Bachelor of Science (BS) in Equestrian Science

Program Overview

Career Options

Alumni Perspectives

Curriculum

Make a 1,100 lb. difference.

William Woods University Equestrian Science graduates can be found in every corner of the equestrian world. Our graduates are professional horse trainers, riding instructors, clinicians and veterinarians. They’re horse show judges, teaching at the college or university level, boarding facility owners and more.

As a Bachelors in Equestrian Science student at William Woods University, you can pursue a successful career in your dream field, and make a difference in a growing industry. We hold high standards in horse healthcare, training and teaching. Utilize the most advanced technology, learn the best practices in equine healthcare, and enjoy practical experiences that are relevant no matter which way your equestrian career takes you.

Extracurricular learning:

Equestrian Organizations

Get involved with other students who share your interests through the several equestrian organizations on campus, open to all students, regardless of major. There is a club for each seat: Dressage, Hunter/Jumper, Saddle Seat, and Western. Each of these clubs has its own personality and activities, and they all promote camaraderie and learning through horse shows, service events, and professional competitions. There is also an intercollegiate Competitive Judging Team, open to anyone who wants to learn more about horses and competitive judging. This team travels to regional judging competitions each fall and helps at regional clinics and judging contests each spring. This team won the U.S. Nationals Arabian/ Half-Arabian Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2015.

Equestrian Shows

William Woods participates in a number of national and international horse shows each year, in which all students are invited to participate. Showing at these events teaches poise, sportsmanship and responsibility and provides opportunities to come in contact with prospective employers. Shows range from local schooling shows to “A” rated national shows such as:

The American Royal in Kansas City
The St. Louis National Charity Horse Show
The Morgan Grand Nationals
Color Breed Congress
Pinto World Championships
Sport Horse Nationals
The Central State Regional Dressage Finals

We also host a variety of shows on campus throughout the year.

Equestrian Clinics and seminars

In addition to instruction from our own nationally renowned faculty members, you will learn from top industry professionals in various clinics and seminars. Clinicians include Smith Lilly, Richard Shrake, Ann Judge, Jeff Cook, Melanie Smith-Taylor, Betsy Steiner, and Pierre St. Jacque.

Regional, national, and international field trips

Field trips include visits to area professional horse training facilities, the Veterinary School at the University of Missouri, horse shows, and museums. Special courses have given students the opportunity to tour show horse barns in Kentucky and Missouri, ride with professional horse trainers in Oregon and Hawaii, and tour and ride in famous horse facilities in England and France. Faculty have taken students to volunteer at horse shows including the U.S. Dressage Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Facilities

On-campus equine complex: an optimal learning environment

Show-quality horses
Four heated barns with a total of 130 box stalls
Eight tack rooms
Two heated indoor arenas
Lighted outdoor ring
Outdoor round pen
Four turnout paddocks
Two fully equipped, technology-enhanced classrooms
40-acre cross-country course
Six wash stalls
USEF regulation jumps
USEF regulation Dressage area
Student lockers
Industrial laundry

Few educational institutions can match William Woods University for its on-campus equine facilities that accommodate riding, care and study at all levels and seats. Our classrooms include an extensive video library and viewing equipment, and our dedicated library includes more than 1,000 books on all aspects of the field, from history and physiology to behavior, training, law, and competition. Our horses represent the most popular breeds and are cared for by William Woods University students and our full-time, on-site veterinarian.

The Center for Equine Medicine

Learn more about our state-of-the-art facility

Our large, modern equestrian complex that will provide you with an excellent educational experience in both classroom and the field.

The center includes:

A full-time doctor of veterinary medicine who has an extensive background in sports medicine, reproduction as well as general equine medicine and surgery
A 17-acre property located within blocks of the university — ideally suited for continued equine research and care
A facility that includes classroom space, a large indoor riding facility, six horse stalls, an isolation area for ill and contagious horses and a home for the veterinarian and his family, which allows him to be on-site in case of an emergency
The unique opportunity to participate in a hands-on classroom environment that will enhance your education, including the opportunity to assist with emergency care and treatment, perform research and gain hands-on clinical experience

Essential skills you will learn include:

The anatomy of movement
Digestive physiology and feeding programs
Proper farrier methods and variations of shoeing
Breed/type evaluation for performance and conformation
Logistics of teaching and managing a lesson program
Overview of the horse industry and employment opportunities
Equine health and first aid
Day-to-day care of horses
Designing and managing a stable
Advanced business practices for a horse competition
Small business fundamentals
Riding and teaching techniques for the four disciplines: Dressage, Hunter/Jumper, Saddle Seat and Western

Our Equestrian degree at work

Our graduates can be found working in a wide array of careers across the country.

