Equitation Science
Kursbeskrivning
The course will be held at Wången, Sweden’s national centre for the education and development of harness racing and Icelandic horse riding (Alsen, Jämtland, Sweden) during five days between autumn 2025. The course will provide participants with scientific and practical tools with which they can evaluate and identify management and training methods that are ethical and effective and highlight those that represent problems for horse welfare and human safety. To achieve this, lectures and seminars will cover topics such as sustainability of the equine industry, equine ethology, perception and communication, equine cognition and learning, applied learning theory, research methods in equitation science and communication of scientific findings to promote evidence based practice. The course consists of lectures, group discussions and exercises, a home assignment and a practical-workshop where theoretical knowledge is put into action to bridge science with practice. Real case scenarios will be implemented throughout. The course is on place (not digital) at the Equine centre to promote active learning and engage participants in discussions and cooperation. Pre- and post assignments for students are obligatory and supervision/guidance will be provided by the main teachers (Elke Hartmann and Maria Vilain Rørvang, SLU) of the course.
Feedback from students participating in the online version of the course during 2021: “Thank you so much for providing such an excellent learning opportunity. It was a great learning experience and it provided an awesome practical knowledge regarding equitation science.” | “It was great to meet likeminded people from different countries without having to spend lots of money on travelling despite the limitations of the virtual set up. I think the range of topics was very wide and detailed - something for everyone no matter what area of research we specialise in.”
2023: "I liked the safe environment to discuss and the wide variety of topics that very experienced teachers with different backgrounds and a lot of knowledge presented. The practicals and exercises involving hands on work with horses were also a great way to process what you've learnt, and also very fun!” ”Thank you for an educational and inspiring course with many fruitful conversations! Hope to see and hear things from everyone” “I really enjoyed the course and the organisers did an amazing job! Thank you!”
Kursfakta
P000127, Equitation Science, 4.0 Hp
Skriv ut kursplan
Kursplan
Fastställd av: Fun-LTV, 2024-12-13
Giltig från och med :
Nivå
Forskarnivå
Ämne
Lantbruksvetenskap, Husdjursvetenskap
Betygsskala
Kraven för kursens olika betygsgrader framgår av betygskriterier, som ska finnas tillgängliga senast vid kursstart.
Kursspråk
Engelska
Behörighetskrav
Mål
Course objectives:
• describe the horse’s biological needs and critically discuss consequences for housing, management and training
• integrate an ethological approach to training and welfare assessment and discuss indicators of good welfare
• define and explain learning theory and apply it to training, accounting for the horses’ cognitive and sensory abilities
• define stress and abnormal behaviour, reflect upon the development of unwanted behaviour and provide evidence-based solutions to real life problems
• critically evaluate and explain the effects of management and human/rider on horse welfare
• objectively discuss, communicate, and implement an evidence-based and ethical approach to human-horse interactions
• discuss and critically evaluate scientific methods and protocols in equitation science
Innehåll
The course will be held during 5 days and will provide participants with scientific and practical tools with which they can validate human-horse interactions to identify management and training methods that are ethical and effective and highlight those that represent problems for horse welfare and human safety. To achieve this, lectures and seminars will cover topics such as equine ethology, perception and communication, applied ethology, equine cognition and learning, applied learning theory, research methods in equitation science and communication of scientific findings to promote evidence based practice.
The course consists of lectures (20 hours), group discussions (5 hours) and seminars (15 hours), a home assignment (70 hours) and a practical-workshop (5 hours) where theoretical knowledge is put into action to bridge science with practice. Real case scenarios will be implemented throughout.
Day 1: Introduction to equitation science | Scientific methods and protocols in equitation science | Tour around Equestrian Centre Wången and presentation of ongoing research at the centre. Day 2: Behavioural needs and applied ethology | Cognition and learning | Stress and emotions | Practical demonstration of measuring stress responses and habituation. Day 3: Housing, management and welfare assessment | Designing modern, motivation based housing that accommodates horses’ behavioural needs | Sensory abilities and practical exercise on measuring sensory abilities. Day 4: Equitation science in practice | Assessing human-horse interactions | Ethical equitation. Day 5: Communication of research | Preparation for home assignment
Assignment: A small-scale literature review on a specific topic relevant to equitation science, i.e., a topic that is most closely related to the students’ own research or that connects their own research to equitation science. Key results shall be presented written and orally at the course. A popular article shall be written about the chosen topic and suggestions provided of how to implement results in practice. This will be further developed during active group discussions during the course week and a written report shall be handed in after the course. Key publications relevant to equitation science will be provided prior to course start.
Examinationsformer
Approved written exercises during the course and written home assignments. Approved oral presentation and participation at obligatory modules of the course.
Ansvarig institution eller motsvarande
Institutionen för biosystem och teknologi
Kompletterande uppgifter
Övrig information
The course will be held at the National Equestrian Centre Wången. Participation during the physical meeting at Wången is obligatory to promote active learning and engage PhD students in discussions and cooperation. This will set the base for good networking opportunities not only between national- and international students but also between students and teachers who will be present during the course week. Moreover, the location of the course at Wången can further facilitate networking by engagaing with Wången’s staff during practical exercises, which opens up opportunities for future research collaboration.
This course has been successfully provided to in 2019 (Equestrian Centre Strömsholm, https://www.slu.se/en/ew-news/2021/11/equitation-science/), 2021 (online), och 2023 (Equestrian Centre Wången, https://www.slu.se/en/ew-news/2023/11/equine-welfare-through-the-lens-of-the-five-domains/) and attracted between 23-28 national and international students.
Student recruitmentplan:
The course will be advertised via SLU’s Graduate school SPIRA, on the website of the Department of Biosystems and Technology (SLU) and the Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare (THV) and the Centre of Excellence in Animal Welfare Science (SLU). Furthermore, the course information will be distributed via social media such as facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn in both English and Swedish. The participating teachers have a broad national and international network of other researchers and institutions and will support us in advertising the course. We plan to apply for funding from NOVA as well, and if this funding is granted, then course information will also be distributed via NOVA’s Nordic network. Students who have already taken the Equitation science course in 2019, 2021 and 2023 have announced their support in announcing the upcoming course in 2025 and will further spread the information via their networks.
Course leaders:
Maria Vilain Rørvang, mariav.rorvang@slu.se
Elke Hartmann, elke.hartmann@slu.se