Overview

Program Description

Available Majors

Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies

Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies: Equestrian Media and Public Relations

Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies: Equine Business Management

Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies: Equine Training and Instruction

Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies: Therapeutic Horsemanship Management

Bachelor of Science in Equine Science

Bachelor of Science in Animal Health

Associate of Science in Equine Studies

Equine Studies Minor in conjunction with a Bachelor of Science Degree

Declaring a Major

Students may major in more than one Equine degree but should recognize that due to the increase in credits this endeavor may require an additional semester and/or incur overload credit fees. Students wishing to declare a major in Equine Training and Instruction are required to fill out an application, be riding at the Limit level or above (see below), provide a letter of recommendation, and a brief essay. Candidates for this degree must be approved by the Equine Studies faculty by their junior year.

Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies

The Equine Studies Program focuses on the development of the professional and technical skills employed in the equine industry. Students receive a comprehensive education in the care and management of the horse, riding theory and training concepts, farm facility design and management, equine systems and disorders, nutrition and the musculoskeletal system and their relationship to athletic performance, equine business management, and management of equestrian activities.

All students are required to take the same core courses in their freshman year. In their sophomore year, students may elect one or two of the three degrees, depending on their individual career interests and goals. Students can further expand their equine knowledge by selecting courses from a variety of electives.

Some equine degrees require riding.  Students who participate in equestrian skills courses will hone their riding skills. Students are assigned to classes appropriate to their levels of riding experience and capabilities. The overall goal of these courses is to develop graduates who are competent, knowledgeable riders. Students interested in competing can further their skills by joining one of the Department's teams: Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA), or Hunter/Jumper teams. For students who prefer not to participate in riding classes, the Equine Studies, Equine Science, Equestrian Media and Public Relations, Equine Business Management and Animal Health tracks can each be completed as a non-riding major.

Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies: Equestrian Media and Public Relations

This degree prepares students to enter the fields of journalism, photography, mass media, advertising or public relations as they relate to an equestrian career. Students may elect to complete this track as a non‐riding major.

Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies: Equine Business Management

This degree prepares students for business‐related careers in the equine field. Students, who complete this track, typically pursue careers in barn management, show management, business ownership, retail stores, and similar businesses. Courses include business administration, equine business management I & II, marketing, and principles of management. Students may elect to complete this track as a non‐riding major.

Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies: Equine Training and Instruction

Students interested in working as professional instructors or looking to specialize in riding and training the horse in the disciplines of hunter seat equitation, hunters, jumpers, and dressage may want to pursue this degree. Students will study methods of teaching, course design, and judging, and are required to participate in practicum courses in which they teach alongside Centenary’s riding instructors. In addition, students will study methods of training horses and gain hands‐on experience to learn advanced techniques of training. Students must be riding at a minimum level of Limit Hunt Seat to be eligible to apply for this degree.

Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies: Therapeutic Horsemanship Management

Students learn to provide safe and effective equine-assisted services (EAS) to children and adults with disabilities, veterans, older adults, and youth with increased risk factors.  This concentration also prepares you for a career in non-profit program administration, including equine, volunteer, and program management for the EAS-industry.  As a component of this degree, you will fulfill all hands-on requirements for the PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI) and prepare for the CTRI examination.

Bachelor of Science in Equine Science

This degree is designed to educate students in the scientific aspects of the equine industry. Students interested in Equine Science can pursue a variety of different careers such as veterinary technology, pharmaceuticals, nutrition, breeding management, and barn management. This degree will also prepare students for graduate school in the science related industries. Students may elect to complete this track as a non‐riding major.

