Topic:Education
The topic of education and horses encompasses the study and implementation of educational programs and techniques related to equine care, management, and training. This area of research explores various methods of instruction and learning, including formal academic courses, vocational training, and informal learning experiences for individuals involved in the equine industry. It also examines the effectiveness of different teaching strategies, the development of curricula, and the impact of education on equine welfare and performance. This page provides a collection of peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the methodologies, outcomes, and impacts of educational initiatives in the field of equine studies.
Survey of self-reported radiation safety practices among North American veterinary technicians involved in equine radiography using portable x-ray equipment. To describe self-reported radiation safety practices by equine veterinary technicians in North America and identify factors associated with these practices. 154 equine technicians. An electronic questionnaire regarding radiation safety practices during the use of portable x-ray equipment was sent to 884 members of the American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians and Assistants. Data were summarized, and various factors were evaluated for associations with reported safety practices. 221 of 884 (25.0%) questionnaires were completed, including 154 by equine technicians who had been invol...
Development and Formative Evaluation of a Low-Fidelity Equine Castration Model for Veterinary Education. Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) are units of activity that early-stage professionals perform in the workplace that necessitate simultaneous integration of multiple competencies. EPA #6 requires students to perform a common surgical procedure on a stable patient, including pre-operative and post-operative management. Castration is one of the most common surgeries performed by equine primary care practitioners and is considered an "entry-level competency" for veterinary graduates entering equine private practice, however, to our knowledge there are no equine castration models availabl...
Outcomes of an Equine Assisted Learning Curriculum to Support Well-Being of Medical Students and Residents. Objectives of this study were to evaluate an equine assisted learning (EAL) curriculum designed for medical students and resident physicians, and to determine impacts of the curriculum on participant perceptions of burnout and well-being. The EAL curriculum incorporated evidence-based skills and concepts to increase happiness and/or resilience. A pre/post intervention design was used, with 18 EAL participants receiving the curriculum within their month-long community based primary care clerkship elective, and 10 control (CTL) participants who did not receive the curriculum within their clerksh...
Hand-Held Point-of-Care Ultrasound: A New Tool for Veterinary Student Self-Driven Learning in the Time of COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic abruptly halted all in-person clerkships, or clinical rotations, for clinical veterinary students across the United States. Online clerkships in radiology offered the opportunity to expand the student's ability to interpret medical images but did not allow for the development of physical hands-on imaging skills recognized as core competencies in veterinary medicine. The present report highlights the value of providing veterinary students with a smartphone-associated Butterfly iQ point-of-care ultrasound during a 3-week self-driven virtual clerkship. During the virtual ...
The Horse as a Therapist: Effects of an Equine Program Without “Therapy” on the Attention and Behavior of Youth Disengaged from Traditional School. Equine-assisted therapy may promote positive behavior change in young people "at risk." However, it is not always clear what therapeutic content is involved and if a trained therapist is included. The therapeutic effects of the key part of the "therapy," the horse, are not understood. To investigate the impact of an equine program without a therapist on attention and behavioral outcomes of young people "at risk." A within subjects pre-post design. A small sample also completed a control period. A small riding center in a rural area of outer Brisbane, Australia. Twelve- to 17-year olds (...
The race that segments a nation: Findings from a convenience poll of attitudes toward the Melbourne Cup Thoroughbred horse race, gambling and animal cruelty. The annual Melbourne Cup Thoroughbred horse race has iconic status among many Australians but sits in the context of increasing criticism of the welfare of Thoroughbred racing horses and the ethics of gambling. Despite heated debates and protests playing out in the public domain, there is scant empirical research to document Australian attitudes to the Melbourne Cup, or horse racing more generally. Specifically, little is known about how support for or against the Melbourne Cup correlate with age, gender, income and level of education. To provide a more nuanced understanding of attitudes towar...
