equine behaviour

Mother With Teenage Daughter looking at laptop

Learn How Horses Communicate in this Free Online Course for Youth

Adult offering too! Learn Together for a fun Family Day Experience! Do you love horses and want to understand them better? Do you want to learn how to read their body language, and the cues they give one another? If so, you might be interested in a free online course offered by Equine Guelph, the…

Equine Guelph 20th anniversary logo

20th Anniversary Feature with Alumni Holly Heartz

Alumni, Holly Heartz has a real appreciation for horse behaviour and the prevention of stereotypies thanks to Equine Guelph’s online 12-week courses. Of great interest was learning what causes stereotypies in horses. The following downloadable information sheet examines what causes sterotypies and how they can be prevented through implementing best stable management practices.

girl with bay horse

Last Call for the FREE Online Youth Offering for How to Speak Horse

Discover why teens from around the globe are signing up to learn how to communicate with horses and forge relationships built on that understanding.  Students from all over Canada and as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Italy and the United Kingdom are enrolling in the limited time FREE offering of Horse Behaviour & Safety…

Horse and woman

Can Ponies Distinguish Human Facial Expressions?

Most humans are good at giving someone a wide berth if they approach with a furrowed brow but how good are horses at interpreting our expressions?  Dr. Katrina Merkies, researcher and associate professor at the University of Guelph and her team found out in a study involving 20 lesson ponies and some talented actors. There…

Holly Holstock Equine Student

Equine Student Creates Positive “Ripples”

Originally Posted on Tuesday March 22, 2022  One of the main goals of the University of Guelph’s Equine Studies Online program is for students to take what they’ve learned and apply it in the real world to create sustainable change. For current equine student Holly Gillman, this goal has already been achieved through her ongoing work with…

Free Online Youth Course on Horse Behaviour and Safety Returns!

Equine Guelph, the horse centre at the University of Guelph in Canada, has announced it is once again opening the doors to a free virtual classroom for youth around the world. Horse-crazy teenagers (ages 13-17) will have the opportunity to take an online Horse Behaviour & Safety course with on-demand access from November 1, 2021 until January 31, 2022.  Last…

Comparing Equid Skulls for Insight into Behavioural Differences

In a recent study, researchers literally get inside the heads of horses and donkeys, looking for relationships between skull morphology and temperament.  Such studies have been conducted in different dog breeds, but little is known when it comes to equids. Associate professor and University of Guelph researcher Dr. Katrina Merkies collaborated on a project with professor…

girl with bay horse

Free Youth Horse Behaviour and Safety Course to begin this November!

Missing the excitement leading up to the Royal Winter Fair?  Us too!  Equine Guelph and its safety partners have come up with a way for all the horse crazy youth to keep fuelling their passion to learn more about their favourite animal.  Instead of setting up the immensely popular EquiMania! display this November, Equine Guelph is setting up…

Horse Human Interaction presentation slide

Horse human interaction studies

Horse human interaction studies were discussed in a talk presented by Dr. Katrina Merkies, Ontario Agricultural College at the three day virtual conference hosted by the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES). With around 50 recent horse behavior studies referenced in the 40 minute presentation (and apologies for the many not mentioned), there is an undeniable growing…

BOGO deal

Early and Extended Access to ONLINE Horse Behaviour and Safety Course for Youth & Adults

Equine Guelph Online Equine Community Responds to Industry Request During COVID-19 Are you succeeding in keeping yourself and the kids busy during self-isolation and social distancing? The Ontario Government has enacted a Declaration of Emergency to Protect the Public, and this includes the closure of riding facilities. As the challenges of this pandemic continue, we are all looking for…