Equine Welfare and Management

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/equine

Introduction

**Course Review: Equine Welfare and Management** If you're a horse enthusiast, a veterinary student, or simply someone who loves animals, then the "Equine Welfare and Management" course offered by Coursera, developed by the esteemed University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, is an incredible opportunity to deepen your understanding of horses from a welfare perspective. This comprehensive online course invites you to explore the intricate world of equine care, combining practical knowledge with theoretical frameworks drawn from one of the leading veterinary institutions in the world. ### Overview This course uniquely integrates "The Five Freedoms" of animal welfare into its curriculum, providing learners with a well-rounded approach to understanding equine physiology, behavior, and essential needs. The course addresses critical aspects, including housing, nutrition, hygiene, and disease management, empowering participants to assess a horse's overall condition and identify potential problems. ### Course Highlights **1. The Normal Horse: Basic Physiology** In the first module, you’ll learn how to identify parameters of normal health in horses. By the end, you’ll be able to monitor vital signs like temperature and pulse, equipping you with the skills to recognize changes in health that may require veterinary intervention. **2. Maintaining Good Hydration and Nutrition** Water and nutrition are vital for horse care, and this module offers a deep dive into equine hydration needs and digestive health. You’ll walk away with the knowledge to develop suitable nutritional plans and communicate effectively with your veterinarian. **3. Providing Proper Care and a Safe Environment** This segment emphasizes the second of the five freedoms—freedom from discomfort. It covers husbandry practices and safety measures to create an optimal environment for horses. Moreover, you will learn about emergency preparedness, a crucial knowledge area for any equine caretaker. **4. Assess Fitness, Prevent Common Diseases and Injuries** Understanding fitness and common health concerns is essential in equine management. This module discusses injury prevention, common ailments, hoof and dental care, fly management, and vaccination planning, enabling you to take proactive measures for equine health. **5. Normal and Abnormal Equine Behaviors** Horse behavior can be complex. This module delves into equine psychology, teaching you to recognize both normal and abnormal behaviors. You'll also learn how to interpret horses' cues for effective communication and behavioral correction. **6. Human - Equine Interaction and Equine Welfare** Finally, this module covers the responsibilities of human caretakers to equines, especially performance and working horses. Discussion topics include the care of older horses, the plight of unwanted horses, and insights into international welfare issues, all framing the broader context of equine welfare. ### Why You Should Take This Course **Accessibility**: The course is designed to cater to learners of all backgrounds, whether you're a novice horse owner or an experienced equine professional. **Expert Instruction**: Learning from veterinarians at a prestigious institution ensures that you are receiving information that is not only current but also backed by thorough research and real-world application. **Flexible Learning**: As an online course, it provides the flexibility to learn at your own pace, with video lectures, assignments, and community discussion forums enhancing your educational experience. **Practical Application**: Each module is geared towards practical application, ensuring that the knowledge you gain is directly transferable to real-life equine management scenarios. ### Conclusion In conclusion, the "Equine Welfare and Management" course is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in equine care and welfare. By the end of the course, you will have developed a strong foundation in assessing and promoting horse health and welfare, making you a more responsible and informed caretaker. I highly recommend this course to anyone passionate about horse care – it is an investment that will undoubtedly enhance your horsemanship skills and deepen your understanding of the unique needs of these remarkable animals. Enroll today and embark on a journey to become a more knowledgeable advocate for equine welfare!

Syllabus

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.

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.

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.

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.

In this module, you will be able to discuss normal and abnormal equine behavior. You will be able to identify how equine psychology shapes equine behavior. You will also be able to distinguish the cues horses use to communicate with each other. You will be able to recognize the importance of reading their physical and mental state of mind. You will be able to describe equine social hierarchies. You will be able to identify common abnormal behaviors and corrective strategies.

In this module, you will be able to discuss the human-equine interaction. You will be able to recognize the special responsibilities we have towards equine athletes, working equines, and performance horses. You will also be able to understand how best to care for older horses and describe issues associated with older and unwanted horses. You will discuss the issues of unwanted and rescue horses and international welfare issues. You will analyze factors that can induce fear in horses and explain stressors on competition and working horses.