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From Equine Guelph’s popular online short courses

Story by: Jackie Bellamy-Zions

Looking back at the infectious disease alerts for 2013 – Biosecurity is now a well-known word in every horse owners’ vocabulary! Equine Guelph is renowned not only for their evidence-based online courses for horse owners but also for responding quickly to industry needs.

Equine Guelph's new eWorkshops are two-week online short courses designed for busy horse owners and industry professionals looking to gain crucial knowledge on some of the industry’s hottest topics. From Equine Herpes virus outbreaks to common flu virus outbreaks, prevention is the key concept.

Understanding practical ways to reduce your risk is vital for everyone with the role of horse caretaker. In Equine Guelph’s Biosecurity eWorkshop, industry experts, including guest speakers from the Ontario Veterinary College, share their knowledge of how you can decrease the risk of infectious disease in your own horse and horses you care for.

Participants learn practical ways to reduce the chance of infectious diseases both on the farm and while traveling. OVC researcher, Dr. Weese, who also authors the “Worms and Germs” blog, says “Having a basic infection control plan in place is probably the biggest thing someone can do to reduce the risk of disease.” Weese was the first speaker at Equine Guelph’s “Beat the Bugs” biosecurity workshops launched in April 2012 for horse enthusiasts around the globe. He says, “Equine Guelph’s biosecurity programs are great for getting people thinking in a broader context when it comes to infection control and putting into practice the easy day-to-day steps which can reduce outbreaks of disease.”

With tuition of only $75 + HST, participants receive a much greater understanding of simple procedures which can translate into huge savings by potentially minimizing costly vet bills. "If you care about the health of your horse don't miss this course! This was the best equine course I have taken. I gained new, valuable knowledge from every assignment. The assignments provided information and practical practices that you can apply immediately around your barn and horse to make the chances of catching or spreading diseases less likely. It is about time someone made the topic of Biosecurity available to equine owners and handlers. This was my first course with Guelph but it will not be my last. With my busy schedule, your mini course allowed me to gain valuable knowledge in a fast and practical manner." - Jan Huntley, Ontario, Canada, Student

Equine Guelph’s director, Gayle Ecker says, “The two-week short course format has proven popular as a quick, effective way for horse owners to learn more about important equine welfare topics. We are very pleased with the response from the industry.” Equine Canada has approved this eWorkshop for updating credits for their coaches.

Register for Equine Guelph’s November 4 - November 17 offering of the Biosecurity eWorkshop.

Equine Guelph is the horse owners' and care givers' Centre at the University of Guelph in Canada. It is a unique partnership dedicated to the health and well-being of horses, supported and overseen by equine industry groups. Equine Guelph is the epicentre for academia, industry and government - for the good of the equine industry as a whole.

For further information on Equine Guelph, visit EquineGuelph.ca.