Learn How to Keep Happy, Healthy Horses in Grazing Paddocks

In this course, you'll learn how to manage the health and condition of horses in different situations. This includes recognising signs of poor condition and ill health, how to address ill health. You'll also learn to recognise what stresses a horse, and how to help. An excellent for course for learning how to manage simple horse issues and reduce risk factors.

Course Duration: 100 hours

Course Structure

There are 6 lessons in this course.

1. Blankets, Bandages & Boots
   • different blankets and rugs
   • fitting a rug
   • surcingles and rollers
   • caring for rugs and blankets
   • types of bandages and their uses
   • rules for bandaging
   • boots and their uses
2. Maintaining The Health Of Horses
   • signs of good and poor health
   • sick nursing rules
   • isolation procedure
   • common ailments to recognize
   • taking the temperature
   • the medicine chest
   • first aid treatments
   • restraining a horse
   • emergencies
   • preventing a disease
3. Clipping, Trimming & Plaiting
   • reasons for clipping
   • types of clippers
   • types of clips
   • preparation for clipping
   • how to clip
   • finishing off
   • hogging the mane
   • trimming
   • pulling the mane and tail
   • plaiting the mane or tail
4. Traveling & Care of The Horse Away From Home
   • preparing a horse for travel
   • preparing a trailer
   • loading the horse
   • the problem loader
   • safety while loading
   • before a show
   • at the show
   • returning home
5. Organising and Managing A Horse Event
   • organising an event
   • contingencies to cater for
   • the public, exhibitors and organisers
   • costs
   • guidelines for planning a show or exhibition
   • the facility
   • exclusive bookings
   • facilities without prior bookings
   • booking records
   • publicity
   • community participation
6. Managing A Horse Enterprise
   • management plans
   • rural finance sources
   • banks
   • money market
   • financial planning
   • contract law
   • assessing profit
   • risk analysis
   • standards
   • financial records
   • cash flow
   • E.O.P accounting

Enrol Today

Ready to get started? Click on the orange enrol now button.

Have questions? Click here to email our course counsellors.

Tips for Loading a Horse onto a Trailer

Loading a horse into a trailer or horsebox can be difficult, but — with proper management — can be completed without unduly stressing horse or handler. Loading should take place quietly and with a minimum of fuss. The aim is to keep the horse as calm a possible to avoid upsetting him before the journey has begun.   Note: these are only a few of the possible strategies. The strategies you implement will depend on your situation, equipment, horse or training strategies. They are presented as a guide only.

Before Loading

Park the trailer in a sensible place. The area should be quiet and free from dangerous objects in case the horse panics and attempts to flee. There should be room to manoeuvre but remember that a line of trees, a wall or a fence can help to keep the horse straight as he goes up the ramp. Walk the horse STRAIGHT up the trailer ramp. A firm word and a forward push on the lead rope will send most horses up if they are used to loading. All extra people must stay behind the horse and well to the side of the ramp. Horses often refuse to load if they see people in front of them.

Once the horse is in - DO NOT TIE HIM UP UNTIL THE RAMP IS SECURED. Many nasty accidents have happened at this stage when the horse suddenly runs back and half falls off the ramp while still tied to the front ring. Once the ramp is secure, tie the horse to a piece of string that is attached to the front ring. Move the partition over and do up the strap behind the horse. Go out of the groom's door at the front.

• The horse should be fully dressed for travel.
• The handler should wear gloves to avoid painful rope burns should the horse suddenly pull back when going up the ramp.
• There should be at least two people to load an unknown horse but three are preferable. One person leads the horse in: the other one controls the hindquarters of the horse and closes the ramp while the third person is needed to feed and calm the horse once he/she is in the box.
• Two lunge lines are needed. These are long thick webbing straps.
• A bucket holding a small amount of the horse's favorite food should be ready.
• Make sure the assistants know exactly what their job is and what to do if the horse suddenly panics (see below) How to load a horse into a Trailer and the Problem Loader.

The Problem Loader

Some horses struggle with the loading and unloading process. There are many potential reasons for this. If you're struggling with your animal, consider the ideas below.

• It must be stressed that many problems occur because the horse has not been properly and patiently trained to load calmly. Each upsetting loading is remembered by the horse and serves to make him more and more nervous of traveling. The horse is not being deliberately awkward he is reacting to a natural fear.
• Set aside some time to train the horse to load. It will save you time and frustrating battles of will in the long run.
• When faced with a difficult loader remember to be patient. The horse is frightened.
• It is often helpful to open the groom's door (if present) at the front of the trailer so the horse can see daylight. It makes him less afraid to enter the enclosed space.
• The horse may load if a companion is lead into the trailer closely followed by the difficult loader.
• Put a bridle on the horse to help you hold and control him.
• Attach one lunge line to the trailer (It is easier to pull against a fixed object than a person). The lunge line (or rein) will be passed under the buttocks. If the horse steps back tighten the lunge line. If he steps forward relax the line and further reward the horse by praise and patting. The horse will soon learn to move forward to the gentle pressure of the lunge line. (This method can also be used when training the horse to load). The lunge lines must be kept up and away from the lower legs.
• If the horse still won't load, tie the second lunge line to the opposite side of the box and cross both lunge lines over behind him. With two lunge lines working it is easier to keep the horse straight going up the ramp and to avoid the dangerous situation when the horse goes halfway up the ramp and then jumps off to one side.
• Be prepared for the horse to pull back suddenly in fright. If this happens move backwards with the horse until he calms. The horse becomes more frightened if you try to restrain him from running backwards.
• The assistants must be skillful with the lunge lines to avoid upsetting the horse. They must sense when the horse is going to move forward and be ready to relax the pressure on the line. Sometimes it works better for the two assistants to link their arms under the buttocks. The linked arms act as lunge lines. They push forward as the horse steps back and relax as the horse moves forward. The free arms of the assistants are used to keep the horse straight on each side.
• Often a gentle pressure forward with the arm plus the reassuring close contact of the assistants can convince a horse that he is quite safe.
• The assistants will feel the horse's movement as it begins and be in a good position to give a timely push. The assistants must keep close to the horse and be prepared to move backwards at the pace dictated by the horse should an emergency arrive. The advantage of this system is that in an emergency the arms can be unlinked so the panicking horse is not further frightened by being tangled up in lunge lines.