The Equine Institute offers online courses about horse care at levels for beginners through continuing education for professionals in the veterinary field. Some of the Equine Institute’s 30 courses are suitable for homeschoolers and are probably best for those in junior high and above.
These science-based courses were created by equine veterinarians and physiotherapists. Most courses address topics related to physiology, health, nutrition, medical care, and healthy environments. The courses do not teach training and riding techniques, except for indirect references.
The courses are essentially online textbooks with illustrations, online quizzes, and an occasional video. Students have the option to view most sections of each course as printable MS Word® docs. I noticed occasional typos in the lessons, but I didn’t spot anything that meaningfully affected course content.
Courses include one or more online quizzes that are automatically scored and can be retaken. Those seeking continuing education or certification credit must score 80% or higher on the quizzes. Some courses present quizzes more frequently, while others cover a large amount of course content before the first quiz. More frequent quizzes with fewer questions per quiz would be helpful for most students. Some courses can be completed in less than a week while others take more time.
The Equine Institute suggested to me the following five courses as the most appropriate sequence of study for homeschoolers.
Courses Recommended for Beginners
Fundamentals of Equine Physiology and Sociology
This course is presented in three main sections: Equine Sociology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Organ Systems and Functions, with a lengthy quiz at the end of each section.
Equine First Aid Essentials: Emergency Care for Horse Owners
This is the most extensive of the three beginner courses. The main content is presented in five “chapters,” with several subsections within most chapters. The chapters are titled, Equine Vital Signs, Common Equine Emergencies, Trailer Safety, Common Equine Medications and First Aid Kit Essentials, and Medication Administration. The course teaches horse owners procedures they can perform themselves, but it also states clearly when a vet must be involved. It also teaches preventive measures to avoid problems.
Fundamentals of Horse Breeds & Equestrian Disciplines: Understanding Horse Characteristics & Skills
This course discusses 25 horse breeds to familiarize students with the characteristics, behaviors, and needs of different breeds. Students also learn to identify coat colors, patterns, and markings. The final section focuses on the common types of riding disciplines in North America, dividing them under English and Western forms, such as dressage and hunter-jumper categories under English, and working cow horse and western pleasure under Western. There are loads of illustrations but no videos in this course.
Intermediate to Advanced Courses
(These two courses are definitely more advanced with more vocabulary and details than the first three courses I reviewed.)
Advanced Equine Nutrition: Gastrointestinal & Digestive Health
This course begins with the anatomy of the horse’s gastrointestinal tract. Then it covers common digestive issues like colic and choking. A short video illustrates behaviors that indicate problems, like tongue rolling or stall weaving. Lastly, it discusses the specifics of nutrition—types of feed for horses in different situations, how to determine the amount of feed, and the use of food supplements, vitamins, and minerals.
Applied Equine Anatomy: Function, Movement, Maintenance
This course is for those who plan to work professionally with horses. (Horse Anatomy, A Coloring Atlas by R. Kainer and T. McCracken is recommended for those who want to study horse anatomy more thoroughly.) The course teaches anatomy within the context of integrated systems as well as individual body systems. A set of 57 Quizlet® (online) flashcards helps students master the course’s vocabulary. Quizzes are much more frequent than in the other courses I reviewed, a feature that should be very helpful with so many terms to memorize.
Summary
Many homeschoolers have the interest, time, and opportunities to own or be involved with horses beyond the occasional ride. Students interested in knowing how to care for horses should find these courses very useful.