Bachelor of Science in Animal Health

This program is offered through the collaborative effort of the Equine Studies and Science departments of Centenary University. Completion of this major will satisfy the stringent requirements of most accredited veterinary schools in the US, Canada, and abroad. Each student is responsible for determining additional courses required by each specific veterinary program. This program is also ideal for students looking to pursue graduate degrees in any aspect of Animal Health. While this curriculum focuses on using the horse as an animal model, the fundamental principles and practical skills taught in this major provides an excellent foundation for individuals interested in other animal species and students may choose between similar small animal or equine tracks within the major. Potential animal science careers include, but are not limited to, nutrition, physiology, technology, biomedical research, and the pharmaceutical industry.

This major is designed for the academically motivated student who is capable of maintaining a 18-credit semester course load over a four‐year period. Riding is not required for this major but is optional if time, space, and resources permit. All of the riding requirements and protocols can be found within the Equine Studies Department majors.

Students will be provided expert advisors to assist in their career development, research opportunities, and internships and/or experiential learning. There are many opportunities to work with the veterinarian on staff to provide routine and emergency veterinary care to the herd of over 100 horses at the Equestrian Center. Hours spent with the veterinarian on staff can be used to accrue practical hours required for vet school. Students enrolled in this curriculum are encouraged to participate in the Pre‐Professionals Organization which provides extracurricular education about the science‐based careers and graduate schools through meetings, guest speakers, and tutorials focused on graduate school applications.

Due to the academic rigor of this curriculum, it is strongly recommended that the applicant successfully complete Pre-Calculus or higher.

Transfer students, both internal and external, are welcome to apply. Accepted transfer students are not guaranteed that all courses/credits will transfer into this curriculum and that graduation from this major may be delayed due to an off‐cycle enrollment.

Certifications

Certification in Therapeutic Riding Instruction

This series of courses prepares students to take the Registered Instructor examination offered by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH). Course work covers a variety of disabling conditions and the theory of how to adapt the riding situation for the individual needs of each client. A two‐semester instruction practicum is required to gain the instructional skills needed to meet PATH’s standards. Required courses are:

Equine Department Fees

Major ‐ $5,700/year

Non‐Equine Riding Elective ‐ $1,600/course

EST Non‐riding Course/Facility Fee ‐ $500/EST Course

Horse Board Fee: $1,350/month

*Fees may be subject to change

Facilities

Centenary University’s Equestrian Center is located on 65 acres of preserved farmland in Long Valley, NJ, approximately seven miles from the main campus. The facility houses about 100 horses of all levels and capabilities. All of these schoolmasters have been generously donated to Centenary University after successful careers in the equine industry. The Equestrian Center has two indoor arenas with state-of-the-art sand and GGT footing — one of which is heated. There is also a large outdoor riding ring, a Kraft 8-horse walker, and a spacious grass Derby field with permanent jumps. The USET Arena complex also includes two classrooms, a student lounge, faculty offices, bathrooms, and a lunch café. In addition, there are four barns, tack rooms, a pharmacy, a barn lounge, more offices, and numerous paddocks and grass fields. Besides the daily University activities at the Equine Center, it also serves as a site for numerous special events such as IHSA, IDA, ANRC and USEF Horse Shows, USEF Judges’ Clinics, USHSA EAP Clinics, Social Events, and more.

Minimum Academic Requirements to Ride or Horse Show

Students are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 to participate in riding skills classes, intercollegiate competitions, or outside horse shows. This rule applies to all Equine Studies Majors, full or part‐time students, and elective riders. Students who drop below a 2.0 GPA will be notified by the Department Chair in writing prior to the start of the next semester.

For a full description of the policy, please see “Academic Policies and Procedures: Eligibility Policy for Athletes/Student Activities and Academic Probation.”

Boarding a Horse at the Equestrian Center

There are a limited number of stalls available for full time Equine Studies and Equine Science students interested in boarding a horse. Boarding a horse at Centenary is an earned privilege, and students must demonstrate an ongoing willingness to properly care for their horse and abide by the rules and regulations of the Equestrian Center. Student boarders must maintain a semester average or a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above. If the GPA falls below 2.5, the student will be considered on probation and may have boarding privileges revoked.

