World Horse Day has been celebrated on March 1 every year since it was created in 2005 to raise awareness of equine welfare and protection. As a culmination of Equine Guelph’s 20th anniversary celebrations, the organization will be offering its new online course, Introduction to Body Condition Scoring, free for horse owners and caretakers around the globe who sign up on Friday, March 1, 2024 at TheHorsePortal.ca.

“Optimal horse health depends on ideal body weight,” said Gayle Ecker, Director of Equine Guelph. “We are so pleased to offer our newest course, Introduction to Body Condition Scoring, to horse advocates around the globe on World Horse Day!”

Equine Guelph has been celebrating its 20th anniversary since the summer of 2023 with special offerings for their students aged 16 to 80 from over 40 countries.

“On March 1, for World Horse Day, we want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to experience the wonderful learning community and evidence-based content that draws our students together,” said Dr. Nicole Weidner, PhD in animal nutrition, who was involved in the development of this important course. “Optimizing your horse’s nutrition starts with evaluating the horse’s current condition.”

Utilizing the Henneke body condition scoring system (BCS), students will learn to visually assess and palpate the horse to determine the amount of fat present at six areas of the body. BCS can be used to determine whether your feeding plan is providing enough energy for the horse, or whether you are under- or over-feeding. You will also learn equine assessment methods, such as topline scoring and cresty neck scoring. The on-demand, self-paced course is valued at $30 and requires 15-20 hours of time, with course access available for one year.

Equine Guelph, promotes the welfare of horses every day with award-winning programs and internationally renowned instructors and guest speakers. The flexibility of online study fits perfectly into busy lives and joins a community of horse enthusiasts around the globe who are keen to share their experiences and learn from one another. 

Equine Guelph’s BCS course and accompanying free interactive tool (available at TheHorsePortal.ca/BCSTool), kindly sponsored by Masterfeeds, will give caregivers the resources to help determine whether a body condition score is appropriate for their horse, understand what actions should be taken next and create an action plan for their horse’s weight and health goals.

Take advantage of the free registration only on Friday, March 1, 2024 and sign up for Introduction to Body Condition Scoring, on TheHorsePortal.ca.

(Equine Guelph)