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By Jackie Bellamy-Zions

Equine Guelph’s 'Train-the-Trainer Kit' is now available for download free of charge for qualified facilitators interested in teaching a hands-on equine behaviour and safety clinic! Kind donations accepted or call 519-824-4120 extension 54431.

Following last year’s launch of the highly popular Equine Guelph Horse Behaviour and Safety two-week eWorkshop, this hands-on one day workshop is designed for horse people (ages 16+) who would like to learn more about the best practices for handling horses safely. This workshop is ideal for those new to horses including; new owners, new riders, mounted police units and first responders. With a clear goal of providing basic tools to help keep handlers safe around horses, Equine Guelph has developed this complete workshop kit intended for delivery by certified coaches and horse industry professionals.

The kit is available for free download.

It is recommended facilitators take Equine Guelph’s Horse Behaviour and Safety eWorkshop two-week online course before teaching this workshop. Not only will this eWorkshop give facilitators an extensive repertoire for what is covered in the teaching kit but it also qualifies for Equine Canada coaches updating credits. The next offering is March 10 -23, 2014 for $75 plus HST.

Ten sections will be covered:

1. the horse in the wild – a herd and flight animal
2. the modern day horse
3. how horses see
4. how horses hear
5. horse herd behaviour – how horses interact with each other and you
6. horse handling/approaching a horse
7. rider/helmet safety
8. trailer loading safety basics
9. safety around the barn and paddocks
10. fire safety

“Learning how horses perceive the world around them and how they use their bodies to communicate gives horse-handlers confidence and safe handling skills,” says course conductor Dr. Susan Raymond.

Equine Guelph thanks Vétoquinol Canada Inc. for sponsoring the Horse Behaviour and Safety eWorkshop and facilitator kit.

Funding for this program was provided by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, which receives funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through Growing Forward - a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Partners: Equine Hippique Canada, Kubota Canada, SSG Riding Gloves, Saddle Up SAFELY, System Fencing, UK Ag Equine University of Kentucky, UK Healthcare, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services AND all equestrian federations across Canada.

Don’t miss out on the March 10th offering of Equine Guelph's Horse Behaviour and Safety eWorkshop! For more details about the eWorkshop or to learn how to host your own clinic contact Susan Raymond at slraymon@uoguelph.ca.

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, visit EquineGuelph.ca.