Horse Crazy Youth Learn to Speak Horse by Taking Free Online Course 

On countryside road trips, do your children point and shout “HORSES” without fail?  Are they drawn like a magnet to the majesty of noble equids?  If so, this online, self-paced course from Equine Guelph is for them and it will be FREE for a limited time!  The Horse Behaviour & Safety online course on TheHorsePortal.ca is geared toward youth and teens that have a passion for all things equine and it will be available “on-demand” to kids around the globe at no cost from September 1 – November 30, 2022.

Students will learn why horses do the things they do, the care they need, and all about the subtle silent language they use.  As a prey animal, horses think much differently than their human keepers.  Learning how to communicate with a horse is essential to building a relationship and it is absolutely integral to staying safe around 1,000 plus pound animals that can squish you like a bug if unintentionally spooked.

Course Goals:

  • Understand horse behaviour and how to speak their language
  • Learn smart, practical horse handling skills
  • Reduce physical risks on your horse’s farm

Course Topics:

  1. Horse Behaviour – Wild vs Stabled
  2. How Horses See and Hear
  3. Herd Behaviour – How Horses Interact with Each Other
  4. Horse Handling – Basic Safety Around Horses
  5. Rider/Helmet Safety
  6. Safe Trailering – Basics
  7. Fire Safety
  8. Safety around the Barn and Paddocks
  9. Returning from an Injury

Hear Jacqueline Brook’s thoughts on helmet safety and learn from the many horse industry experts that have put this course together for the “up-and-comers” in the horse world.

Thanks to Equine Guelph’s generous safety supporters, this free youth initiative has been made possible: ESSO, Kubota Canada, Ontario Equestrian, SSG Gloves, System Fencing and Workplace Safety & Prevention Services.

OMAFRA is providing funding to Workplace Safety & Prevention Services to deliver resources and consulting services to help farmers and other agri-food businesses provide safe workplaces. 

 The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year, $3 billion investment by federal-provincial and territorial governments to encourage innovation, competitiveness and sustainability in Canada’s agriculture industry. 

Make the investment in safety! This free offering (regularly $25) is not to be missed.  Join the herd and register your young horse lover today for the Horse Behaviour & Safety online course on TheHorsePortal.ca.

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)

  Photo Caption: Equine Guelph offers a free online course to horse-crazy teens this fall on TheHorsePortal.ca.  Past student Lilian says, “I really enjoyed the course and learned a lot.  I wish it was longer.”

Story Link:  https://thehorseportal.ca/2022/09/horse-crazy-youth-learn-to-speak-horse-by-taking-free-online-course/

Other Web Links:
Horse Behaviour & Safety online course:  https://thehorseportal.ca/course/on-demand-horse-behaviour-and-safety-youth-course-ages-13-17/

Jaqueline Brooks helmet safety video:  https://youtu.be/pqftitDfao0

Media Contact:
Jackie Bellamy-Zions
Communications & Administration
Equine Guelph
50 McGilvray Street
Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
E-mail: jbellamy@uoguelph.ca