What Can You Do With An Equine Science Degree?

Introduction

Hello!! My name is Sierra Chidester, I am the Equine Manager at Fields of Learning and a senior at Utah State University studying Equine Science and Management under my Animal Dairy and Veterinary Science (ADVS) major! Today I wanted to share with you a bit about the degree of Equine Science and Management (or EQSM) including why I chose it, what it is, what classes it involves, and how you can use it to create a successful career. Before I get into the degree I’d like to share a little bit about myself. 

I’m a southern Utah native that has grown up around and in love with horses! I have been riding horses since I can remember and have always had a strong passion and connection to them as an animal. Growing up I participated in FFA and was the captain of the horse judging team, I have also worked closely with non-profit equine organizations such as the Back Country Horsemen of America (BCHA) and have done lots of recreational trail riding with some arena riding such as rodeo. I am a horse girl through and through and want to share my experience getting an equine degree for any other horse lovers out there that want to make horses their career! 

Why I chose Equine Science & Management!

I’ve always had a passion and love for horses. Growing up horses were my hobby and something I always felt connected to. I was always happiest being around and riding horses, it was just something that was very therapeutic to me. You hear all the time when you’re younger to “do what you love” and “get a career in something you love so that work is more exciting and fulfilling for you.” Initially, I had never even heard of someone getting a degree in Equine Science, in fact even in highschool I had no idea that it existed!

When it came to choosing a career, and still having no idea about EQSM, I decided that I wanted to work with animals and horses. So, I did what every animal loving kid does and said “I want to be a vet!” Because, well, as a kid this is really the only job I knew about when it came to working with animals. And because horses are my passion, I decided I wanted to focus especially on equine or large animal veterinary work. Now, growing up in Utah, the only school that offered pre-vet programs was Utah State University and because I came from a low income family, I didn’t want to stress about out-of-state tuition or student debt. So, that was how I made my decision on which college to attend. When I came to tour USU as a senior in highschool I found out that they had a degree specifically in Equine Science and Management (or EQSM) under the Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science (ADVS) major. 

I decided to look more into that because even though I was still set on vet school and doing that for my career I really wanted to focus on the horse aspects. When I compared the two side by side, I realized that a lot of undergrad school for the vet program was all science and math based, but when I looked at equine science I saw that even though I would take some science and math classes a lot of the classes were more equine based and hands-on with horses and other animals. That’s when I made the decision to choose EQSM as my major! However, even after declaring my major I was worried I wouldn’t have any options as a career because all I could think was “who would want to hire a horse girl with a horsey degree?” But that is exactly why I wanted to write this post, so that other people interested in this major can see just how many opportunities and career options are actually out there!!

What is Equine Science & Management?

So what exactly is an Equine Science and Management degree? EQSM is the in-depth study of horses. This is the degree where you have the opportunity to learn all things equine, such as nutrition, care, horse behavior, management, riding skills, etc. This is a program that prepares individuals to manage the selection, breeding, care, horse maintenance, barn management and other equine related fields and factors. You get to learn a lot about equine health and nutrition just like a vet student would but you also get other factors like riding classes and learning horse behavior that make it much more horse oriented and perfect for a horse lover!

What Universities Offer an Equine Science Degree?

Quite a few universities actually offer equine science and management but a majority of them are considered ag schools. The top 5 schools often talked about in regards to EQSM are Utah State University, Texas A&M, Colorado State, Missouri State, University of Montana, and Centenary University. However, there are many other colleges that offer the degree besides the few I listed above. And if there is a college without the program as long as they offer a degree in Animal Science they will usually also have the option to concentrate in Equine Science. Most universities that are considered Agriculture or land-grant universities will offer EQSM!

What Classes Do You Get To Take?

