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Story by: Jackie Bellamy

“Education that fits into your busy schedule, that you cannot afford to miss” is one statement to describe Equine Guelph’s two week eWorkshops. With access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, hundreds of students from all over the world have armed themselves with knowledge; protecting themselves and their horses against costly and often dangerous mistakes. Created as a response to industry demand; the three eWorkshops on offer this spring are: Horse Behaviour and Safety, Colic Prevention and Biosecurity. $75 + HST/course is cheap insurance to help reduce the risk of sickness and injury.

Behaviour and Safety eWorkshop

Can you think of a better way to study horse behaviour than to learn how to speak their language? Equine Guelph's Behaviour and Safety eWorkshop reduces your physical risk by teaching practical horse handling skills while taking into account how horses perceive the world around them. Paddock safety, fire prevention, barn safety, rider safety and trailer loading basics are covered in this practical two-week eWorkshop running from February 23 – March 8, 2015. Renowned guest speaker Dr. Rebecca Gimenez from Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (TLAER) is back for the third offering of this popular course available to participants 16 years and up. Learning horsemanship through understanding behaviour provides a great foundation for learning safety.

Course conductor Susan Raymond says, “This eWorkshop is invaluable for beginners and a great way for industry professionals to brush up on knowledge they work hard to instill in their students.” Equine Guelph also offers a Train the Trainer module for industry professionals who wish to impart the Behaviour and Safety course by hosting their own clinics.

Contact Susan Raymond for more details at slraymon@uoguelph.ca or visit EquineGuelph.ca/eworkshops/behaviour_safety.php.

Colic Prevention eWorkshop

The majority of colic incidents can be avoided through preventative stable management strategies. The Colic Prevention eWorkshop helps horse owners reduce the risk of colic in their horses by increasing their knowledge of risk factors and developing sound management plans. Student Natalie Price said, “This course is a must for all horse owners as knowledge is the first and best defense against colic!” Colic is the number one killer of horses other than old age! Participants age 18 and up will learn about the different types of colic and how to implement practical ways to reduce the risks of colic in this two-week eWorkshop running from April 13 -26, 2015

Biosecurity eWorkshop

From Equine Herpes virus outbreaks to common flu virus outbreaks, prevention is the key concept every horse caretaker needs to implement. In Equine Guelph’s Biosecurity eWorkshop, industry experts, including guest speakers from the Ontario Veterinary College, share their knowledge showing horse owners the simple steps they can take to protect their horses from infectious disease. 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.”

Infection control both on the farm and while traveling are covered in this practical two-week eWorkshop running from April 20 – May 4, 2015.

Time for Two-weeks of eLearning

The spring offerings will deliver more knowledge from experts on topics the equine industry has cited as top priorities. 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 safety and important equine welfare topics.” Equine Canada has also approved the eWorkshops for updating credits for their coaches. Register for Equine Guelph’s upcoming Spring eWorkshops.

Horse Behaviour and Safety – February 23 – March 8, 2015
Colic Prevention – April 13 – 26, 2015
Biosecurity – April 20 – May 4, 2015

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.