Equine Behavior Short Courses

Just Stallion Handling

Presented by the Havemeyer Equine Behavior Lab & the Section of Reproduction and Behavior, University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center

• Two day course for Veterinarians, Horse Owners, Breeders, Trainers, Stallion Handlers, Vet Techs, Behavior Specialists, and Animal Science, Behavior, & Veterinary Students/Residents
• Focusing on Concepts and Skills for Safe, Efficient Handling and General Management of Breeding Stallions

Day 1

• The Basics of Stallion Restraint
• Stallion Handling for Natural Cover
• The Basics of Mare Restraint
• Stallion Handling for Dummies (Dummy Mounts)
• Pasture Breeding
• Lessons from Free-Running Equids, Including a Tour of a Semi-Feral Herd
• Hands-On Stallion Handling Opportunity
• Individualized Coaching on Stallion Handling

Day 2

• Breeding Shed Layout and Equipment
• Starting a Novice
• How to Correct Biting, Rearing, Charging, and Other Bad Habits in the Breeding Shed
• Tips and Tricks For Handling the Older or Disabled Stallion
• Tips and Tricks for Working with Limited Personnel
• Common Breeding Behavior and Fertility Problems of Stallions
• Hands-On Stallion Handling Opportunity
• Individualized Coaching on Stallion Handling

The Details

• Classes: 8:00 am  -  4:30/5:00 pm
• Continuing Education: 16 Hours Continuing Education Curriculum
• Tuition:  $500 for Day 1 only, $900 for 2 days.
• Location: 382 West Street Road  Kennett Square, PA  19348. Get directions...
• Limited seats. This course fills quickly, so register early.
• Dates have not yet been set for the next course. Contact us and we will update you as we develop new course dates.

Questions:

• Contact Dr. Sue McDonnell at 610-925-6221 or suemcd@vet.upenn.edu
• Interested? Fill out our Information form...

Horse Behavior

Presented by the Havemeyer Equine Behavior Lab University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center.

Instructor: Sue M. McDonnell, PhD, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist

• Two-day Course for veterinarians, animal behavior clinicians, animal science students, horse owners, and managers.  
• Focusing on normal and abnormal behavior of horses, with topics specific to those with serious interest in horse behavior.

Day 1

• How horses communicate
• Learning in horses
• Discussion of natural horsemanship and other popular training methods
• Behavior modification for common problems such as trailering problems, injection shyness
• Stereotypies: cribbing, weaving, pacing, head shaking
• Current methods of veterinary behavior evaluation and therapy
• Tour of a semi-feral herd

Day 2

The Details

• Classes: 8:00 am - 4:00/4:30 pm.
• Continuing Education: 16 Hours Continuing Education Curriculum Social and reproductive behavior of equids
• Tuition: is $500 for day 1 only, $900 for both (two) days.
• Location: 382 West Street Road Kennett Square, PA 19348. Get directions...
• This course fills quickly. 
• Dates have not yet been set for the next course. Contact us and we will update you as we develop new course dates.

Questions:

• Contact Dr. Sue McDonnell 610-925-6221 or suemcd@vet.upenn.edu
• Interested? Fill out our Information Form...

Horse Behavior Modification

• Two‐Day Course with both classroom discussion and hands‐on experience
• Open to: Students, owners, trainers, veterinarians, farriers and anyone at any level of skill and expertise with a serious interest in understanding horse behavior and “misbehavior.”
• Focusing on: Avoiding, rehabilitating, and managing common horse behavior and training problems
  • Loading and transportation difficulties, such as treatment aversions (eye and oral medication, needle sticks, rectal temping, genital examination, etc.)
  • Difficulties with ordinary ground handling procedures (catching, haltering, leading, tacking, mounting)
  • Food‐related aggression, stereotypies, rearing, biting, pawing, bolting when turned out, and gate rushing

This course could be called “how to behave so a horse behaves as you wish.”

Classroom sessions touch on how animals learn, the natural basis and “man‐made” factors contributing to the common undesirable equine behaviors, the simple tools, and techniques for animal behavior modification.

Hands‐on will include demonstration, participant practice opportunities, with coaching for various recommended popular and advanced techniques.

Specific protocols and equine‐specific tips will be offered for common behavior modification techniques including acclimation, systematic desensitization, counter‐conditioning, clicker and target training, and all‐positive reinforcement vs. pressure and release vs. punishment.

The Details

• Classes: 8:00 am - 4:00/4:30 pm.
• Continuing Education: 16 Hours Continuing Education Curriculum Classes
• Tuition: $500 for day 1 only, $900 for 2 days.
• Location: 382 West Street Road Kennett Square, PA 19348. Get directions...
• Dates have not yet been set for the next course. Contact us and we will update you as we develop new course dates.

