Equine Nutrition

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

Horses grazing in field at Rutgers University facility

Course Status Notice – Not Scheduled

We do not have an offering of this course scheduled at this time. Please join our email list to be notified when the next offering is scheduled!

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Not sure which version of Equine Nutrition is right for you?

Use our Equine Nutrition Course Selection Tool to find out which version of the course will best meet your learning needs and preferences.

Equine Nutrition Course Selection Tool

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Course Details

Course Name: Equine Nutrition
Course Code: AA0308WA26
Date of Most Recent Offering: January 20 – May 4, 2026

Registration Ended
Course Code: AA0308WA26
Location: Online
Format: Asynchronous*

*Participants can complete the course content at their own pace anytime during the 14 weeks the course is open.

Registration Fee: $500 per person
Multi Person Discount Fee: $400 per person (Save when you sign up with a friend or colleague!)

Registration Closes: January 31, 2026

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 asynchronous course is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the nutritional management and requirements of horses. Participants will take 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 (you may work through the content at your convenience during the semester) with only practice assignments and no associated deadlines, however you must complete the course by the end of the semester.

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. Click below for details. If you have additional questions not answered below, please contact Pamela Springard-Mayer at pspring@rutgers.edu or 848-932-7463 for assistance.

The instructor-led option (AA0307WA26) will offer a Certificate of Completion for students passing with at least an 80% and will require registrants to be fully engaged each week, follow/submit weekly assignments that will be assessed using the same criteria as the Rutgers undergraduates taking the course for college credit with detailed instructor feedback.

This section of the course is very interactive and includes readings, videos, class assessments, and discussions, along with mini case studies and 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 within the week is entirely up to you and what works for your schedule, so long as it is submitted by each weekly deadline.

Student performance assessment is based on discussions, assignments, quizzes, case studies, and a final project. The instructor is always on hand to answer questions along the way.

It is required for you to have access to a computer for ease of viewing the material and completing the assignments.

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.

This asynchronous course 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 (you may work through the content at your convenience during the semester) with only practice assignments and no associated deadlines, however you must complete the course by the end of the semester.

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 real or fictional 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 on a noncredit basis to horse owners, trainers, feed sales representatives, and anyone else who is interested in the topic. Both novice and experienced horse enthusiasts may take this course, 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

The Equine Nutrition course is approved for 3.6 Rutgers CEUs (36 contact hours).

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. She can be reached via email at cawilli@sebs.rutgers.edu.

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 Program Coordinator Pamela Springard-Mayer

Senior Program Coordinator: Pamela Springard-Mayer
848-932-7463
pam.mayer@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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