Horse Behavior and Welfare

The Horse Behavior and Welfare (HBW) course is one of several online courses offered through the Michigan State University My Horse University. Participants will discover a wealth of resources for learning about horse behavior. This course also includes an explanation of equine welfare and describes how it relates to horse management. Horse enthusiasts of all levels can benefit from this course - it does not matter if you are a horse breeder/trainer, own one horse or even if you do not own a horse!

Goal:
To obtain knowledge of horse behavior and apply management strategies to improve horse welfare.

Overview of Topics:
Have you ever wondered why your horse chews the wood in your barn or what your horse is trying to tell you by its tail movement? Learning about horse behavior can influence the way you interact with your horse and help you understand why your horse reacts to certain situations. By going through this course you can explore topics relating to horse behavior, training psychology and equine welfare.

More specifically, in this course you will learn about:

• Horse senses
• Horse body language
• How a horse learns
• Key factors for the foundation of training
• Stereotypic behaviors
• Managing vices(stereotypic behaviors)
• The definition of horse welfare
• How to assess horse welfare

Each lesson consists of an overview, informative topics including pictures and short video clips, as well as optional activities. Some activities include exercises you can complete by working with your own horse or observing other horses!

This course is estimated to take 4 to 6 hours to complete.