260032 Equine Nutrition and Management of Horses

Details
Responsible DepartmentDepartment of Large Animal Sciences   50 %
Department of Basic Animal and Veterinary Sciences   50 %

Earliest Possible YearMSc. 1 year to Post experience Master´s Programme
DurationOne block
 
Credits15 (ECTS)
 
Level of CourseMSc
 
ExaminationFinal Examination

oral examination

Portfolio Examination


All aids allowed

Description of Examination: Oral examination based on elaborated project report and pensum

Weight: Oral examination: 100%



7-point scale, external examiner
 
Requirement for Attending ExamSubmission of project report
 
Organisation of TeachingLectures, seminars and project work
 
Block PlacementBlock 4
Week Structure: Outside schedule, All course activity will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays
 
Language of InstructionEnglish
 
Optional Prerequisites260015 Thematic Course: Animal Science I 260028 Introduction to Companion Animals 260007 Ethology 260016 Experimental Animal Nutrition and Physiology - Part 1 (theoretical)
 
Course Content
Nutrition of the healthy animal:

. as affected by life stage (growth, reproduction, lactation)
. for performance, health and longevity
. Malnutrition disorders and their prevention
. feed manufacturing and appropriate feedstuffs for horses incl. nutritional value, quality, and feed technology
.
.
Management and husbandry at group, individual and population level
. Management principles to obtain and maintain healthy individuals incl prophylactic vaccination, anti-parasite, hoof, and dental programs
. Legislation regarding management and husbandry relevant to horses

. Horse and breeding strategies to maintain healthy populations

Behaviour and welfare:
. Normal behaviour in horses
. Environmental enrichment to maintain normal behaviour
. Prevention of behaviour problems
Hoof care prophylaxis
 
Teaching and learning Methods
The course is centred on a group based project work. Throughout the course, the students will be working in groups. Lectures and seminars are concentrated in the first part of the course to support the project work.
 
Learning Outcome
. This course will focus on nutrition, management and husbandry issues pertaining to horses. The core of the course will be the quantitative aspects of horse science, focused at group level but extending down to individual animal and up to populations. The course will be concerned with healthy animals. Students will obtain knowledge of optimal nutrition and management practices incl. breeding, feeding and physical environment to ensure health, longevity and performance.
. The aim is to educate graduates with academic competence to become consultants and with an option to work in several areas within this sector incl.
. Food companies
. Horse breeders
. Horseback riding institutions
. Veterinary support industries
. Horse advisory services
. Government advisory service
. Local government advisory service/registration
. Animal legislation
. Hunting and gamesport associations
. Sporting nutrition
. Entertainment industry
. Zoos, wildlife parks
. Research
. Teaching


This MSc-course focuses on nutrition and feeding at different life stages, feed manufacturing, management, appropriate environment, processing and quality, behaviour, horse breeding, physiology and training of horses for performance and longevity.

. The aim is to educate graduates with the following competence profile:

. Knowledge
The student is able to:
Account for quantitative nutrition and feeding at different life stages (maintenance, growth, reproduction, lactation) to optimize health, performance and longevity and prevention of malnutrition.
. Account for principles of different feed stuffs and feed manufacturing
. Account for legislation relating to management and husbandry relevant to horses
. Account for important principles in management at group level but extending down to the individual and up to populations regarding husbandry, breeding, horses atand their relation to the animals' physical environment, health, behaviour, welfare,and longevity.

Skills
The student is able to
. Apply methods to evaluate feed formulation and feed quality
. Apply methods for evaluation of the interactions between animal nutrition, health, animal behaviour and physical environment and advice within these areas.
. Quantify and model animal life processes, from cellular to whole body level, including nutritional, biochemical, genetic, and physiological processes.
.

Competencies
The student is able to
. Understand relevant scientific principles, perform relevant experiments and to analyse and critically evaluate scientific literature.
. Use relevant scientific principles to evaluate and analyse the animals' nutritional-, health- and welfare status, and the quality of their physical environment.
. Formulate and optimise diets for horses at different life stages and for horse under different physical activity or training conditions to optimize performance and prevent malnutrition.
. and apply principles of important food processing methods, and how they influence the nutritive value and applicability of diets of horses at different life stages and in different physical activity.
Account for behavioural aspects of welfare
. To perform evaluation of nutrition, welfare and management relevant to legislative issues in horses
 
Course Literature
To be announced
 
Course Coordinator
Mette Benedicte Olaf Nielsen, mon@life.ku.dk, Department of Basic Animal and Veterinary Sciences/Animal Nutrition, Phone: 353-33065
 
Study Board
Study Committee NSN
 
Work Load
lectures40
Colloquia11
project work280
examination1
supervision80

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