Equine Disease Prevention

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Abstract

This subject equips students as potential future decision makers with the key skills needed to optimise horse health, performance and welfare. The importance of risk factors relating to the horse environment and management will be critically appraised in relation to industry practices. On completing this subject students will be able to evaluate horse health and evaluate disease risk, consider and dispel horse health myths, design basic on-farm biosecurity protocols, justify choice of preventive healthcare programs and communicate this information, orally and in writing to different audiences (lay and professional).

Syllabus

This subject will cover the following topics: Disease spread principles including risk factors, risk assessment and causal webs;Biosecurity, quarantine principles and exotic diseases of the equid;Common equine zoonosis, including Hendra virus;Preventative foot care;Clinical and behavioural signs of health in the horse;Risk factors and prevention of common equine disease syndromes such … For more content click the Read More button below.

This subject will cover the following topics:

Disease spread principles including risk factors, risk assessment and causal webs;
Biosecurity, quarantine principles and exotic diseases of the equid;
Common equine zoonosis, including Hendra virus;
Preventative foot care;
Clinical and behavioural signs of health in the horse;
Risk factors and prevention of common equine disease syndromes such as laminitis, equine metabolic disease and skin conditions; and
Preventative equine health care including vaccination, equine internal parasite control and oral health and dental care.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:

identify evidence-based risk factors and generate a causal web for common equine diseases demonstrating their multifactorial nature;

critically appraise the equine scientific literature for strength of evidence and to dispel equine health myths;

evaluate disease risk and develop and implement biosecurity measures for an equine property;

apply integrated control measures for equine internal parasites; and

justify and implement equine preventative health care.

Enrolment restrictions

This subject is restricted to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Equine Science, Bachelor of Equine Science (with specialisation), Bachelor of Equine Science (Business Management), and Bachelor of Animal Science or Bachelor of Animal Science (Honours).

Pre-requisite

Incompatible

Learning activities

Intensive School

The Intensive School for ASC413 will allow students who are studying online to both directly experience and implement aspects of preventative health care within an equine specific context. This will allow them to put the theory gained online into practice under industry conditions. The three day intensive will comprise a mixture of workshops, yard/stable/paddock and laboratory based activities that will complement the theoretical materials delivered on line throughout this subject.

Duration3 days