The University of Massachusetts Amherst is located in Amherst Massachusetts and offers an Associate’s Degree in Equine Industries or students can receive a Bachelors degree in Animal Science with an emphasis in Equine Studies through the department of Veterinary and Animal Science.
These programs are designed to prepare the students for a wide variety of different careers in breeding, management, care of horses, professional riding, training, stud farm management, farriers, horse transporters, farm managers, riding instructors for schools and private stables, extension agents, pharmaceutical businesses, feed and tack stores, equine publishing firms, and many other industries.
Equines studies offers students the choice of choosing to specialize in Equine Management or Horsemanship Skills (Equitation). Some of the equine emphasis courses include:
· Equitation
· Special Problems in Training the Horse
· Breeds, Types and Selection of Horses
· Teaching and Theory of Therapeutic Riding
· Theory and Methods of Equitation Instruction
· Practice Teaching of Equitation
· Equine Stud Management
· Horse Management
· Equine Diseases and Health Management
· Horse Breeding
Students who choose to concentrate in Equine Management will be involved in the process of selecting, breeding, care and management of horses which will prepare them for a career in horse farm management or any other type of equine related profession.
Students will learn how to properly evaluate a horse’s conformation and they will also be required to take a number of classes that focus on equine selection, breeding, disease, injury, and business. The breeding courses are taught by an equine veterinarian and have the purpose of teaching the students all of the different aspects involved with breeding horses.
The breeding program also serves to raise foals from the Bay State line. These foals will later be incorporated into the equine program by becoming replacements for the older horses that are already involved in the riding program. During the disease and injury courses, students will be taught how to manage diseases and injuries by taking care of the schools research herds.
Students who choose to focus on Horsemanship Skills will be able to find careers as riding instructors and will be provided with the opportunity to develop riding skill and train horses. The main concentration of horsemanship skills is toward instruction and riding.
There are many levels of equitation classes that are available to all of the students. These classes meet two times a week and require a $500 fee per semester. There are classes that focus on dressage and also classes that focus on the hunt seat equitation and functional cross country positions for students who are interested in training for cross country events. Students who take the Theory and Method of Equitation Instruction class will have the opportunity to become licensed by the state of Massachusetts and will be able to teach within the schools program.
There are also training courses available to students which will allow them to work with the schools young horses on the ground. Students will then have the chance to continue with these horses training in the saddle if the students riding skills are acceptable.
There are also different horse clubs that students can become members of. If students are interested in showing, they could join the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. This is a national organization of over 300 colleges and universities and it provides students a chance to compete in horse shows without owning a horse.
Students also have the option of joining the UMass Dressage Team which competes within the Intercollegiate Dressage Association. Students will be able to improve their riding skills and expand their knowledge and abilities in the sport of Dressage by working together as a team at Dressage events.
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