Miss. Althea Botha-Viljoen and Hanna Odendaal present this certificate course.

The Advance Animal Behaviour Course: Horses is essentially done by correspondence with the compulsory attendance of a three-day seminar/workshop/practical assessment. The 2010 seminar is scheduled for 12, 13 & 14 August in Pretoria.

 Students enrolling for this course must have successfully completed the Basic Animal Behaviour Course: Horses.  Students will be required to demonstrate their experience of horsemanship and horsemastership.  It will be to their advantage to have at least four (4) years experience in the horse environment. 

Most of the students who enrol for this course work full-time and the course is therefore designed to be done on a part-time basis.  Being a private company Ethology Academy is very flexible - as long as students communicate with us we are usually able to accommodate them in various ways.

The content of the Advance Behaviour course: Horses is divided into four modules: The modules include the following:

• Module One:  Training methods, temperament assessment and handling techniques.
• Introduction
• Training methods:
• Basic Training
• Training as learned behaviour
• Training for different purposes
• Temperament assessment test:
• Definition
• Evaluation of some existing tests
• Advantages of tests
• References for other tests
• Breed Temperament
• Welfare of horses:
• Animal Welfare
• Recognising signs of good health
• Recognising signs of abnormal behaviour/health
• Handling techniques for horses
• Social behaviour (groups, relationships, factors influencing rank, social spaces and communication)
• Module two :  Analysis of cases of behavioural problems:
• Case one -
• Case two -
• Case three -
• Case four -
• Case five -
• Module three : Behavioural practice management (Hanna Odendaal)
• Human-animal interaction in practice:
• The practice as a basic system
• Human needs in the system
• Balance in the system
• Practice as open system
• Professionalism and ethics in practice:
• Professionalism
• Ethics
• Laws pertaining to animal welfare in South Africa
• Meaningful consultations
• Categories of consultations
• Research practice
• Types of research
• Steps to follow during research
• Research methods
• Report on research
• Ethics in research
• Research terminology and definitions
• Communications skills:
• Guidelines on successful consultation and client relationship
• The communication process
• Consultation: characteristics and varieties
• Interviewing skills and techniques
• Verbal and non-verbal communication
• Coping with difficult situations
• Module four : Housing and socialisation:
• Breeding programmes
• Terminology
• Oestrous cycle of the mare
• Breeding and gestation
• Care of the pregnant mare
• Foaling
• How breeds develop
• Deciding to breed a horse
• Cost relating to breeding
• Covering the mare
• Evaluation of stables:
• General requirements
• Types of stabling
• Size of stables
• Drainage system
• Drains
• Guttering
• Flooring
• Walls
• Foal socialisation:
• Training of foals and young horses
• Ground training
• “Backing” or riding the young horse
• Natural horsemanship

For the practical assessment you need jodhpurs, boots, gloves and a riding helmet.  It is essential to familiarise yourself with the content of the prescribed book (included in the study material) before attending the workshop/assessment.

 The following aspects are of importance:

• Blankets and boots
• Equine feeding
• Grooming
• Equine health
• Lungeing
• Equine physiology
• Tack,
• Stable management

How the course is presented:

To enable students of all walks of life this course is presented by normal correspondence (via the South African Postal services). This has proven to be a reliable method and very easy for the student to manage. 

After enrolling, the student receives all the study material via registered mail. The study material consists of the Ethology Academy notes and ‘The BHS Complete Manual of Stable Management’. Included will be a Student Letter giving detailed information on every aspect of the course. Also included will be the theoretical assignments each with an addressed envelope to make submitting them as convenient as possible.  The assignments will be marked and returned to the students. The marks obtained for the assignments constitute the year mark, which will give the student entrance to submit their final case study in November.

Final evaluation:

A formal presentation regarding a case study will be presented by the student during the seminar and the student’s practical knowledge of horses and horse related matters will be assessed.  This will contribute 40% of the final mark.  A final case study presented by the student during November will constitute the final mark.  To pass the exam requires a fair amount of studying, research, insight and previous horse related experience. Students are therefore advised to start their preparation well in advance for the seminar and the final case study.

Registration and Fees:

Registration for this course takes place from 7 January to 28 February every year. The enrolment fee for the Advance Course for 2010 is R6000-00 VAT inclusive. The fee includes the study material, prescribe book, attendance of the seminar (excluding possible travel and accommodation expenditures)  and the examination fee. 

Enrol here

Do not hesitate to get in touch should you need more information.