Questions:

• Contact Dr. Sue McDonnell 610-925-6221 or suemcd@vet.upenn.edu
• Interested? Fill out our Information Form...

Breeding Management of the Mare

Presented by the Havemeyer Equine Behavior Lab & the Georgia and Philip Hofmann Research Center for Animal Reproduction University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center

• One-day Course for Owners, Breeding Farm Managers, and Veterinarians

;Day 1

• Breeding management of the mare when using fresh, cooled-transported or frozen semen.
• Common causes of infertility in the mare and breeding the “problem” mare.
• The normal events of pregnancy between fertilization and day 100 of gestation.
• Early pregnancy failure.
• Embryo transfer and newer assisted reproductive techniques.

The Details

Classes: 8:00am - late afternoon

Tuition: $500 for the day.

Continuing Education: 8 Hours Continuing Education Curriculum

Location: 382 West Street Road Kennett Square, PA 19348. Get directions...

Limited seats. This course fills quickly. 

• Dates have not yet been set for the next course. Contact us and we will update you as we develop new course dates.

Questions:  

• Contact Dr. Patricia Sertich 610-925-6220 or psertich@vet.upenn.edu
• Interested? Fill out our Information Form...

Mare and Foal Behavior and Management 

Presented by the Havemeyer Equine Behavior Lab & the Georgia and Philip Hofmann Research Center for Animal Reproduction University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center.

• Two-day Course: for veterinarians, horse owners, breeders, trainers, stallion handlers, vet techs, behavior specialists, and animal science, behavior, and veterinary students/ and residents

Day 1

• Reproduction of equids under natural conditions, including normal behavior of the pregnant and foaling mare and foal development.
• Maternal behavior and bonding problems and solutions.
• Raising an orphan foal.
• Normal behavioral development of the foal.
• Early intensive handling of foals.
• Least stress weaning methods.
• Raising the user-friendly foal and horse.

Day 2

• Understand the changes your mare is experiencing.
• When will she foal? Signs of impending parturition.
• Tools to help you catch the big event.
• Review of the normal events of delivery.
• Examination of the afterbirth, the mirror of fetal life.
• Induction of parturition.
• You have waited 11 long months. What is the rush? Dystocia.
• What can go wrong, and what you can do until your veterinarian gets there.
• Care of the post parturient mare.
• How to spot serious life threatening problems.
• High risk pregnant mares.
• Health care of the foal.

The Details

• Classes: 8:00 am  - late afternoon
• Continuing Education: 16 Hours Continuing Education Curriculum
• Tuition:  $500 for Day 1 only; $900 for both (two) days.
• Location: 382 West Street Road  Kennett Square, PA  19348. Get directions...
• Limited seats. This course fills quickly. 

• Dates have not yet been set for the next course. Contact us and we will update you as we develop new course dates.

• Questions:

• Contact Dr. Pat Sertich at 610-925-6229 or psertich@vet.upenn.edu
• Contact Dr. Sue McDonnell at 610-925-6221 or suemcd@vet.upenn.edu
• Interested? Fill out our Information Form...

Is It Physical, Psychological, or Both? 

Hosted by Havemeyer Equine Behavior Lab University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine New Bolton Center.

• Two-day Short Course: Open to anyone interested in horse behavior and evaluation of behavior problems with potential physical root causes

The Details

Tuition: $500 for Day, $900 for two days

• Dates have not yet been set for the next course. Contact us and we will update you as we develop new course dates.

Questions:

• For more information, please contact Dr. Sue McDonnell at suemcd@vet.upenn.edu or 610-925-6221
• Interested? Fill out our Information Form...

Natural Horse Behavior Field Study

• Five Day Continuing Education Experience with Both Classroom Presentation/Discussions and Hands‐On Experience in Methods of Studying Horse Behavior under Natural Social and Environmental Conditions Using our on‐campus semi‐feral herd as a living laboratory for the course.

• Open to students of any age or level of experience, owners, trainers, veterinarians, farriers and anyone at any level of skill and expertise with a serious interest in better understanding horse behavior with an introduction to ethological field study methods.

Includes 2 classic text-books, various hand-out readings, and all other materials needed for the course. Opportunities will be provided to photograph horse behavior for teaching purposes.

The Details

• Tuition: $ 1,850 for 5 days.
• Location: 382 West Street Road Kennett Square, PA 19348
• Limited seats.
• Dates have not yet been set for the next course. Contact us and we will update you as we develop new course dates.

Questions:

• Contact Dr. Sue McDonnell 610-925-6221 or suemcd@vet.upenn.edu
• Interested? Fill out our Information Form...