Equine Studies

Equine studies is a discipline that brings together the scientific understanding of horses as biological organisms with the practical knowledge of equine management, health, and welfare that underpins professional work with horses in all its forms. Horses are kept for sport and recreation, for therapy and rehabilitation, for breeding, and in some parts of the world still for work, and the professionals who manage, care for, and train them need both sound scientific foundations and practical skills developed through hands-on experience. The field encompasses equine anatomy and physiology, nutrition, health and disease, behaviour and psychology, training principles, stable management, and the business of equine enterprises.

Aberystwyth University offers this two-year full-time programme as a focused and applied qualification in equine studies, drawing on the university's connection to the agricultural and rural sector of mid-Wales. You will develop knowledge of horse biology, health and welfare, and the practical management of horses in different settings, alongside an understanding of the equine industry's structure and the career pathways it offers. Practical learning is central to the programme, giving you hands-on experience of horse management alongside the academic understanding that contextualises and deepens it.

Graduates work across the equine industry in roles including stud management, yard management, equine therapy and rehabilitation support, riding instruction and coaching, equine sales, and work with equine charities and welfare organisations. The equine industry includes professional sport, racing, breeding, leisure, and the growing fields of equine-assisted therapy and equine-assisted learning. Further study at degree level in equine science, animal science, or veterinary nursing is an option for those who wish to develop deeper academic expertise and open higher-level professional roles.