The Horse Course: Introduction to Basic Care and Management

Welcome to Week 1 of The Horse Course! To start off the course, we will begin discussing what exactly an “equid” is. We will cover the many equine species inhabiting our globe. Next, we’ll jump into the history of horses and donkeys, touching upon how they have made such an impact on our own societal development. The second half of week 1 will cover the many breeds of horses and donkeys. We will finish up with a lecture on the equine hybrids.

This week will start out with covering some basic physiology. We will then advance into hoof anatomy and care. This will lead to spending a lecture discussing laminitis, a serious hoof condition in horses and other equids. The final two lectures will jump into the various coat colors and markings in horses.

The topics this week will focus on equid behavior and movement. Understanding how equids relate to their environment and communicate is critical to training and management. We will start this week by examining the basic equine senses and communication. Then we will discuss normal and abnormal behaviors and the basic psychology used in training. We will finish the week discussing the basic gaits and how these animals move.

The topics this week will focus on equid nutrition. Understanding how and what to feed these animals is one of the most important aspects of basic care. We will start with digestive anatomy, how to evaluate your animal’s nutrient requirements, and then jump into feeding management. We will round out the week discussing colic and other nutritional disorders.