Equine Science
The Equine Science program is a two-week intensive program for motivated young adults seeking to explore what it takes to succeed in the horse industry, and in doing so, challenge themselves to become better horsemen and future leaders in the equine profession.
Each day, students will join a small group of their peers for hands-on practicums and workshops at the university’s Hadley Farm Equine Center. UMass faculty, visiting equine professionals, and of course, the horses themselves will all play a role in the learning experience. The program will begin with instruction on horse behavior and safety training. Students will explore topics in equine reproduction, stable management, nutrition basics, and farrier science.
In addition, each student will adopt one of the farm’s horses for the duration of the program and work intensively with that horse on a variety of equine care, ground-work training, and management topics. The equine science summer pre-college experience concludes with presentation of student case studies. The purpose of this final assignment is to tie together all of the knowledge and skills students have gained and synthesize it into a reflective project that looks at the scientific and practical applications of caring for horses. Students will focus on their adopted horse from the different perspectives of stable manager, veterinarian, and trainer.
Students will:
- Work with horses daily and practice different equine handling techniques that align with equine learning theory
- Meet and engage in discussions with guest speakers from different areas of the equine industry
- NOT ride in this program but will practice several different handling techniques.
Final Project: Complete a research project and present findings on the last day of class.
Pre-requisites
- No pre-requisites required
Materials
Students should bring:
- A laptop
- notebook and pens/pencils
- helmet, barn boots and gloves
Safety Information
- Every student must wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet, gloves, and boots when working with our young horses in training workshops. There are a limited number of helmets to borrow at the farm. All students must bring boots and gloves.
- All students must sign an equine liability release form and attend a safety training session on the first day.
- Pants and boots must be worn when working with horses.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Gain an understanding of how to manage horses based on scientific evidence.
- Recognize how the principles of equine behavior, anatomy, nutrition and reproduction are applied to the daily management of an equine facility.
- Develop their horsemanship skills through daily work with horses.
- Explore educational opportunities and career pathways in the equine profession.
- Complete an intensive case-study/ research project on their adopted horse, incorporating the knowledge they gained during the course and scientific research on equine husbandry, behavior, and veterinary medicine.
Class time is Monday-Friday from 9 am - 4 pm.
|
Time |
Activity |
|
8:30–8:45 AM |
Pick up: Campus to Farm |
|
9:00–10:00 AM |
Equine Rehab Lecture |
|
10:00–11:00 AM |
Equine Nutrition Dr. Uricchio |
|
11:00–12:00 PM |
Equine Chiropractor Demo |
|
12:00–1:00 PM |
Lunch Break |
| 1:30–3:00 PM | Equine Rehab Lab |
| 3:00–4:00 PM | Clean up and put horses away |
In the evenings and on weekends resident counselors will run a series of social activities. Students are encouraged to join in, relax and have fun with new friends! With social events on campus and in the surrounding Amherst area, and access to the UMass Recreation & Wellness Center, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
Learn more about student life at UMass Amherst Summer Pre-College
Meet the Faculty
Jillianne Smith, Senior Lecturer, Department of Veterinary & Animal Sciences
Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner
Jillianne Smith is a lecturer for the Department of Veterinary Science and horse trainer. Jill focuses on Equine Behavior and Learning Theory and the Principles of Training Theory in training horses and students. Incorporating Learning Theory into equine training, riding and handling, enhances equine welfare, handler/rider safety and produces better results. Her goal is to improve the horse human relationship and equine welfare in the industry through the use of scientific knowledge and practices that align with equine learning theory. Jill is a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner, USHJA (United States Hunter Jumper Association) Certified Trainer and MA from William James College in Organizational Psychology.
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