AN 341 - Commercial Horse Production

Lecture

1. become familiar with Equity Stable Management Software.
2. demonstrate responsibility and interpersonal skills in order to effectively care for animals in the stable management environment.
3. classify the functions and appropriate use for different bits and training equipment purpose.
4. recognize common dental issues and their symptoms.
5. conduct conformation evaluation of prospective horses for use in the commercial horse business.
6. recognize the function of breed associations in the horse industry.
7. complete a partial budget analysis of an equine enterprise.
8. identify key performance indicators for a commercial western horse business.
9. select horses for sale prospects, breeding or replacement within a broodmare band.

Lab

1. efficiently work and sort cattle with their project horse.
2. employ low stress techniques to rope and restrain cattle for the purpose of treatment and ranch work.
3. exercise body control with your horse to negotiate trail obstacles such as gates, tarps and logs which are pertinent to both ranch work and developing a versatile finished horse.
4. apply all the technical skills developed in this course to perform reining patterns, as well as compete in ranch roping and ranch horse events.

Reference Textbook(s):

Novak, S, & Shoveller, A. K. (2008). Nutrition and feeding management for horse owners.

     Alberta Agriculture, Food, and Rural Development.

Kainer, R. A., & McCracken, T. O. (1998). Horse anatomy: a coloring atlas (2nd ed.).  

     Dogwise Publishing.

Mike, K. (2004). Colt Starting. Western Horseman magazine.

Pate, C. (2004). Ranch horsemanship. Western Horseman magazine.

Optional Resource Materials:
None

Conduct of Course:
This course consists of 42 hours of lecture and 56 hours lab. Lecture is delivered in the classroom with the use of PowerPoints, videos and assignments. The lab component is conducted in the Equine Centre and used to further develop practical riding competencies which coincide with the skills required to handle cattle, competently fit, show or sell horses. Planned seminars, field trips or other activities may occur outside of scheduled class times.

The lecture time involves note taking, videos, guest lectures and discussions. The lab portion involves individual or group work with assigned livestock to complete required tasks. Basic training of a green horse has a large time component to it. Labs are 4 hours per week with lecture as needed. Students are required to keep a notebook and pen in their locker at the arena for note taking. All working of project horses outside of class time must be done with a buddy system for safety reasons, never advancing past what the instructor has directed. The Stable Management portion consists of a regular Monday organizational meeting and daily chore times as directed in the handout, “Horse Unit Policies”. Any deviation from the chore schedule needs to be approved by the instructor. Alteration of the chore schedule for the group should be done as a group at the Monday meetings.

Attendance

Classroom and laboratory attendance is considered vital to the learning process and as significant to the students’ evaluation as examinations and reports, therefore absenteeism is recorded.

• Students having a combination of excused and/or unexcused absence of 20 percent or higher for the scheduled course hours can be required to withdraw and would then automatically receive a “RW” (required withdrawal) for the course, regardless of any other evaluation results. (RW is a failing grade).
• An excused absence is one that is verified with your instructor. Verification should be prior to the absence or the next class day following the absence. Verification of the absence may take the form of a note from your doctor/College nurse regarding illness, or a note from another instructor regarding a field trip or other activity, or authorization by your instructor following an in-person meeting. Be sure to contact your instructor and ask what they will require from you as verification for each absence. An unexcused absence is anything NOT verified by the instructor prior to the absence or the next class day following the absence.

It is the students’ responsibility to know their own absentee record.

Normal hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with potential for evening courses, exams or extended field trips. Students are expected to be available for classes during these times.

Content of Course:

AN-341 Lab Competencies:

1. Body control for cattle work and roping
2. Preparation of horse to work safely- pre roping checklist
3. Maneuvering obstacles for ranch work
4. Comprehension of cattle behavior and flight zones
5. Positioning for roping (both tracking and low stress ranch roping)
6. Low stress restraint and handling of cattle for doctoring
7. Training a horse to turn and track correctly on cattle
8. Sorting cattle efficiently and developing flow
9. Teamwork while cattle handling
10. Trailer loading cattle without the use of a chute
11. Preparation for ranch horse competitions/reining patterns
12. Advancing to neck reining and leverage bits

• Official final grades will be available on My Lakeland. Grades posted in D2L should be considered interim grades.  
• “Lakeland College is committed to the highest academic standards. Students are expected to be familiar with Lakeland College policies and to abide by these policies. Violations of these policies are considered to be serious and may result in suspension or expulsion from the College.”  

 
Course Pass Requirements:
A minimum grade of D (50%) (1.00) is required to pass this course.

Students must maintain a cumulative grade of C (GPA - Grade Point Average of 2.00) in order to qualify to graduate.

Every effort has been made to ensure that information in this course outline is accurate at the time of publication. Lakeland College reserves the right to change courses if it becomes necessary so that course content remains relevant.

In such cases, the instructor will give students clear and timely notice of changes.

No part of this course outline may be reproduced in any form or resold without written permission from Lakeland College.

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