Effect of gamified perceptual learning on visual detection and discrimination skills in equine gait assessment. Visual assessment of equine lameness is an everyday veterinary task suffering from poor diagnostic accuracy. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of the perceptual learning game 'LamenessTrainer' on skill development. Thirty-six undergraduate veterinary students engaged in four game modules teaching the assessment of fore- and hindlimb lameness. Computer animations of horses in this game displayed 0% (sound) to 70% (moderately lame) vertical movement asymmetry of head and pelvis. Performance, learning effects, diagnostic accuracy, detection thresholds and survey responses were anal...
Visitors’ Self-Reported Knowledge and Attitudes about an Animal-Free Exhibit on Animal Welfare. Public events such as state fairs provide valuable opportunities to provide informal animal welfare education, possibly changing people's decisions regarding animal welfare. This study evaluated whether an interactive animal-free exhibit increased visitors' self-reported knowledge and stated behavioral intentions related to animal welfare. The exhibit featured information about the behavior and welfare of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry, horses, cats and dogs. Survey data were collected at two events in the Midwestern United States (Purdue University Spring Fest (FEST): n = 32; Indiana St...
Euthanasia Education in Veterinary Schools in the United States. Euthanasia of animals plays a significant role in veterinary practices and is a pivotal experience for veterinarians and their clients. It is good animal welfare to have a humane method of euthanasia, correctly applied, and a well-educated individual regarding such techniques. The purpose of this research was to determine how US veterinary medicine schools are preparing students to perform euthanasia. A survey of the 30 US veterinary schools was electronically mailed by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) in the fall of 2019, with a return rate of 10. Findings revea...
The Human-Horse Relationship: Identifying the Antecedents of Horse Owner Attitudes towards Horse Husbandry and Management Behaviour. The welfare of recreational horses is an important issue. Horse owner attitudes towards horse ownership are likely to influence owner behaviour in terms of horse husbandry and management practices and human-horse interactions, which in turn are likely to affect the welfare of the horse. Based on Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behaviour, this paper examines the relationships between horse owner attributes, specifically background factors (demographics, knowledge, and experience) and attitudes (beliefs) towards horse husbandry and management behaviour. Data were collected via a random telephone surve...
A Survey of Injuries That Occurred in Veterinary Teaching Hospitals during 2017. Knowing the frequency, extent or severity of injuries that occur to students and staff within veterinary teaching hospitals (VTHs) is necessary for proactive management of their safety. This study surveyed contemporaneously-captured incident reports likely to cause or causing injury to students and staff of veterinary teaching hospitals in Europe, the United States of America (USA), Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, recorded in 2017. Four different severities of incident were evaluated within four different cohorts of people, precipitated by five categories for cause. Within each cause-categ...
Effectiveness of a digital interactive multimedia tutorial for preparing veterinary students to perform ultrasonography in horses. To determine the effectiveness of a digital interactive multimedia tutorial (DIMT) for preparing veterinary students to perform ultrasonography in horses. Methods: 42 third-year veterinary students. Methods: Students were randomly assigned to 3 instructional methods: independent study (ie, 45 minutes to read a highlighted textbook chapter), lecture (ie, 45-minute lecture by a faculty member), or digital interactive multimedia tutorial (DIMT; ie, 45-minute narrated, interactive module). Written and practical tests were administered after each instruction session. For the practical test, each st...
Back in the saddle: student response to remote online equine science classes. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged professors and students of all disciplines to adjust quickly to remote online teaching and education platforms. In this new era of remote teaching, a greater challenge has been presented in the field of equine science; how to effectively share knowledge that is most often demonstrated by providing students access to live, in-person animal examples. Historically, students and teachers believed skill sets, which are vital for future careers in the industry (e.g., veterinarian) must be learned through hands-on experience. However, in-person methods were not av...
Equine Oral Extraction Techniques. This article serves as a template for equine veterinarians to become proficient in basic intraoral premolar and molar extraction techniques of Equidae. Indications, equipment, and methodology are described. Numerous photos and videos are included to achieve a more immersive learning experience than can be accomplished with the written word alone. Clinicians performing these techniques will continue to improve their skillsets to achieve positive outcomes as case specifics become more challenging.
