Blog : Equus Education

Wordless Wednesday – Muzzle

April 23, 2014 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

Equine Behaviour Course Online at the University of Guelph

April 22, 2014 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

An equine behaviour course is being run in May of this year and although the early bird rate date has passed, it’s still worth a look!

By the looks of things, the course runs over a 3 month period and can all be done online, so there is no need to travel to the university to complete it. Assessment comes in the form of discussions on a forum, online quizzes and two assignments.

Topics covered include:

Introduction to Behaviour
Perception
Behaviour and the Brain
Learning
Social & Play, Communication
Body Care
Ingestive and Eliminative Behaviours
Reproductive Behaviour
Stereotypies
Locomotion
Training
Handling and Transporting
Welfare

Equine behaviour is a particularly interesting and important topic. For animals that have a mind of their own and that are often in excess of 500 kilograms, the more you can know about why they behave the way they do, the better off you and they are!

“Lessons From Your Horse: when you’re quick to react, let me teach you that herbivores kick much faster than omnivores.” – Author unknown

American Horse Publications Seminar June 2014

April 21, 2014 by Christine Meunier Leave a Comment

Got an email via LinkedIn the other day about an annual seminar held by American Horse Publications:

Charleston, SC will be the site of the AHP Gallop n’ Grits Seminar on June 19-21. The three day seminar will feature two days of educational sessions relative to the equine publishing industry. Registration is limited to members of American Horse Publications. More information about the association and the seminar is available at www.americanhorsepubs.org or contact Chris Brune at ahorsepubs@aol.com

If you’re in the vicinity and are interested in equine publishing, I’d encourage you to become an American Horse Publications member and look into attending!

“Words are as beautiful as wind horses, and sometimes as difficult to corral.” – Ted Berkman, The Christian Science Monitor

Friday Feature: Jockey

April 18, 2014 by Christine Meunier 1 Comment

This week’s letter is J. If you missed last week’s Friday Feature, take a look at Illustrators.

Many people who love riding fast horses dream of becoming a jockey later in life. One great thing about this career choice is that you don’t have to wait until you’re over 18 to start it. You do however need to develop a good riding seat and the ability to ride timed work.

A jockey will need to be able to:

Keep their weight down (under 58 kilos is common in Australia)
Work early mornings
Ride large numbers of horses they may not have met before
Follow direction from trainers
Ride fast work
Travel for work

If weight is an issue for the avid rider, there is always the option of exercise riding instead of riding in races. Jumps jockeys can also carry more weight, but this requires the added skill of taking jumps safely at high speed. If in Pony Club in Australia, look up your local Speed to Safety event to learn about riding timed work.

For other posts that relate to this profession on Equus-Blog, take a look at:

“If you start getting nervous about getting hurt you will be….If you are worringing about the danger it’s time to give up.” – Jason Weaver (jockey)