People from 21 states have completed the Iowa Master Equine Manager Program during its decade of existence. The online equine educational course — one of the few in the nation — is offered through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to provide professional certification and a comprehensive knowledge of horses to those involved in their care.
Most states conduct annual horse clinics but they tend to cover only one topic in depth, according to Dale Miller, extension director for Marion County and the program’s equine educator. “We felt that horse people needed to learn about a lot of different things,” he said. “We wanted to help more people become educated about equine care so they could educate others. It’s about sharing and spreading the word. The program has been successful in that area.”
Miller and another extension county director, Glen Easter (now deceased), developed the computer-based horse care series in 2005 to address the numerous questions that they received from those who love and own horses. The two avid horsemen spent a year creating the curriculum consisting of four online modules on horse behavior, feeding, health care and how to select a sound animal. Miller, who grew up on a southeast Iowa livestock farm, is a past state fair 4-H horse superintendent and judged horse shows for over 35 years.
The Iowa horse-care course attracts far-flung participants from coast-to-coast. In the last decade, 194 people have successfully finished all modules to become certified as master equine managers. Some have used the certification as a marketing tool in their businesses, but Miller believes in the potential for others in and outside the state to add it to their resumes.
The clientele range from amateur horse enthusiasts to professionals involved in the horse industry. One pharmaceutical company that keeps a herd of draft horses to produce horse vaccines enrolled its employees in the course. Evaluations indicate that graduates found the modules easy to use and high school teachers appreciated the opportunity to earn continuing education credits.
The majority who enroll are women. “As a rule, women are more passionate about horses than men. If you look at the kids involved in 4-H, more girls stay with horses than the boys do. Women like to show horses and be around them either as a business, hobby or a lifestyle choice,” Miller said.
“This is an absolutely wonderful educational avenue for horse people,” said Judi Nelson, who became a master equine manager about six years ago but has spent her life involved with horses. “It is a really good refresher course in many senses but the modules also look at topics in depth. I recommend it to everyone at every level.” After finishing the modules, she said she was able to have more intellectual conversations with her veterinarian, gaining additional knowledge about what questions to ask and symptoms to recognize.
The Cedar Falls horsewoman, who is a state 4-H horse judge and certified therapeutic riding instructor for children and adults with special needs, has a dozen horses. She found the nutritional module to be particularly valuable in addressing the health needs of her elderly horses, including a 40-year-old Shetland pony and two quarter horses over age 25.
Miller confirms that experienced horse handlers such as horse judges or stable managers may find the program to be relevant. “They might not have the breadth that we cover,” Miller said. “We can help them become even more well-rounded.”
Of course, the greatest draw for the online course is its ease of participation with 24-hour online access and availability at home. However, the program does offer an optional one-day hands-on course conducted by equine educators and veterinarians at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and at three other locations in New York, Connecticut and Nebraska. The attendees check horse respiration, temperature and heart rate along with using an ultrasound machine, examining an eye and wrapping a leg.
“People love hands-on sessions, but time and travel costs limit their opportunities,” Miller said, adding that this component performs an important function despite the inconvenience. “It’s about education and becoming more knowledgeable, but it’s also about expanding your network of resources.”
At the beginning, the online course was a big shift in how ISU Extension and Outreach delivered training—and one of the first that was fee-based. The price is per module; adults pay $90 for each module or $310 for all four. Junior and senior high school students are charged $50 per module or $150 for the entire series.
Recently, the program added a section on hoof care with assistance from the Iowa Professional Farriers Association and is in the process of tailoring online modules for the professional horse industry. “Our purpose is teaching people how to best care for their horses and that hasn’t changed over the years, but how we deliver it has,” Miller said. “We’ll continue to tweak the program as long as it continues to work.”