Horse Career

Researching Equines and Teaching Equine Science

Researching Equines

Pack Trip (Saddle Club #18) by Bonnie Bryant

Monty Roberts Equus Online University

Monty Roberts Equus Online University

Horse Hair Jewellery – Red-Tail Designs

Horse Hair Jewellery

Equus Education Store at TeachersPayTeachers

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