Sickness Prevention in Horses – Fall ’22
PROTECT YOUR HORSE FROM GETTING SICK
Reduce the odds of sickness in your horses! Join our community to learn Canada’s new Equine Biosecurity standard together. Whether you are from Canada or from anywhere in the world, you will gain practical knowledge on ways to keep your horses healthy and protected from getting sick. This course aims to provide you with an understanding of the key issues surrounding biosecurity, and infection control, in the horse industry. More specifically, the course will address the importance of biosecurity, your role in transmitting and preventing the spread of disease, and the most effective approaches for preventing and controlling the spread of disease on the farm and at events. Importantly, increasing your knowledge of best management practices with respect to biosecurity will ensure you minimize your risk of spreading disease, and will allow you to more effectively communicate this to others. This course is based on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) National Farm and Facility Level Biosecurity Standard for the Equine Sector. CFIA develops national biosecurity standards, protocols and strategies in collaboration with producer organizations, provincial/territorial governments, and academia.
This course may be of interest for:
- Staff who are involved in horse breeding, transporting, show facility, and equine trade shows
- Anyone involved in horse associations or education programs to learn standards and best management practices
- All horse owners who would like to know more about implementing best practices
- Those running a horse business of lessons, boarding, or breeding
- 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]
In this course you will learn to:
- Identify the risks associated with infectious disease
- Discuss the importance of biosecurity and infection control in the horse industry
- Identify the role you may play in disease spread
- Describe and implement best management practices for preventing and controlling disease spread
1. Assignment (required for certificate of completion (ungraded))
2. Quiz (completion with 70% minimum for certificate of completion)
Time Commitment
- Occurs over a 2-week period
- 5-10 hour 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
Materials
- All materials are provided online within course site
Prerequisites
- 16 years of age or older
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)
Dr. Susan Raymond
Susan Raymond has been involved in the development and delivery, both online and in-person, of educational and skills training programs since 2003 (Equine Guelph). The focus of these programs is to improve welfare and safety of both animals and people on the farm during day to day activities and emergency situations. Susan’s PhD research involved investigating the effects of exposure of horses to mycotoxins, as well as, examining stable design and management as they affect air quality. Susan has completed Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue Operations, Rescue Ropes/Rigging courses and Animal Technical Rescue Awareness Level Course (University of Florida). Susan has also completed Colorado State University – Equine Investigations Academy Level 1.
Guest Expert – Dr. Alison Moore
Dr. Moore is a veterinary specialist from Cambridge, Ontario who holds double Board Certification in both Equine Internal Medicine and Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. She has been involved in the performance horse industry since a young age and has been active in the Standardbred racehorse industry as an owner, breeder and veterinarian. Over the last 14 years she developed a specialty practice that focused on performance problems in racehorses and sport horses. Over the years, she has been appointed to a number of provincial and national equine working groups, task forces, Boards and committees concerning equine veterinary issues and has been committed to ensuring that practising veterinarians remain at the forefront of regulatory decisions regarding the health and welfare of horses. Recently, she joined the Animal Health and Welfare Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture where she continues to provide veterinary expertise to the Province. *Guest Expert subject to change.
“Wanted to compliment Equine Guelph on The Horse Portal. I’ve looked at parts of the Sickness Prevention in Horses Course and it’s really impressive how they’ve brought in different formats for getting the messaging across: videos, whiteboards and the interactive Biosecurity Risk Calculator tool – and I think it’s a great effort to serve the industry.”
Dr. Josie Traub-Dargatz
Professor, Colorado State University: Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases, Veterinary Medicine
“I have recently completed the Sickness Prevention in Horses online class from U of Guelph.
The course was well structured with a lot of material to refer to. The instructor and guest expert were very helpful in guiding us through all the information provided. I really enjoyed the course and I will take many more!”
Mario Ouellet, Owner (Fenwick, ON)
“This is a timely and relevant course is designed to empower horse owners and caregivers. Evidence based learning and current research is presented in a clear and concise format that can be easily adapted to everyday situations. A must for everyone who cares about horse health!”
Vicki Bennett, PhD – Equine Biosecurity Canada Student, Sickness Prevention in Horses
“The Sickness Prevention in Horses short online course on the Equine Guelph’s Horse Portal was informative, with practical details for protecting our horses from contamination and from spreading pathogens.”
J. Heatherington – EC Certified Coach and Official Student, Sickness Prevention in Horses
“Bio-security is not a topic that many horse people consider until there is a big problem. This course helped me to see the things that I was already doing well and opened my eyes to some things I can change for the better. A very straight-forward course that guides you to complete your own bio-security assessment.”
Kim Woolley (Roadapple Ranch, Finch ON) – EC Certified Coach Student, Sickness Prevention in Horses
“I lived all my life with horses. My dad shared his passion with his kids. And now, I’m passing my passion for horses to my family and friends. We always did the best with our horses and we will keep on doing it. But know with the e-course, we are learning the WHY behind the things that we’ve been doing all along. The e-course is FUN and very easy to do. I recommend the Sickness Prevention in Horses e-course to everybody that are around horses.”
Maryse Gregoire (Ferme A Grégoire, St. Albert ON) Student, Sickness Prevention in Horses
“The Sickness Prevention in Horses course is very informative and I recommend anyone who works with horses to take this course, as it is something very important and easily overlooked!”
Madison Dronfield (Lisle ON) – EC Certified Instructor Student, Sickness Prevention in Horses
Eligible Partner Discounts:
Course discounts available to members of the following equine organizations:
- Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association
- Central Ontario Standardbred Association
- Equine Connection
- Horse Racing Alberta
- Ontario Racing
- Standardbred Canada
- Saddle Up Safely (US)