Students interested in boarding a horse must provide a videotape of themselves riding the horse. This tape will be evaluated by the Riding Coordinator to determine the suitability of the horse in the context of the Equine Studies program. The horse must be capable of being ridden in a group without being lunged first; it must be suitable physically for the student’s riding level; it must be fit enough to keep up with the demands of the class, and serviceably sound.

All boarder horses are subject to re‐evaluation at any time due to: a violation of any of the semesters of the Boarder Contract; the owner’s unwillingness or inability to care for and maintain the horse; the horse proving to be unsuitable to be ridden in a group format; the horse proving to be unsuitable for the student’s learning needs. For specific details of the Boarder Contract and fees, contact the Equestrian Center at 908‐ 852‐1400 ext.7221.

Fitness Guidelines for all Students Enrolled in Equestrian Skills Classes or Riding Teams:

Our goal is to assist each and every student in attaining his or her individual riding goals while enrolled in a riding class or participating on a riding team at our institution. To that end, the physical demands placed on horses and riders in our sport require a certain level of fitness and stamina.

In order to help each rider succeed and progress, and ensure the safety of our students and horses while doing so, each student in the riding program will be required to complete the Equestrian Health and Fitness Declaration Form.

Policies and Procedures for Handling Students' Physical Injuries

Students unable to ride in their riding skills class due to a physical injury or illness for more than two or three sessions must contact their instructor to explain the situation. In order to return to riding, the student must provide their instructor with a note from the treating professional permitting them to re‐engage in all of the activities associated with riding. If they are not able to perform ALL related physical activities, the treating professional must state in the note specifically what the student can and cannot do and the time frame involved. If the problem persists for more than three weeks, the student may be required by the Instructor to drop their equestrian skills class unless other suitable arrangements can be made that allow them to make up all work missed. In this situation a withdrawal from class will be made for medical reasons and will have no bearing on their grade point average.

Transportation to and from the Equestrian Center

On Mondays through Fridays during the academic year, the University provides van transportation for students to and from the Equestrian Center approximately once an hour each way from about 7 a.m. to about 7:30 p.m. Vans leave from main campus on the hour and from the barn on the half hour. The University is not responsible for providing transportation for students on weeknights, weekends, holidays, over breaks or during the summer.

Riding as a Free Elective:

Students not participating in the Equine major or minor program may elect to take riding classes on a space available basis. A semester or cumulative G.P.A. of 2.000 or better is required. Interested students must provide the Riding Coordinator with a brief video demonstrating their riding ability prior to pre-registration. The Department's dress code must be adhered to and students must supply equipment as outlined in the Equine Studies Handbook. A non‐Equine Riding elective fee of $1,600 per semester is charged for elective riders.

Equine Semester Abroad

The Equine Studies Department offers, in conjunction with the Office of Academic Affairs, a Semester Abroad for Equine majors in either their sophomore or junior year or the first semester of their senior year. Information on these programs may be obtained directly from the Equine Studies Department Chairperson or Study Away Office. Students receiving Centenary scholarships or grants must contact the Financial Aid Office for the details on the amount of Centenary funds a student may receive while studying abroad.

Internships

Students are encouraged to undertake an internship in the industry during his/her Junior or Senior year. Students must have completed a minimum of 40 credits in the Equine program before being eligible for an internship opportunity. Internships may be taken for credits and must follow the guidelines from the Career Center. Previous internships have included work at breeding and training stables, veterinary clinics and hospitals, therapeutic riding programs, equine publications, equine organizations, and lesson facilities.

Requirements

Equine Studies Minor

To undertake the Equine Studies Minor, students must maintain a semester or cumulative grade point average of 2.000. Courses do not have to be taken in consecutive semesters, but they must be taken in sequence with the prerequisites observed. Sixteen credits are required for this course of study:

Equine Science Minor

Equestrian Skills and Horsemanship Minor

Therapeutic Riding Instruction Minor