Gut Health & Colic/Ulcer Prevention – Winter ’23
Colic is the #1 killer of horses other than old age!
In this online short course, you can learn from experts how to reduce the chance of common digestive tract issues in horses such as colic and ulcers.
Colic is defined as any abdominal pain. With digestive tracts measuring 85 feet in length coupled with the inability to throw up, horses are particularly vulnerable to colic. Further, horses have evolved over eons as continuous grazers, but in recent history, humankind has taken horses out of their natural environment and applied the stresses of modern day management. You can take action to prevent colic by:
- Calculating your Risk
- Assessing your Management Plan
- Developing Preventative Strategies
Reduce your Risk with Equine Guelph’s Colic Prevention Program – Designed for individuals that want to reduce the risk of colic in their own horse or horses they care for by increasing their knowledge of risk factors and preventative management strategies. Plus, learn about other common digestive issues in horses such as ulcers.
Never taken an online course before? No worries! This course takes a common sense, practical and flexible approach to training – no prior online learning experience required. Log in anytime – 24/7. Join in on conversations with instructors, guest experts and your peers in our Discussion Forum – a truly unique community approach in online learning.
You will learn to:
- Identify risks factors associated with colic
- Understand different types of colic
- Detect early signs and symptoms of colic
- Assess your management plan
- Develop preventative strategies
- Implement practical ways to reduce your colic risk
This course may be of interest for:
- Anyone who owns a horse, as all domestic horses may be at risk of colic
- Boarding/leasing or breeding facility
- New horse owners who are interested in dramatically reducing colic risk for your horse
- Owners of competitive horses, as the stress and lifestyle can predispose the equine athlete to higher colic risk
- All youth leaders to encourage best practices for reducing colic through improved management
- Employers (e.g., trainers, owners) with an interest to invest in their business through furthering the knowledge of employees caring for their horses; to purchase an online course for an employee, please contact Equine Guelph at [email protected]
Assignment (not graded, but recommended for personal achievement and required for certificate of completion)
Time Commitment:
- Occurs over a 2-week period
- 5-10 hour/week time commitment is required during this period
- No set times to be online each week
- Recommended you visit the course site at least 5 times a week, preferably once or more each day
- Course is entirely online, so travel to the University of Guelph is NOT required
Materials
- All materials are provided online within course site
Prerequisites
- 16 years of age or older
For more information, please contact Susan Raymond Phone: 519 824-4120, ext. 54230 Email: [email protected]
Certificate of Completion
Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion from Equine Guelph – the horse owner’s Centre at the University of Guelph.
Continuing Education Credits/Professional Development:
- Equestrian Canada recognizes Equine Guelph short-training online courses as qualifying for points on the NCCP Coach/Instructor Professional Development Activities Updating hours (3 points)
- The Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians recognizes this short online course as qualifying for five credits within Category 3.
One Moon – Krista Cole, Owner
“This course was very informative and truly interesting. There was a lot of information covered on the subject and it was broken down in sections each day. Was very enjoyable to take.”
Krista Cole, Thoroughbred Trainer (Krista Cole Racing Stables, Brampton, ON) Student – Gut Health & Colic Prevention
“This course provides valuable insight for anyone that has an interest in improving the management of horse health. The take away is that good management saves horse lives and reduces expensive vet calls.”
Jackie (Calgary, AB), Student – Gut Health & Colic Prevention
“The Gut Health & Colic Prevention course was packed full of relevant and useful information along with practical applications that I can immediately implement with my horses. The Horse Health Tracker App is a very useful take away that I will be using often.”
Donna Elkow-Nash, Owner Student, Gut Health & Colic Prevention
“Thank you for providing this course! My husband is a 3rd generation full-time Standardbred trainer and was pretty much born and raised at the race track. We thought he knew everything there was to know based on the generations of knowledge he had in his head. By the end of the first day of the course, we were already discussing possible new strategies and techniques. By the end of the 3rd week, we realized how little we actually knew and are now implementing many new methods to lessen the chances of colic happening at the track and at the farm. All trainers should be asked to take this course before they can be certified.”
Nancy Tamblyn and Kevin Sampson – Standardbred Owners, Breeders and Grooms Sampson Standardbreds (Castor, AB) Students, Gut Health & Colic Prevention
Dr. Nicole Weidner completed an MSc and PhD in animal nutrition at the Ontario Veterinary College. Her research examined links between nutrition and disease in animals, with a focus on vitamin D. She’s worked as a guest lecturer and instructor in courses offered through the University of Guelph and has also been involved in the development of courses and educational tools. She’s interested in scientific outreach and communication, especially when it’s related to horse nutrition, health and/or welfare.
Dr. Luis Arroyo trained as a veterinarian at the Universidad Nacional-Heredia, Costa Rica. After graduation he practiced in rural Costa Rica for a few years and in 2000 he moved to Guelph to enroll in the large animal medicine Doctor of Veterinary Science (DVSc) program in the Department of Clinical Studies, at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. He later completed a PhD in the Department of Pathobiology at the same institution and joined the Department of Clinical studies as an assistant professor in 2009. He is board certified in large animal medicine with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Luis research interest focus is in large animal gastrointestinal disorders, in particular enterocolitis in horses.
Mike King – Mike has been a leader in the equine insurance business for more than 25 years, operating from his offices in Aurora, Ontario. Mike is a Partner at Acera Insurance Services Ltd. (formerly CapriCMW), a national brokerage. Mike has been involved in the horse industry for most of his life having participated at one point or another as horse owner, pleasure and competition rider, coach, judge, and facility manager. Today, various insurance programs under his management and oversight serve over 80,000 equine enthusiasts from coast-to-coast. As a specialist, Mike is regularly invited to speak to groups on topics related to risk management and insurance in the equine industry across Canada. Mike participates as a guest instructor twice a year in the Equine Business Management certificate course at the University of Guelph to share his insights with an International student body and is proud to be a long standing Education Patron at Equine Guelph.
Eligible Partner Discounts:
Course discounts available to members of the following equine organizations:
