The University of Edinburgh, in Scotland, has announced it will offer a 10-week online equitation science short course.

The course is part of the online MSc in equine science run by the University of Edinburgh and can be taken as a standalone course or credited to the MSc in equine science.

Equitation science promotes an objective, evidence-based understanding of horses’ welfare during handling, training, and competition and seeks to improve the horse-rider/handler interaction by explaining horse training from an ethological and learning theory perspective. The objective is to encourage the use of scientifically validated training methods to identify training techniques, approaches, and equipment which are ethical, sustainable and effective and highlight those which represent problems for equine welfare. Thus, equitation science involves the development of an understanding of the application of psychological principles such as learning theory, motivation, and cognition, as well as equine ethology, welfare assessment, biomechanics, and rider psychology.

The course is designed to further develop the student’s scientific skills, knowledge, and ability to utilize an evidence-based approach when dealing with horses. The course provides an in depth knowledge of equine learning behavior and an understanding of the effects of human/rider on the training and welfare of horses, allowing students to pursue careers in research, industry, or academia