{"id":7429,"date":"2025-06-23T04:40:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T04:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/?p=7429"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:57:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:57:11","slug":"online-equitation-science-certificate-applies-the-latest-research-to-advance-horse-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/online-equitation-science-certificate-applies-the-latest-research-to-advance-horse-training\/","title":{"rendered":"Online equitation science certificate applies the latest research to advance horse training"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Purdue University is partnering with Equitation Science International, a leading international source of equitation science information and education, to offer a distinctive online certificate for horse enthusiasts and professionals seeking a more informed, ethical approach to training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program is grounded in the latest equine research and brings a modern, evidence-based approach to horse training, handling and behavior, exploring how horses think, move and learn to improve human and horse communications and make handling horses safer for the horses and the handlers alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students can progress through four courses that emphasize learning theory, equine cognition, biomechanics and welfare \u2014 moving beyond tradition to help build practical skills and safer, more effective training habits across any riding style or discipline. The courses must be taken in order, but students don\u2019t have to sign up for all four and can stop at any course if they decide they have the information they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideal for riders, trainers and other equine professionals seeking to deepen their understanding and improve outcomes, the science-backed program equips learners with the skills to create safer, more predictable horse-human partnerships free from bias and focused on the horse\u2019s well-being. The courses also are useful for veterinarians and veterinary technicians who work with horses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlthough it’s definitely appropriate for people who are employed in the horse industry, from a content perspective I think this would also be very beneficial to general horse owners who want to learn more about evidence-base and science-based practices for interacting with and training their horses,\u201d said Colleen Brady, Purdue professor of agricultural sciences education and communication, whose research focuses on equitation science.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A modern, science-based certificate program that redefines horse training with ethics, evidence and equine welfare at the core<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Brady noted that more than 80% of people involved in the horse industry in the U.S. are recreational horse owners. Purdue with its internationally ranked College of Agriculture is the only U.S. educational institution offering the Equitation Science International program, which was developed in large part by Dr. Andrew McLean, one of the leading equitation scientists in the world and a founder of the International Society for Equitation Science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The four courses in the program include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n