208-406 Advanced Topics in Equine Systems

This subject may involve the use of animals. Students should be aware that this is an essential part of the course and exemption from this component is not possible.

208-323 Equine Management Systems

The objective of this subject is to provide the student with advanced knowledge including current research on equine management and horse performance issues.

Content includes major issues for the horse industry; strategies for sustainability at enterprise and industry level; system-based approaches, complexity and applications of modelling methodology; analysis of wastage. Epidemiological approaches to reproductive, selection and health issues; models of infectious disease; sustainable use of antibiotics and anthelmintics; analysis of performance; locomotion and application of structural models in exercise physiology. On completion of the subject students should:

• be familiar with system methodologies relevant to horse industry problems;

• be able to develop strategies to solve common enterprise management problems;

• understand epidemiological analysis techniques;

• be able to design epidemiological investigation strategies;

• understand the application of structural analysis of locomotion within exercise physiology; and

• be able to analyse locomotion and exercise physiological data within structural models.

Three practical assignments equivalent to 2000 words (each worth 20% of final marks), one 3-hour written essay or short-answer style examination (40% of final marks).