I’ve been at the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sales for the past 9 days with work; reminding myself once again that I am not a big fan of yearlings and the long sale days involved!

One of the young women helping out at the sales is partaking in a horse course through TAFE and had to do a certain amount of hours for her placement and an assignment to match.  Being a sale, a lot of advertising material is often available for those with regards to stallions and service fees, agistment, foaling services and whatever else studs offer to clients.

There are quite a lot of equine education facilities that also encourage excursions for students to attend the sales and learn more about the industry.  Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE in Epping prepare their own yearlings for the sale with their students gaining industry experience this way.

The student with us gathered a lot of advertising materials and came back with some information regarding NMIT’s campus and courses on offer.  I couldn’t help myself and had to have a look and discovered the Bachelor of Equine Studies – http://www.nmit.vic.edu.au/courses/bachelor_of_equine_studies.

I hadn’t realised that a TAFE facility offered a bachelor, nevermind one with horses!  Someone else at work has done a Bachelor of Equine Science through Charles Sturt University – http://www.csu.edu.au/courses/undergraduate/equine_studies_science/ – and is now doing her Masters.

I’ve only completed up to Diploma level but love the theory based work and the science/vet side of things so am suddenly entertaining the idea of carrying out a Bachelor study, part time.  The course full time is 3 years and through NMIT, you’re looking at about $12,000 a year.

I did balk at that fee but have since been chatting with friends who studied at Uni and have made use of HECS and believe this may be the way to go to carry out such a course and be able to afford it.

It’s wonderful to know that the study of horses is now such that you can gain a qualification at a Bachelor level and go on to do your Masters as well as gain practical experience and business skills to help with managing a horse property or setting up your own.  I love that I’m working with horses in such a time as this.

“What the colt learns in youth he continues in old age.” – French Proverb

Tag: equine studies, equine science, masters, bachelor study

No experience with horses but interested in breaking into the Thoroughbred or Harness Racing Industry? The Gippsland Harness Training Centre offers training in a hands on environment to all ages and backgrounds, opening doors to a career in the equine industry.

Practical skills are covered in numerous areas:
– handling horses safely; horse first aid
– dental care for horses; temperatures and respiratory rates
– vital signs; mixing feed rations
– horse massage (Equissage); hoof care
– IM injections; drenching
– tacking up; participation in race meetings
– grooming / skin diseases

There is a centre in which you can study or if you are employed in the industry, workplace delivery may be possible.

There is the chance to complete Certificate II and III in Racing (Stablehand) focused on Thoroughbred and Harness; Certificate III in Racing (Owner Trainer) for Harness; Certificate IV in Racing (Thoroughbred Owner Trainer); Certificate IV in Racing (Harness Training) and Certificate IV in Racing (Advanced Harness Driver).

Whether you want to drive harness horses, train either breed of racehorse or be a knowledgeable stablehand, it may be worth checking out www.ecg.vic.edu.au. Online learning and part time also available. You set the pace of your learning. For those with concession, courses are less than 20% of those paying full fees.

Tag: harness driving, horse racing, sulkey, harness racing, trotters, thoroughbreds, pacers

“A racehorse is an animal that can take several thousand people for a ride at the same time.”