Hi Everyone,

We are very glad that you have signed-in to the course and look forward to being a part of your program. We welcome our students joining into the discussions and introducing themselves for our learning community. I look forward to reading your introductions and getting to know you. This course is divided into 6 Units. While there is flexibility with an online course, it is expected that you will complete the 6 units within the 6-week time period of your course from the first day of opening. The following schedule is advised.

Week One – Complete Course Orientation and begin Unit 1: The Horse (June 10-14) (live session with VPI and instructor – June 10)

Week Two – Complete Unit 1: The Horse (June 17-21). Live Session with Gayle, Tuesday, June 18 at 1:00 p.m. “What is Welfare?”

Week Three – Unit 2: Handling the Horse (June 24-28) Live Session with Gayle, Tuesday, June 25 at 1:00 p.m. “What is SLO?”

Week Four – Unit 3: Care of the Horse (July 1-5) Live Session with Dr. Nicole Weidner, Tuesday, July 2 at 10:00 a.m. “Nutrition” (to be confirmed)

Week Five – Unit 4: Nutrition (July 8-12) Live Session with Dr. Susan Raymond, Tuesday, July 9 at 10:00 a.m. “Fire Safety for You and the Horses!” (confirmed)

Week Six – Unit 5: Facilities Management and Unit 6: The Equine Industry Community (July 15-19) Live Session with Brian Tropea, Friday, July 19 at 10 a..m. (to be confirmed)

To help you with time management, please write this timeline into your calendar (or print the message and place near your computer) to keep you on schedule. If you find yourself falling a bit behind, do not be too concerned as you can catch up the following week. As your instructor, I will be checking the course daily, Monday to Friday, and occasionally on weekends. For any questions or concerns on the course (access, finding items, etc.), please e-mail [email protected] Monday through Friday (8:30 to 4:45). Looking forward to our discussions!

Do join in on the discussions each week and ask questions, as that will help you learn so much more!

Gayle