Myerscough College offers a range of Higher Education equine courses supported by excellent facilities.

The equine industry in the United Kingdom is expanding rapidly, with a turnover approaching £1 billion per year. It encompasses many different sectors, from racing, driving and endurance to dressage, horse trials and show jumping. These areas are supported by a large ancillary industry which provides extensive career opportunities.

The equine department at Myerscough College has excellent resources. A busy equestrian centre runs affiliated and unaffiliated events as well as being a training and examination centre for British Horse Society qualifications stage 1, 2 and 3.

Myerscough is well known as one of the leading equine colleges in Britain. The facilities and expert knowledge of the tutors provide an ideal learning environment. The lecturing staff are active in equine research, with a particular focus on equine performance and equine locomotion.

Resources

• International Arena (80m x 30m) with a gallery for 400 spectators
  
• Indoor school (66m x 20m) with a viewing gallery for 200 spectators
  
• 2 outdoor schools (20m x 60m and 45m x 65m)
  
• Riding paddock and jumping area
  
• 50+ quality horses on site, from 14-17 hands, stabled in three relaxed and friendly yards
• Specialist laboratories and a Tack Shop
  
• Cross country fences and Horse walker
  
• Weighbridge and Wash box
  
• High speed inclining treadmill and heart rate monitor
  
• Two dimensional motion analysis software (Equinalysis and hu-man)
  
• High Speed Video Camera
• Stud unit at Country Farm Stud, www.countryfarmstud.co.uk
  

Country Farm Stud is one of the top breeders of coloured competition horses in the country and is the stud unit for Myerscough College. Both FE and HE students complete practical breeding activities at the stud as part of their courses. The stud has the coveted Breeders Quality Mark (BQM) status and allows the students to gain a real insight into the work that goes on in a commercial stud environment. A classroom on site allows easy implementation of putting theory into practice. Students view the vets’ visits and regularly observe breeding practices such as semen collection, semen evaluation, and oestrus and pregnancy detection and get involved with stallion handling, semen evaluation, foal watch and young stock handling.

Work placements and Enrichment
The Foundation Degrees are designed for students wanting a more vocational career and for this reason work placement is an integral part of these courses. The College has strong links with equine establishments nationwide and this allows students to gain as much practical experience as possible. It is not compulsory for students on the BSc (Hons) course to carry out a work placement but it is strongly recommended that they gain as much work experience as possible to enhance future career prospects.

The courses are modular and specific modules incorporate trips and project / field work. A trip to Badminton Horse Trials is organised annually for all Higher Education students. There is also is the opportunity (dependent upon numbers) for interested students to take a summer tour to the United States, visiting Auburn University in Alabama. Career Opportunities Employment opportunities are diverse and include areas such as therapy, nutrition, stud management and consultancy.

All Higher Education qualifications provide students with excellent academic and transferable skills. Recent Equine graduates at Myerscough have gone on to great success including employment as a competition groom for an Olympic rider, a nutritionist for a leading company, a research assistant in Kentucky, lecturing and research positions here at Myerscough and at universities across the country.