Program Spotlight: Equine Health & Complementary Therapies

Hocking’s Equine Health & Complementary Therapies program focuses on animal husbandry and advanced care for horses. Primarily, this type of therapy is designed to help horses in different stages of their psychological development, including young horses, show horses and geriatric horses, to those used for breeding purposes.

Equine massage therapy is an expanding field that was developed in the 1990's. The techniques taught in this program were inspired by those used on human athletes and have been altered and modified to be properly applied on horses.

Further training and certification is available for those who want to professionally massage horses at training barns and sport horse facilities through current professionals and organizations such as Equissage International. 

This program also offers specialized classes in the following skills:

• Equine anatomy and physiology
• Equine massage and acupressure
• Breeding and foaling management

Program graduates can seek employment at the following establishments:

• A boarding or training-related facility
• A horse breeding or mare/foal care facility
• Farms and stables
• Veterinary clinics

What Skills Will I Learn From The Program?

Students in the program will learn the following:

• Theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in equine anatomy and physiology.
• Massage and acupressure techniques.
• Health care and management practices for horses during different stages of their physiological development.
• Breeding and reproduction of stallions and mares, green horse handling, and training.
• How to care for mares and foals during various stages of pregnancy, as well as post-parturition care.