Horse & Barn Care Management

Course Name: Horse & Barn Care Management

Prerequisites: One quarter of Horse & Barn Care, successful completion of Teaching II or Training II; a 3.0 (B) average in Horse and Barn Care in previous quarters; and a recommendation by a Meredith Manor staff member.

Description:
In the horse industry, the position of barn manager requires a person to be knowledgeable and competent in many areas concerning horses and people. Horse and Barn Care Management will cover areas including: recognition of health issues, grooming, stall maintenance and care, and proper feeding. Students taking this class will serve as barn managers in the barns on campus. The student manager will be responsible for managing their peers in the care of the horses in their barn.

Weekly Topics:Content, skills, and dispositions related to the care of the horse and the management of people will be presented, demonstrated, and practiced throughout the quarter. Only one hour per week is spent in a classroom. A total of 21 hours per week are spent in the care, maintenance, and management of the horse, barn, and members – application of the content, skills, & dispositions. Content of the course includes the following topics:

• Daily Grooming Techniques including those related to:
• the coat: shiny, smooth, free of dandruff; minimal loose, shedding hair; full grooming
• mane: free of tangles, snarls, dirt, scruff; correct length of bridle path
• tail: smooth; good length; dock of tail and underside free of dirt
• feet: picked out; free of thrush or injury
• blankets: proper use; cleanliness; sizing
• Keeping Stalls Clean
• about bedding: clean/dry; level
• free of cobwebs and other problems
• cleanliness
• dealing with manure, water buckets, and feeders
• checking for stall damage
• Feeding at assigned times
• understanding and following feeding charts
• feeding order to prevent colic
• weekend feeding procedures
• Performing Daily Duties
• respecting assignments and being there
• accepting a variety of roles & responsibilities
• The Importance of Responsible Horse and Barn Care to the Horse Owner
• Management Skills
• Development of time management
• Development of communication skills
• Development of record keeping and organizational skills
• Recognition and evaluation of equine related health problems
• Equine First Aid actions steps, or who to contact in case of emergency
• Tracking and monitoring vet and farrier care

Performance Objectives:
Following successful completion of Horse & Barn Care Management the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate a greater understanding of the basic needs of horses
• Demonstrate responsibility in caring for the needs of horses
• Demonstrate the skills necessary to perform the basic functions related to barn care, including: but not limited to stall cleaning, grooming, recognizing and calling attention to basic health problems, and routine health care
• Demonstrate the skills necessary to maintain a safe barn care environment for horses and barn members
• Demonstrate the necessary communication skills to develop and maintain a relationship with barn members and staff members
• Demonstrate the ability to recognize and treat minor ailments in horses or contacting the necessary people in cases of emergency including: staff member, vets or horse owners
• Demonstrate the ability to keep satisfactory records on horses and barn members
• Demonstrate responsibility in meeting the required hours of horse and barn care during non scheduled times

Methods:
In order for students to acquire the knowledge and skills of Horse & Barn Care Management, the instructor will use a variety of teaching methods including: expository learning, discussion, demonstration, guided and independent practice. Students will apply many of the concepts of horse and barn care management through their actual involvement in the care and maintenance of one of the eight barns on campus.

Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated on their knowledge, skills, and ability to accept responsibility and function effectively as a barn manager within the Meredith Manor system. Throughout the quarter, formative assessments will be used to guide the teaching/learning process and will allow students to monitor their progress throughout the course. They will be evaluated on their knowledge & skills through the following:

• Daily grades for participation and performance in their barn care class
• Participation in taking care of the needs of the horses in the barn
• The communication between themselves the barn members and the staff member(s) over their barn
• Journal entries
• Assigned projects related to industry expectations for barn managers