Credit-bearing standalone short courses

The short courses available within the PPD scheme are:

​​​​​​Equine Digestion and Nutrition 

This course provides an in-depth knowledge of equine digestion and nutrition, allowing students to pursue careers in research, industry or academia.

• 20 credits
• Course Leader: Dr Andrea Ellis
• September start

Course content provides students with a research driven, evidence-based approach to understanding equine digestive health delivered by world-leading experts in equid nutrition. Key topics covered are the anatomy and physiology of the digestive system, ration formulation, the evaluation of food sources and nutritional management.

Students will explore the nutrient requirements of horses involved in all types of work to formulate bespoke dietary plans and make recommendations on appropriate rations.

The course offers an evaluation of the nutritional value of feedstuffs and an emphasis is placed on health and welfare concerns associated with the inclusion of various types of feedstuffs in the diet.

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

Equine Orthopaedics 

This course is an in-depth exploration of key topics that affect the sports horse industry and the application of treatment in the equine athlete.

• 20 credits
• Course Leader: Dr Oliver James
• September start

The course content explores anatomy, physiology and the musculoskeletal system takes an evidence-based approach to disease, injury management and prevention in the context of the orthopaedic anatomy of a sports horse.

Students explore the most recent advances in treatments and novel therapies with the opportunity to engage with clinical specialists and leading researchers.

On completion of the course, students will have enhanced skills and be able to apply knowledge and understanding to real-life scenarios in support of professional, clinical or amateur equine care.

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

Equine Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics 

This course offers a focus on the effect physical environment and management has on the behaviour and welfare of both the developing and adult horse.

• 20 credits
• Course Leader: Dr Tamsin Coombs
• January start

The course will introduce students to the evolution of equids (horses and donkeys) and how this relates to their normal behaviour and physiology.  The course then focuses on physiology and behaviour associated with poor welfare.

It will explore the relationship between management and welfare throughout an entire animal's life and how we can measure and assess welfare in a variety of situations.

The use of equids, their welfare and associated policy and legislation will be examined at a global level. Students will also explore the application of ethics to our use of equids and the trade-offs between human, environmental and equid wellbeing. 

There is also a focus on human behaviour and its relationship with equid welfare to understand how we can begin to change behaviour in order to improve the lives of equids worldwide. 

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

Equine Reproduction 

This course covers anatomy and physiology of equine reproduction, evaluation of breeding soundness, management techniques and the latest technologies used across the industry. 

• 20 credits
• Course Leader: Dr Mina Davies-Morel
• January start

This course explores a range of topics associated with equine breeding and is delivered by leading experts in veterinary medicine, front line research and industry.  The course provides students with an in-depth examination of equine reproduction in order to apply key skills, knowledge and understanding to their own horse breeding endeavours. 

The course is fully online and delivered in a flexible, but structured, format which provides students with the opportunity to network, enhance skills and prepare to apply knowledge and understanding to real-life scenarios which can enhance existing professional or amateur equine practice. 

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

Equine Behavioural Medicine*

This course investigates why problematic and abnormal behaviours occur and how to resolve them.

• 20 credits
• Course Leader: Dr Gemma Pearson
• January start

Students will learn how to investigate when a horse presents with a problematic behaviour to formulate a differential diagnosis and effective treatment plan. The course investigates the emotions that drive behaviour in horses with an emphasis on how to recognise, and address, when pain and/or stress are contributing factors. 

The course offers an insight into why horses behave the way they do through an exploration of the neurophysiology that explains behaviour, and how this is modified by early life experiences. Students will gain the tools create behaviour modification plans to improve equine behaviour and welfare.

There is a focus on human behaviour change and how this knowledge can be used to improve success rates and overall satisfaction on an individual client basis or to change hearts and minds to improve both human and equine welfare. 

Each week presents a new topic and includes relevant case studies so students can experience the real-world application of this knowledge. 

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

*^{Equitation Science is a pre-requisite for this course}

Equine Exercise Physiology 

This course covers anatomy and physiology of the major implicated systems and their adaptation to exercise in the horse, the application of this knowledge to cases of poor performance and evaluation of training regimes across a range of equestrian disciplines.

• 20 credits
• Course Leader: Dr Victoria Lindsay-McGee
• April start

This course provides students with a detailed understanding of equine exercise physiology and the adaptations that occur in response to athletic function.  There is a focus on applying this knowledge to assessing the sustainability of various training regimes for all classes of the equine athlete and methods of assessing and monitoring performance, and potential performance, in the horse.  Consideration is also given to the health and impact of ill-health on the performance horse and the evaluation of current research in this area of equine science. 

The course is fully online and delivered in a flexible, but structured, format which provides students with the opportunity to network, enhance skills and prepare to apply knowledge and understanding to real-life scenarios which can enhance existing professional or amateur equine practice. 

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

Equitation Science 

This course takes an objective, evidence-based approach to understanding horse welfare to decide on the most ethical training methods to horses in your care.

• 20 credits
• Course Leader: Dr Gemma Pearson
• April start

Equitation Science uses an objective, evidence-based approach to understand and improve the welfare of horses in their interactions with humans; this can be during training, competition or even just in the stable.  It uses a multidisciplinary approach with an emphasis on learning theory alongside a wide range of techniques including investigating the use of technology to provide objective measures of welfare or performance and sports psychology to understand how riders/handlers may influence their horse's behaviour.

Students learn how to apply scientific methods to identify ineffective training techniques and those that may result in problems with horse welfare. You will then apply these skills to build training plans that will enhance both performance and horse health and wellness.

Knowledge gained on this course can be applied to all horses by amateur and leisure horse owners to elite riders and professional trainers.

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

A good UK university Honours Degree (first or 2:1), or its international equivalent (e.g. 3.25 GPA score in the USA), with a biological background, for example a degree in: 

• Veterinary science 
• Biological sciences 
• Zoology 
• Animal/Equine Science 
• Pharmacology/Pharmacy 

We may also consider your application if you have a science degree that is below a 2.1 qualification, or you are an experienced veterinary nurse or farrier, or a degree in a non-science subject, and you hold Level 2 or above British Horse Society qualifications and/or have a minimum of 3 years’ demonstrable experience working with or caring for horses. You may be admitted to Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma level only in the first instance. Please contact the Equine Science Programme team before applying.

English language requirements 

If English is not your first language, we will also need to see evidence of your English language proficiency before we can offer you a place. 

English language requirements 

PPD Applications must be made through the University's online postgraduate prospectus by following the link to apply to PG Professional Development in Equine Science (Online Learning)(ICL) - 1-2 years (Part-time Intermittent Study).

Once you have started your application to the degree within which the course sits, you will be asked to specify the course you are applying to. 

If you have any questions or concerns throughout the PPD application process, please contact equine.science@ed.ac.uk.

In order for you to have access to the course of your choice you need to be enrolled as student.  After we have accepted you onto the course,  Academic Registry will send an email to your new University of Edinburgh Student email account asking you to fill in, sign and return a form for matriculation.