The classes you will take when earning a degree in EQSM will vary and change based on the school you select and their resources – however some of the ones I have gotten to experience at USU are classes like Riding Fundamentals, Basic Horsemanship Skills, Horse Production Practices, Horse Health Care, Equine Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Equine Lower Limb Form and Function, and Equine Evaluation and Judging. And those are just the required courses. There are also some really fun electives such as Weanling Behavior and Handling, Yearling Fitting and Sales, Applied Equine Reproduction, Equine Assisted Services and so much more. Some universities also provide extracurricular horse experiences such as USU with their Western Equestrian Riding Team. 

What Careers Can You Do With A Major in Equine Science?

Now to the question everyone always asks when they find out someone is majoring in EQSM which is “What can you do with that?” and the answer is that there are a lot of things one can do with a major in EQSM. I usually break it down to a few different sections to help compartmentalize the potentials of the degree. There are 5 sections I break it down into when thinking of my options in a career or discussing the potentials with people who ask. These are: Nutrition, Breeding, Training, Teaching, and Management. 

Starting with the nutrition section. If you decide you love horses but are also very interested in nutrition and learning about what/how to feed and how their diet works, there are jobs out there that incorporate both! For example, you could work with feed manufacturers such as Purina and help them in producing and bettering their equine feeds and recipes. You can also do individual work such as becoming an equine nutritionist and doing your own consultations or potentially even working with an established clinic. This would include evaluating a horse's diet for a client and making recommendations or suggestions to help them reach a desired goal such as weight loss, gaining muscle mass, fetal nutrition for a pregnant mare, etc. 

Now, for the breeding section. If you have a strong interest in genetics, foals, or reproduction, then getting a job for both horses and breeding would be perfect for you! And there are many options to choose from. For starters, you can do jobs such as work for an established breed registry, such as the American Quarter Horse Association, where you could help to establish the breed standards or help coordinate breed specific events! You could also work with different breeding facilities and help them to enhance genetics or breed quality horses. This is where you would be helping with foaling, maintaining pregnancies, collecting stallions, and helping with the horse coverings. Along with the breeding you could even start your own breeding operation where you would foal in house and sell the prospects to outside buyers! This would be perfect for someone who wants to work for themselves and start their own business. 

For the training section, if you love to ride horses and work with them hands on, then this is the section for you!! This is where you could become a personal horse trainer for people with horses that need their quirks worked out or you could focus on discipline specific training such as only training prospective barrel horses onto the barrel pattern. You could also break in the unbroke horses and foals. And you could do this individually or with a training facility depending on your skill, experience, and reputation. Doing it individually is another great way to work for yourself or start your own business!

If you are one who loves both horses and teaching, there are jobs that incorporate both and with endless possibilities! You could teach lessons to children or inexperienced equestrians, you could teach animal science or horse science for an established school or learning facility. Or you could even host clinics where you teach groups of people about horsemanship skills and behaviors. You could guest lecture for different universities about equine related things, or even advocate and spread awareness for different controversial equine topics. 

Lastly is management, where a lot of people will put their focus when getting their degree. If you choose a career in management you could get hired at an established facility or stable where you will overhead the management and care for the horses there. Such as, with feedings, cleanings, and health evaluations. You could also manage equine events and shows, or manage race tracks. This also leaves you with the option to manage your own equine facility for things such as trail riding, horse lessons, dude ranch, breeding, etc. yet another great option for those looking to work for themselves. 

And, even with all these sections there are still outliers for what one can do with their degree. For example equine therapy – which is huge today.  This would allow you to help disabled children or war veterans through the utilization of horses. You could also branch off and do things such as farriery, equine chiropractic work, equine dentistry, etc. (Note: Some of these would involve a little more schooling.) You could also do things such as work at a large animal vet clinic where you could help assist in equine surgery or health while working under a licensed vet. You could become a horse and show judge for varying competitions, or go into equine journalism where you would write for different magazines such as Horse & Rider, Equus, Horse & Hound, etc.  

The opportunities are endless and very broad based on what other interests you have!