The Open College of Equine Studies

BTEC Higher National Diploma in Equine Business Management

TOCES BTEC courses provide an opportunity for students to attain recognised, professional qualifications mainly via distance learning. Work assignments for each module are completed at home and sent in for tutor assessment and feedback.  For the HND the distance learning is supplemented by attendance at three intensive residential Study Weeks, each of five days duration, at which practical skills are taught and assessed. Written assessments and teamwork exercises also take place at Study Weeks.

Aims of the HND:

• To provide the knowledge required by the equine manager, catering for the needs of the individual and the equine industry.
• To provide entry into Higher Education in the equine field with the possibility of progression from HND to Degree.

Entry requirements:
Students enrolling on the HNC/D courses must:

• Be at least 18 years old when the first summative work assignment is assessed.
• Be employed within the equestrian industry or have current and regular experience of handling horses.
• Be ready to start working (not necessarily ride) at a level equivalent to BHS Stage 4.

The HND has eight core and eight optional modules. On completion of the HND you may opt to study further modules at Higher Education level 3 to achieve a degree.

Core Modules:

Equine Anatomy.  Nomenclature. Bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Location and function of major organs. Anatomy and function of the skeleton, cardiovascular, respiratory, lymphatic, nervous, sensory, urinary, endocrine, reproductive and mammary systems. Conformation and its effect on soundness and performance.

Equine Physiology.  Cell structure and function. Mitosis. Development and growth of bone, functions of tendons and ligaments. Physiological principles.  Systems of maintenance.  Functions of the systems of information and control.  Major metabolic pathways.

Equine Husbandry.  Routine care of the horse.  Structure and functions of the nutrients and the way in which they are metabolised.  Feed rations for specific horses/workloads.
Routine care, handling, preventative medicine, recognising ill health, first aid. Shoeing, vaccinations, teeth care and worming.

Equine Exercise Physiology, Fitness and Training.  Physiological effect of exercise on cardiovascular and respiratory systems, muscle fibre types, fatigue and thermoregulation. Interval and traditional fittening programmes. Evaluating fitness programmes. Training horses for dressage, showjumping and horse trials. Transportation of horses.

Equine Health Management.  Causative agents and routes of transmission for a number of common diseases. Management of horses in terms of accident, injury and disease prevention.  Principles of equine first aid. Management of the sick horse.

Equine Lameness and Rehabilitation.  Identify lameness in the horse.  Conditions that cause lameness in the horse and the relevant treatments.  Range of therapies to reduce inflammation.  Rehabilitation programmes.

Equestrian Business Planning.  Business planning.  Producing a business plan for an equestrian business.  Systems of financial recording.  Annual financial statements.

Sward Management.  Soil types, drainage, weed control, fertilisers, grasses, grassland management, worm control, taking a grass crop, machinery, fencing.

Equine Veterinary Nursing.  Effective liaison with vet, hygiene, sick nursing, isolation, first aid, fracture management, radiography, scintigraphy, ultrasonography, endoscopy, laboratory diagnosis, anaesthesia, post-operative care, fluid therapy, shock, neonatal medical care.

Optional Modules:

Equestrian Business Management.  Main requirements of employment law.  Implications of employing and paying staff in the equestrian workplace.  Main requirements of key health and safety legislation and regulations.  Managing health and safety in the equestrian workplace.

Behavioural Science.  Evolution of the horse from Hyracotherium to Equus caballus. Development of different breeds and types. Inherent and acquired behaviour, learning, needs and controls. Normal equine behaviour in environments free from human control. Abnormal behaviour patterns, means of controlling and minimising their occurrence. Differences between behaviour of feral and domesticated horses. Relationship between horse welfare, human ethics and equine behaviour.

Equine Reproductive Physiology and Technology.  Mechanism of heredity at the organism, population and species level.  Reproductive anatomy and physiology of the mare and stallion and its impact on selection for breeding.  Preparation for covering and covering procedures.  Stages of pregnancy.

Equine Stud Management.  Stages of pregnancy, stages of foaling, post-natal care of the mare, management of the neonate, importance of colostrum, handling the foal, management of foals and yearlings, weaning, stallion management. Feeding stallions and youngstock.

Initial Training of the Young Horse.  Handling yearlings. Long-reining and lungeing. Backing and riding away. Flatwork training. Jumping training. Introduction to competition.

International Horse Management.  Covering Europe, USA, South America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle and Far East. Transportation requirements and restrictions. Breeding systems. Horse management regimes – husbandry, diseases. Competition structures.

Equestrian Business Management.  Management control and financial recording. Budgeting and cash control. Developing the Business Plan. Laws and statutory duties.

The British Sport Horse Industry.  Development, characteristics and requirements. Future development, ranking. Warmblood breeds. Pedigrees and the selection process. Heritability of traits. British and European breeding policies. Marketing the sport horse.

The Thoroughbred and Racing Industry.  Development of the Thoroughbred. The Thoroughbred market. Structure of the racing industry. Administration of training.

Click here to find out more about residential study weeks.