Students are prepared to work in a variety of settings including: farm managers, feed store employees, assistants at therapeutic riding facilities, grooms and caretakers, owners and/or operators of equine businesses.

A student who is able to successfully complete the Equine Operations program will have done so after demonstrating adequate skills in each of the following competencies:

• Emphasizing handling and training techniques
• Safety of both horse and handler
• Knowledge of fundamentals of care and health management
• Equine first-aid
• Elements of the structure and function of the equine body
• Normal and abnormal conformation
• Common unsoundness
• Bones, tendons, ligaments, articular structures, circulatory and digestive system
• Fundamentals of equine nutrition
• Knowledge of the structures of the hoof, lower leg anatomy and proper hoof care
• Practical principles of breeding, selection and management of breeding stock
• Analysis and appraisal of studs and mares for health, conformation, and lineage
• Knowledge of reproductive anatomy and physiology, breeding procedures, and artificial insemination

Yes, hands-on experience is gained in most of the classes and also in the internship. Students who have met the necessary prerequisites volunteer for a minimum of 10 hours each week in a coordinator approved equine environment, for a total of 160 hours.

• To provide quality education for those who are new to the equine field as well as those who are already in the job marketplace and need either selective training or a degree for career advancement.
• To inform students of equine careers through education.
• To offer a curriculum that provides basic understanding of horse psychology.
• To provide students with supervised work experience in the horse industry via internship requirements.
• To offer a curriculum which provides and develops proficiency in daily management practices associated with operation of a training barn.
• Offering special topics courses which address the rapid changes in the Equine Operations field by presenting leading edge subjects.

The horse industry directly provides 338.500 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees generates additional jobs, for a total employment impact of 1.4 million FTE jobs according to a study done by The Horseman’s Council of Illinois.

Salaries can range from $20,000 - $50,000 or more a year depending on degrees and certifications.