Trot, canter or gallop into a rewarding career as a:

Professional horse trainer
Professional riding instructor
Professional clinician
Professional horse show judge
Equine sales representative
College or University professor
Recreational riding program instructor, trainer or manager
Boarding facility owner or employee
Breed Association Employee
And more
Or, pursue graduate school in education or business

Employers

Our students are highly sought after by distinguished employers across the country, including:

Equestrian Employer Logos

Other employers of our alumni include:

Appaloosa Horse Club
Kirkwood Community College
Virginia Intermont
Sweetbriar College
United States Dressage Federation
Chronicle of the Horse
Betsy Steiner Dressage
Lyndon Rife Dressage
Liz Austin Dressage
SmartPak
Golden Horseshoe Tack Store
University of WI – River Falls
American Quarter Horse Association
Pony of the Americas
American Saddlebred Association
La Cense Montana Professional School of Horsemanship
Howard Schatzberg Photography
Castle Forbes Stud, County Longford, Ireland
County Line Equine Practice
The American Saddlebred Museum
St. Louis Carriage Company
Kansas City Carriages, Kansas City, MO
American Royal Museum & Visitors Center
Miller & Associates, Equine Veterinarians, Brewster, NY
The Blood Horse
Stephens College, Equestrian Studies
Kirkwood Community College, Equine Science
Virginia Intermont College
Tina M. Konyot Dressage
Sidelines Magazine (Art Director/Assistant Production Manager – Alex Moritz-Long)
Bruce Davidson 1976 Olympic Gold Medal Winner Eventing
Jan Ebeling, The Acres Dressage
Peeper Ranch, Lenexa, KS
The National Horseman Magazine
Menlo Circus Club Stables, Menlo, CA
Arabian Horse Times
Robert Battaglia Arabian Horses
Murray State University, Equine Science, Murray, KY
Equine Medical Services

My proudest moment while working in this program has been the development of hands-on clinical education opportunities and the introduction of a collaborative program with the Biology Department focusing on regenerative medicine in horses.

— Dr. Paul Schiltz, Staff Veterinarian

I am often struck by how significant even small moments feel when a student is achieving success. I always feel a tremendous sense of pride watching a rider earn their first major title at a national level show, but feel the same about a rider who has overcome even a small difficulty in their riding or training or just mastered a concept in the classroom.

— Jennie Petterson, Division Chair

I have enjoyed every class and all of the amazing horses I have been given the chance to learn from and work with. The Mentor-Mentee program was an incredible honor to participate in and I am thankful for the dedication and time put into the program by the faculty.

— Alison Gay, equestrian science graduate, Ireland

William Woods put my equine career on the fast track to success. I would not be where I am today as a dressage trainer and instructor, without The Woods Way.

— Erin Ackley, equestrian science graduate Kentwood, Mich.

Equestrian Science – 66 Credits

The major in Equestrian Science is designed specifically for those students who intend to pursue careers in the equine industry as instructors, trainers, equine managers, and riders. Students are exposed to a broad range of equestrian experiences that are both practical and theoretical.

Major Requirements

Core Credits: 44.00

Course Number	Course Title	Credits
EQS 212	Theory of Teaching Techniques I	3
EQS 306	Practical Equine Anatomy & Conditng	3
EQS 328	Equine Evaluation	3
EQS 404	Veterinary Medicine & Reproduction	3
EQU 101	Equestrian First Year Seminar	1
EQU 111	Introduction to the Horse Industry	3
EQU 118	Theory Prfrmnc Horse Hlth Mngmt II	3
EQU 202	Foundations of Equestrian Teaching and Learning	2
EQU 206	Introduction to Equine Entrepreneurship	3
EQU 221	Stable Management	3
EQU 301	Horse Management Practicum I	3
EQU 391	Horse Management Practicum II	4
EQU 395	Equestrian Proficiency	1
EQU 403	Equestrian Senior Seminar	3
EQU 405	Equine Business Practices	3
EQU 415	Equestrian Senior Portfolio	1
EXS 104	First Aid and CPR	2

*Required grade of C or higher to satisfy major requirements. (EQU301 & EQU391 must be taken before student accumulates 90 Credit hours/Senior Standing.)