[Equine-assisted therapy, health and sports: figurations of the practice in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, 1970-2000]. Based on the theoretical assumptions of Norbert Elias, we sought to understand the figurations of equine-assisted therapy in Rio Grande do Sul from 1970 to 2000. To this end, the research corpus consisted of official documents, newspapers and magazines. Based on the concept of figuration, the documentation analyzed demonstrated technical-scientific elements linked to the fields of healthcare, education and horseback riding, coming from equestrianism and shared in the practice of equine-assisted therapy. The interrelations established between these different areas allowed the practice to take o...
Horses Used for Educational Purposes in New Zealand: A Descriptive Analysis of Their Use for Teaching. Horses are used in practical teaching classes in many equine and veterinary science degree programmes to develop and refine the handling and clinical skills of students. In this study, the activities of 24 teaching horses grouped in three herds were investigated over an entire calendar year. Although also used for research and general husbandry, teaching-related activities were the predominant use of the horses. Herd B was used for a greater number of teaching sessions (median = 28, IQR = 27-29.5 per year) than herds M (median = 21, IQR = 20-21 per year) and T (median = 19.5, IQR = 13.75-25.5 ...
A New Framework for Assessing Equid Welfare: A Case Study of Working Equids in Nepalese Brick Kilns. Equids fulfil many different roles within communities. In low- to middle-income countries (LMICs), in addition to providing a source of income, equids also provide essential transport of food, water, and goods to resource-limited and/or isolated communities that might otherwise lack access. The aim of this investigation was to understand the welfare conditions that donkeys, mules, and horses are exposed to whilst working in Nepalese brick kilns. To understand the welfare conditions of equids in Nepalese brick kilns, the Welfare Aggregation and Guidance (WAG) tool in conjunction with the Equid ...
Incorporation of Equine Learning Theory into the Undergraduate Curriculum. Working as an equine veterinarian carries a high risk of occupational injury, with the behavior of the horse frequently reported as a cause for these injuries. Risk of injury is one reason cited by undergraduate veterinary students that would prevent them from entering large animal practice, and newly graduated veterinarians have been shown to be at increased risk of sustaining an occupational injury compared with more experienced colleagues. A cohort of pre-final-year undergraduate veterinary students were given a 45-minute lecture on learning theory and its application in equine practice, co...
Developing a 3D animation tool to improve veterinary undergraduate understanding of obstetrical problems in horses. Many challenges are encountered in both teaching and learning veterinary obstetrics. This may be due to outdated teaching materials, as the main model of content transmission remains centred around text and images. Methods: Visualisation methods such as three-dimensional (3D) and Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) tools were applied in an attempt to improve obstetrics education outcomes in the third-year class. Traditional teaching methods were utilised in the fourth-year and fifth-year students. Results: These supplementary tools significantly increased the third-year students' final examinati...
Concussion knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in equestrian athletes. To determine knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards concussion in adult equestrian athletes. Methods: Nationwide, cross-sectional, questionnaire. Methods: Participants were recruited via advertisements circulated through social media, community presentations and equestrian organisations. Participants were sent a web link to an online questionnaire previously designed for high school athletes and modified to ensure relevance to equestrian activities. The percentage of correct responses per item and a total knowledge score were calculated. Differences in concussion knowledge by age, sex, lev...
The Clumsy Horse: A Professional Development Tool for Facilitators of Self-Directed, Case-Based Learning. With the constant evolution of science and advancing technology, future physicians must learn to navigate an ever-changing health care environment by continuous learning throughout their professional careers. Lifelong, self-directed learning is a critical component of medical education to ensure future physicians are adept at identifying knowledge gaps and seeking, analyzing, and communicating new information. To train faculty who teach case-based, self-directed learning, we designed the Clumsy Horse Case. The Clumsy Horse Case was created as part of a faculty development program for facilitat...
Evaluation of companion animal behavior knowledge among first-year veterinary students before and after an introductory animal behavior course. To survey first-year veterinary students' knowledge of companion animal (dog, cat, and horse) behavior and popular-culture (ie, pop-culture) behavior myths related to animal body language, motivations, and learning prior to participation in an introductory animal behavior course; evaluate potential associations between sources of prior behavior knowledge and knowledge on the preclass survey; and determine whether postclass scores on the same survey were predictive of final examination score for the behavior class. Methods: 156 first-year veterinary students. Methods: Students were invited to p...
