The Open College of Equine Studies

BTEC Professional Diplomas

The Open College of Equine Studies offers a range of BTEC Professional Diplomas – qualifications of the same level as the HND but comprising five modules. Each Professional Diploma can be studied as a non- BTEC programme, i.e. you study the same material, have the option of attending the Study Week and receive an Open College Certificate as opposed to a BTEC Certificate.

As with all TOCES programmes, you will receive detailed study material - each module comprises three work assignments which are completed at home and sent in for tutor assessment and feedback.

The first two assignments in each module are formative work assignments designed to prepare you for the third assignment, which is a summative work assignment which contributes towards your overall grade. The overall grade of your qualification will reflect the grades achieved in your assignments and practical assessments. In addition to receiving a graded BTEC Diploma awarded by Edexcel, you will receive a TOCES certificate.

With the exception of the BTEC Professional Diploma in Equine Industry, each course has two three/four-day Study Weeks to support the distance learning material.

Study Week 1 consists of lectures, practical sessions and tutorials and is designed to build upon the subjects studied through the distance learning material, with the emphasis on ‘hands-on’ practical work. It is recommended that students have at least read through the course material and completed the in-text questions and activities. Although ideal, it is not essential to have completed and/or submitted the formative work assignments. Summative assignments can be prepared but should not be submitted before SW 1.

Study Weekend 2 consists of some practical revision but is mainly assessment-based, including a written paper.

Qualifications include:

BTEC Professional Diploma in Equine Stud Management

This qualification will equip the student with the skills to manage and care for breeding and young stock, as part of a commercial or private enterprise. The programme starts with a study of the general care of horses, nutrition and maintenance of good health. Factors to consider when planning a breeding programme are covered. Students will study the physiology of equine reproduction and relate this to the breeding process.

Planning and maintenance of pasture and buildings is covered, with emphasis on the provision of good quality grazing for breeding animals and stud farm design. The health and management of foals and youngstock is studied.

The optional modules allow the student to study the breed sector pertinent to their career choice, i.e. Thoroughbred or Sport Horse, and appraises the wider international focus of Thoroughbred and/or sport horse breeding, comparing the systems of the UK with those of other countries.

• Module 1 Equine Health Management
• Module 2 Equine Reproduction
• Module 3 Sward and Estate Management
• Module 4 Management of Youngstock
• Module 5 The Sport Horse Industry (O)
• Module 6 The Thoroughbred and Racing Industry (O)

Click here for Professional Diploma in Equine Stud Management Study Week Information

BTEC Professional Diploma in Equine Therapy and Rehabilitation

Maintaining the health and condition of horses involves sound daily management and knowledge of preventative medicine, feeding and nutrition. In addition to preventative medicine, this programme studies equine physiology and biomechanics, providing knowledge of equine body systems, structure and movement that is essential for maintaining or restoring health and soundness in the horse.

The qualification aims to equip managers in the equine industry with the first aid skills needed to treat horses following injury and enable them to plan and implement optimum rehabilitation programmes.

This programme gives an overview of the equine therapies available in this country and how these therapies fit into the legal framework. The roles of the veterinary physiotherapist and other equine therapists in the care and treatment of horses are evaluated.

• Module 1 Equine Anatomy and Physiology
• Module 2 Equine Health and Nutrition
• Module 3 Equine Injury, Disease and Recovery
• Module 4 Equine Veterinary Nursing
• Module 5 Introduction to Equine Therapies (O)
• Module 6 Equine Biomechanics (O)

Click here for Professional Diploma in Equine Therapy and Rehabilitation Study Week Information

BTEC Professional Diploma in Equine Business Management

This qualification aims to provide the equine manager with a basic understanding of the fundamentals of business management, enabling informed decisions to be made in conjunction with professionals such as solicitors and accountants.

This programme provides an insight into the international horse industry and the way in which horses are managed in different parts of the world - this is important for anyone planning to work overseas.

This programme examines the overall structure of the industry and provides an understanding of the development and role of the Thoroughbred horse and the way in which the Thoroughbred is marketed. It also looks at the structure and organisation of the racing industry – this is vital for students wishing to gain employment in the racing or bloodstock world.

• Module 1 Business and Finance
• Module 2 International Horse Management
• Module 3 Equestrian Business Management
• Module 4 The British Sport Horse Industry
• Module 5 The Thoroughbred and Racing Industry

There are no Study Weeks for the Diploma in Equine Industry.

BTEC Professional Diploma in Equine Behaviour and Welfare

This programme introduces the concepts of equine behaviour and attempts to explain why horses behave as they do. The aims of the programme are to provide the student with an understanding of the fundamentals of horse husbandry and how these may affect welfare, to allow the student to assess modern management regimes and recognise the problems associated with these and to encourage the student to consider how current techniques have evolved and propose changes that may be beneficial to horses in the future.

Recent advances in our understanding of equine welfare are reviewed, key welfare/ethical issues facing the equine industry on a national and global scale are considered and future directions for research proposed.

It is essential that the equine student has a broad knowledge of various training methods and appreciates the practical implications of these. This programme sets out to begin the examination of the philosophies underlying a range of training techniques in current use such as Natural Horsemanship techniques, join-up, “horse whispering”, etc and considers the merits of their application.

• Module 1 Behavioural Science and Evolution
• Module 2 Initial Training of the Young Horse
• Module 3 Husbandry and Welfare
• Module 4 Ethology, Ethics and Welfare
• Module 5 Introduction to Natural Training Techniques

Click here for Professional Diploma in Equine Behaviour and Welfare Study Week Information

Click here to find out more about residential study weeks.