Horses are masters at picking up on our body language but how good are we at picking up on theirs? Discover the fascinating body language of horses with youth from all over the world! Students from all over Canada and as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Italy and the United Kingdom have participated in Equine Guelph’s Horse Behaviour & Safety self-paced, online course on TheHorsePortal.ca. From January through March 2024, there will be a free offering for this course geared towards teens, thanks to EquiMania’s amazing partners who are helping to fund tuition for the popular short course.
Horse-crazy youth learn to speak horse and in doing so, raise their awareness of safety around horses. There is approximately two weeks’ worth of material and fun activities for kids to access whenever they like, 24/7. At the end of the course, a certificate of completion is awarded. The on-demand format gives ample time for students to learn at a leisurely pace.
Course Topics include:
- Horse Behaviour – Wild vs Stabled
- How Horses See and Hear
- Herd Behaviour – How Horses Interact with Each Other
- Horse Handling – Basic Safety Around Horses
- Rider/Helmet Safety
- Safe Trailering – Basics
- Fire Safety
- Safety around the Barn and Paddocks
- Returning from an Injury
Past student Lilian said, “This course was really useful and helped me learn a lot. The course was really fun, and I wish it was longer.”
So, join in the fun learning why horses do the things they do, the care they need, and all about the subtle silent language they use. Learning our similarities and differences as prey and predator species is important to understanding how horses see their world.
Family Day is Feb 19 (in most Canadian provinces)! Are you ready for some family fun? From Feb 12 – 23 the Adult offering of Horse Behaviour and Safety course for those over 18, will also be running. Have an adult family member log on and learn together. Make those future barn visits an even bigger bonding experience as you both learn more about horse language!
Tell all your teenaged barn buddies and find out why over 1,000 youth around the world have logged on to pursue their passion of horses and take advantage of the FREE Horse Behaviour and Safety course for youth.
Equine Guelph thanks its generous safety supporters. This free youth initiative has been made possible by ESSO, Kubota Canada, Ontario Equestrian, and System Equine.
Notes to Editor:
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 www.equineguelph.ca.
Story by: Equine Guelph
Photos: Past Student – Lilian or Youth with bay horse (images available upon request)
Image of an adult + youth with a horse.
Story Link: https://thehorseportal.ca/2023/12/free-youth-course-on-the-language-of-horses/
Other Web Links:
Youth course offering: https://thehorseportal.ca/course/on-demand-horse-behaviour-and-safety-youth-course-ages-13-17/
Adult offering: https://thehorseportal.ca/course/horse-behaviour-safety-winter-24/
Media Contact:
Jackie Bellamy-Zions
Communications & Administration
Equine Guelph
50 McGilvray Street
Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
E-mail: jbellamy@uoguelph.ca