How Equine-Assisted Activities Affect the Prosocial Behavior of Adolescents. Multiple studies have investigated the positive effects of human-animal interactions and showed that animal-assisted activities can be successfully used to better human physical and mental health. Equine-assisted activities have also raised considerable attention within the field. Our research focuses on healthy students (aged 14-18) without deviations or special educational needs. We analyze the occurrence of behavior problems and prosocial behavior among adolescents who regularly have interactions with horses, and those who have no connection to horses at all. The subjects of our investigati...
Determining a Welfare Prioritization for Horses Using a Delphi Method. Equine welfare issues are receiving increasing attention in the UK, but welfare problems can arise from a wide range of causes. In order to identify the most important welfare concerns for horses, we used a Delphi method with 19 equine welfare experts. An initial list of 84 equine welfare issues was generated using an online discussion board and NVivo thematic analysis. Subsequently, experts ranked these welfare issues for perceived prevalence, severity and duration of suffering associated with each issue on a 6-point Likert scale. All issues with a mean score of 3 or above ( = 37) were includ...
Body Painting of the Horse and Cow to Learn Surface Anatomy. Gross anatomy is considered one of the most challenging subjects in teaching veterinary medicine. The use of body painting is reported in teaching surface human anatomy, but such reports are scarce in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to describe a practical session for teaching surface anatomy using body painting with second-semester students of veterinary medicine. Two practical sessions using live animals (equine and bovine) were offered with a focus on the locomotor and nervous systems and splanchnology. Students believed that the body painting sessions helped them to understa...
Industry Perceptions of HERDA in Performance Horses. Hereditary equine regional derma asthenia (HERDA), an autosomal-recessive trait, found in Quarter Horses, causes abnormal collagen structure. Owing to current breeding practices, 3.5% of registered quarter horses and 28.3% of the cow horse population are heterozygote carriers. Research demonstrated homozygote horses develop hyperextensible skin susceptible to injury and other abnormal tissues containing high fibrillar collagen content. No research exists determining the effects of the disease in heterozygote carriers. Currently, 30% of cutting sires are HERDA carriers, potentially increasing t...
Self-Management Intervention for Attention and Executive Functions Using Equine-Assisted Occupational Therapy Among Children Aged 6-14 Diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, is currently one of the most common diagnoses given to children. Children with ADHD have a unique cognitive profile that involves difficulties in executive functions (EFs) and in the self-management system of the brain, and are at higher risk for educational failure, social and emotional difficulties, and high risk behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of self-management intervention for attention and executive functions using equine-assisted occupatio...
Improving the Recognition of Equine Affective States. A key welfare problem for horses is that people commonly fail to recognise, and consequently neglect to resolve, equine behavioural signs of distress, worsening the welfare of the horse and potentially putting the safety of the handler at risk as a result. Members of equestrian Facebook groups were asked to view six videos and assess the horse's behaviour in each; the authors selected the videos and considered each video to demonstrate behaviour associated with negative affective states. An additional six equine behaviourists also completed the survey as an "expert comparison group" from whom ...
Needs Assessment: What Are the Barriers to Use of Equine Genetic Testing? Genetic testing offers precise and accurate data to horse owners concerning their horse's health and offers potential economic value increases of foal crops via genome-assisted selection. Despite availability of at least 96 commercially available markers, fewer than 20 are commonly used. This project seeks to identify the barriers to the incorporation of genomic tools in diverse equine operations. Based on studies examining public opinion of human medical testing, we expected that lack of genetic education and few industry requirements for testing may contribute to neutral or negative opinions...
[Horse-related injuries – prevention very important]. In Sweden equestrian sport activities are the sixth most popular sport and predominantly women and girls are engaged. Horses are prey animals and humans are predators, and the two species therefore act in completely different ways. It is well known that accidents can occur when horses and humans interact. Literature from different countries in the world reveals that most accidents happen to females and also children are at risk. The most common accident is when a rider falls from a horse, but also unmounted humans are at risk for injuries. Most of the injuries are uncomplicated, but there are...