Alizé, owner of Fairhorsemanship, has written a couple of equine courses for one of the leading online training providers, the Centre of Excellence Online. All diplomas are certified by the IANLPC (International Association of NLP & Coaching) and the IAHT (International Alliance of Holistic Therapists) and align with our horse training and management principles. The Equine Psychology diploma is also accredited by the CMA (Complementary Medical Association).

Remember all questions about assessments, payments etc. must be sent to the course provider: the Centre of Excellence Online.

About this course: The Horse Care and Management Diploma Course covers the basics of what you would expect from a course of this type: horse anatomy, mucking out and grooming your horse. However, rather than solely have a traditional approach, this course instead focuses on horse care from an ethical and scientific perspective. This means the course covers areas such as learning theory, equine welfare and group housing, among others.

Because it has been written by a professional horse trainer that focuses on using humane, scientific methods of training it also including several step by step training plans to teach your horse important handling and healthcare procedures such as accepting a blanket, giving hooves or loading in a trailer.

Module 1 - An Overview of the Horse

1. Evolution and domestication

2. Anatomy of the horse

3. Coats colours and markings

4. Communication

5. Learning

Assessment questions

Module 2 - Welfare

1. The 5 freedoms

2. The keys needs of the horse

3. Equine professionals

4. Abnormal behaviours

Assessment questions

Module 3 - Physical Health

1. Checking your horse health

2. How to train your horse to accept health checks

3. Common horse health problems

4. First aid kit for horses

5. How to train your horse to cooperate for medical care

6. Worming

Assessment questions

Module 4 - Basic Horse Care

1. Safety around horses

2. Feeding and watering

3. Grooming

4. Thermoregulation and blanketing

5. Hoof Care

Assessment questions

Module 5 - Housing Your Horse

1. Stabling

2. Group housing

3. Turnout

4. Social structure

Assessment questions

Module 6 - Riding Equipment and Training

1. Choosing and fitting a saddle for your horse

2. Bridles and bits

3. Understanding horse training methods

Assessment questions

Module 7 - Buying Your Horse

1. The cost of owning a horse

2. Before buying a horse

3. Viewing prospective horses

4. Taking your new horse home

Assessment questions

Resources

Index

About the course: In this course suitable for horse owners and equine professionals alike you will learn about horse behaviour and how horses learn. If you allow it, this course will dramatically change how you perceive, interact, manage and train horses.

This course was created using the writer’s professional experience of horse training and the most up to date scientific researches. The sciences used to create this course includes ethology (the study of natural behaviour), psychology (the study of the mind and it’s functions), neuroscience (the study of structure and function of nervous system and brain) and biology (the study of physiology and anatomy).

Module 1: Evolution of the Horse and Behaviour

1. Evolution and domestication

2. Why the horse looks like he does?

3. Why horses live in groups?

4. Who is in the group?

5. Hierarchy and dominance

6. The key needs of the horse

Assessment questions

Module 2: Communication

1. Vocalisation

2. Ears positions

3. Tails positions

4. Noses and mouths

5. Defensive and aggressive body language

Assessment questions

Module 3: Reproduction and Stallion Behaviour

1. Harem maintenance

2. Courting and mating

3. Breeding in the domestic environment

4. Stallion behaviour towards other horses

Assessment questions

Module 4: Behaviour of the Young Horse

1. Life before birth

2. Birth and early development behaviour

3. Bonding

4. Weaning

5. Educating the young horse

Assessment questions

Module 5: Learning Theory

1. Habituation, desensitisation and sensitisation

2. Operant conditioning

3. Natural vs contrived negative reinforcement

4. Reinforcement schedules

5. Classical conditioning

6. Extinction

7. Aversive-based training

8. Appetitive-based training

9. Analysing a training scenario using science

10. Considering other forms of learning

11. Emotions

Assessment questions

Module 6: Horse/human Relationship

1. Enhancing horse/human relationship

2. Changing the way we interact with horses

3. Anthropomorphism and speciesism

4. Communication through symbols

Assessment questions

Module 7: Equine Behaviour in the Managed Environment

1. Welfare of the domesticated horse

2. Abnormal behaviours

3. Enriching the life and meeting the needs of the domesticated horse

Assessment questions

Module 8: Training Horses Using Humane, Science-based Methods

1. The handler toolbox

2. Techniques to obtain desired behaviours

3. Training sessions

4. Reinforce your horse

5. Putting a behaviour on cue

6. Generalising behaviours

7. Shaping behaviours

8. How to teach your horse to target with his nose

9. How to teach “the rules of the game” to your horse

10. How to teach your horse to back up

11. How to teach your horse to move his shoulders and hips

12. How to teach your horse to walk over something

13. How to teach your easily spooked horse to relax

14. How to help your horse overcome separation anxiety

15. How to get your horse cooperation for medical care

Assessment questions

Resources

 Index