SASA10155U Equine Nutrition and Management of Horses

Volume 2013/2014
Education
MSc Programme in Animal Science - semi-compulsory
Content

This course will focus on nutrition, management and husbandry issues pertaining to horses. The core of the course will be the quantitative aspects of horse science, focused at group level but extending down to individual animal and up to populations. The course will be concerned with healthy animals. Students will obtain knowledge of optimal nutrition and management practices incl. breeding and training, feeding and physical environment to ensure health, longevity and performance.

Nutrition of the healthy animal:
• as affected by life stage (growth, reproduction, lactation)
• for performance (incl the horse athlete), health and longevity
• malnutrition disorders and their prevention

Feed manufacturing and appropriate feedstuffs for horses incl. nutritional value, quality, and feed technology

Management, husbandry and training at group, individual and population level:
• management principles to obtain and maintain healthy individuals incl prophylactic vaccination,
anti-parasite, hoof, harness and dental programs
• legislation regarding management and husbandry relevant to horses
• performance, training and management of the horse athlete for performance in a life time perspective

Horse and breeding strategies:
• to maintain healthy populations
• to achieve desired performance traits

Behaviour and welfare:
• normal behaviour in horses
• environmental enrichment to maintain normal behaviour
• prevention of behaviour problems

Graduates will be equipped with academic competences enabling them to work in several areas within the equine sector incl.
• Food companies
• Horse breeders
• Horseback riding institutions
• Veterinary support industries
• Horse advisory services
• Government advisory service
• Local government advisory service/registration
• Animal legislation
• Hunting and gamesport associations
• Sporting nutrition
• Entertainment industry
• Zoos, wildlife parks
• Research
• Teaching

Learning Outcome

This MSc-course focuses on nutrition and feeding at different life stages, feed manufacturing, management, appropriate environment, processing and quality, behaviour, horse breeding, physiology and training of horses for performance and longevity. The aim is to educate graduates with the following competence profile:

Knowledge
The student is able to:
• Account for quantitative nutrition and feeding at different life stages (maintenance, growth,
reproduction, lactation) to optimize health, performance and longevity and prevention of
malnutrition.
• Account for principles of different feed stuffs and feed manufacturing
• Account for legislation relating to management and husbandry relevant to horses
• Account for important principles in management at group level but extending down to the
individual and up to populations regarding husbandry, breeding, horses and their relation to the
animals’ physical environment, health, behaviour, welfare, and longevity.

Skills
The student is able to
• Apply methods to evaluate feed formulation and feed quality
• Apply methods for evaluation of the interactions between animal nutrition, health, animal
behaviour and physical environment and advice within these areas.
• Quantify and model animal life processes, from cellular to whole body level, including
nutritional, biochemical, genetic, and physiological processes.

Competencies
The student is able to
• Understand relevant scientific principles, perform relevant experiments and to analyse and
critically evaluate scientific literature.
• Use relevant scientific principles to evaluate and analyse the animals’ nutritional-, health- and
welfare status, and the quality of their physical environment.
• Formulate and optimise diets and training schemes for horses at different life stages and for
horses under different physical activity or training conditions to optimize performance and
prevent malnutrition and performance related disorders.
• Apply principles of important food processing methods, and how they influence the nutritive
value and applicability of diets of horses at different life stages and in different physical activity
• Account for behavioural aspects of welfare
• To perform evaluation of nutrition, welfare and management relevant to legislative issues in
horses
Literature
Relevant litterature for each topic will be announced by the teacher.
SASA10143U Dyrs ernæring og præstation
SASA10144U Anatomi og fysiologi
SASA10147U Ethology
SASA10150U Experimental Animal Nutrition and Physiology, part 1 (EANP1)
SASA10154U Advanced Animal Production Science
The course is centred on a group based project work. Throughout the course, the students will be working in groups. Lectures and seminars are concentrated in the first part of the course to support the project work.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Colloquia
  • 11
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Excursions
  • 30
  • Guidance
  • 40
  • Lectures
  • 30
  • Project work
  • 300
  • Total
  • 412
Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination
Written assignment
Oral examination based on elaborated project report and pensum.
Weight: Oral examination 50%, project report 50%.
Exam registration requirements
Submission of project report.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examinator
Criteria for exam assesment
To achieve the maximum grade of 12, the student shall be able to:

Knowledge
• Account for quantitative nutrition and feeding at different life stages (maintenance, growth, reproduction, lactation) to optimize health, performance and longevity and prevention of malnutrition.
• Account for principles of different feed stuffs and feed manufacturing
• Account for legislation relating to management and husbandry relevant to horses
• Account for important principles in management at group level but extending down to the
individual and up to populations regarding husbandry, breeding, horses and their relation to the
animals’ physical environment, health, behaviour, welfare, and longevity.

Skills
• Apply methods to evaluate feed formulation and feed quality
• Apply methods for evaluation of the interactions between animal nutrition, health, animal
behaviour and physical environment and advice within these areas.
• Quantify and model animal life processes, from cellular to whole body level, including
nutritional, biochemical, genetic, and physiological processes.

Competencies
• Understand relevant scientific principles, perform relevant experiments and to analyse and critically evaluate scientific literature.
• Use relevant scientific principles to evaluate and analyse the animals’ nutritional-, health- and welfare status, and the quality of their physical environment.
• Formulate and optimise diets and training schemes for horses at different life stages and for horses under different physical activity or training conditions to optimize performance and prevent malnutrition and performance related disorders.
• Apply principles of important food processing methods, and how they influence the nutritive value and applicability of diets of horses at different life stages and in different physical activity
• Account for behavioural aspects of welfare
• To perform evaluation of nutrition, welfare and management relevant to legislative issues in horses