Equine Nutrition

Horse enthusiasts are invited to participate in this 14-week online Equine Science course offered in two different formats by the Rutgers Department of Animal Sciences.

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Horses grazing in field at Rutgers University facility

New for 2023 – Two Formats Offered!

This course is now offered in two different formats, each with a different course workload, level of required interaction, completion documentation, and registration fee.

To earn a Certificate of Completion: Students are expected to be fully engaged each week during the course, submit assignments, complete readings, watch videos, participate in discussions, and complete a final project. Registration for this format is now closed.

To earn a Certificate of Course Participation: Course completion will be based on automatically graded quizzes and practice assignments but has no deadlines or instructor interaction. Registration for this format is still open!

More information is available below. Please contact Carol Broccoli at carolbr@njaes.rutgers.edu or 848-932-7207 with any questions.

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Course Details

Certificate of Completion

Course Name: Equine Nutrition
Course Code: AA0307WA23
Date of Most Recent Offering: January 17 – May 1, 2023

Certificate of Course Participation

Course Name: Equine Nutrition
Course Code: AA0307WB23
Date of Most Recent Offering: January 17 – May 1, 2023

Dates and location are the same for both options; details below.

Registration Fee: $TBD per person
Multi Person Discount Fee: $TBD per person (Save when you sign up with a friend or colleague!)

Date: TBD
Registration Closes: TBD for Certificate of Completion Option; January 31, 2023 for Certificate of Course Participation Option

Location: Online

Paying with a check, money order, or purchase order?
Payments should be made out to: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Checks and money orders should be mailed to: Office of Continuing Professional Education, Attn: Registration Dept., 102 Ryders Ln, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8519
Purchase Orders can be mailed to the address above or electronically sent to registration@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Course Overview

This course is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the nutritional management and requirements of horses.

Course Format and Assessment

Two sections of the course will be offered, each with a different course workload, level of required interaction, and completion documentation. Attendees can pick the type of program that best meets their informational needs and preferred level of engagement. Details are below.

The first option (AA0307WA23) will offer a Certificate of Completion for students passing with at least an 80% and will require registrants to be fully engaged each week, submit assignments, complete readings, watch videos, participate in discussions and complete a final project. If you enroll in this section, you will be assessed following the same criteria as Rutgers undergraduates who are taking this course for college credit.

You will be required to:

  • Submit weekly assignments
  • Complete readings
  • Watch videos
  • Complete class assessments
  • Participate in class discussions
  • Review case studies
  • Take quizzes
  • Complete a final project

Within each week, the discussions and assignments are self-paced but have due dates at the end of that week. There are no scheduled lecture times. Therefore, when you complete the work is entirely up to you and what works for your schedule. Student performance assessment is based on the items in the list above. The instructor is always on hand to answer questions along the way.

If you successfully complete the course work and pass the class with a grade of 80% or better, you will receive a Certificate of Completion.

The second option (AA0307WB23) contains the same academic material as the first option, but is based on automatically graded quizzes that are required to be completed in order to move on to the next section of the course. This program is completely self-paced with only practice assignments and no associated deadlines. Registrants who successfully complete this course within the semester timeframe will receive a Certificate of Course Participation.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Identify and compare the basic digestive anatomy of horses and how it relates to digestion and absorption.
  2. Recognize the diversity of a horse’s nutritional requirements based on different life stages.
  3. Critically evaluate feeding programs, recognize deficits/excesses in the rations, and know the signs to look for in horses fed deficient or excess nutrients.
  4. Critique feeds and supplements with regard to quality, nutrient content, and necessity in a horse’s ration.
  5. Design a feeding program for a farm incorporating 3-4 different life stages and one problem horse.

Both formats of this course will include the topics below.

  • Gastrointestinal Physiology
  • Digestion
  • Essential Nutrients
  • Feeds and Supplements
  • Reading Feed Tags
  • Evaluating a Forage Analysis
  • Pasture Management
  • Ration Analysis and Balancing
  • Nutritional Deficits and Excesses
  • Nutrition-related Diseases
  • Myths in Equine Nutrition
  • Nutritional Management of Mares, Stallions, Foals, and Performance Horses

Who Should Attend?

This 14-week program is an undergraduate course that is offered in two different formats on a noncredit basis to horse owners, trainers, feed sales representatives, and anyone else who is interested in the topic. The two formats offer different levels of attendee/faculty engagement (see above for more details), but both are appropriate for both novice and experienced horse enthusiasts, though some background in both nutrition and equine science is necessary to excel in the course.

Prerequisites

A high school diploma is required.

Meet Your Instructor

Dr. Carey Williams, Professor, Rutgers Department of Animal Sciences and Equine Extension Specialist

Learn more about Dr. Williams.

Student Reviews

“Dr. Williams was outstanding and broke down a lot of the information into easily digestible (no pun intended) parts. I look forward to applying all I have learned at my barn.”

– Past Participant

“I really learned a lot of valuable information to apply to my business and also make my own horses happy and healthier!”

– Past Participant

“Loved this class and everything I learned! The knowledge I gained was amazing. Dr. Williams was an excellent teacher – so smart and funny! I would recommend this class to ANY horse owner, rider, trainer, vet tech, and so on. Excellent job!”

– Past Participant

Continuing Education Credits

Continuing education students who complete this course will receive Rutgers continuing education units (3.6 CEUs) rather than undergraduate college credits.

Course Requirements and Policies

stack of books iconCourse Textbooks and Videos

Students are responsible for obtaining the required supplemental text. Purchasing the supplemental text is optional. All other materials and videos are provided through the course website.

  1. REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTAL: National Research Council: Nutrient Requirements of Horses, 6th Revised Edition, 2007
  2. SUPPLEMENTAL: Horse Pasture Management, ed. Paul H. Sharpe, 1st Edition, 2018, Academic Press
  3. Videos will be provided in course website.

electronic devices iconTechnology Requirements

This online course will be facilitated using Rutgers Canvas Learning Management System. A computer (desktop or laptop) is required. After you register, you will receive an email from “Rutgers University Canvas” prompting you to click a link to finish setting up your Canvas account. If you do not see this message in your inbox, please check your junk/spam folder. The instructor, Dr. Carey Williams, will send you a link to the class when we get closer to the start date in January.

email iconEmail Requirement

A unique email address is required for each registrant to register and access our courses.

  • If this is your first time registering with us, please provide your own unique email address when registering; do not provide an email address that you share with co-workers.
  • If you have previously taken classes with us and have used an email address that you share with your co-workers or supervisor, your account must be updated with a unique email address. To do this, please send an email to us at registration@njaes.rutgers.edu stating that your email address needs to be changed and include:
    • Your full name
    • The shared email address that needs to be changed
    • Your unique email address
    • A phone number where you can be reached if we have any questions

x icon with circle around itCancellations and Substitutions

A $100 cancellation fee applies for this course. Substitutions are permitted. View our cancellation policy.

Program Questions? We’re Here to Help!

If you have any questions about Equine Nutrition, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Headshot of Rutgers Assistant Director Carol Broccoli

Assistant Director: Carol Broccoli
848-932-7207
carolbr@njaes.rutgers.edu

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Administrative Assistant: Claudine Oleskin
848-932-7204
coleskin@njaes.rutgers.edu

For registration assistance, please contact our Registration Department at 848-932-9271, option 2 or email registration@njaes.rutgers.edu.

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