Ohio University Southern Campus is located in Ironton, Ohio and is a four-year public university that offers both Associate's and Bachelor's degrees. For those students who are seeking a degree in equine studies, OU Southern offers an Associate's in Applied Science Degree in Equine Studies. This program has been developed to provide students with the knowledge and skills that are required to have a long and successful career as a trained professional in the equine industry.

Students who successfully complete the degree will have an appreciation and understanding of the horse through courses in anatomy and physiology and through participating in the psychological process of working hands on with horses. Students will also know how to care for, feed, and maintain a horse so that it will be able to reach its highest potential. Besides learning about the horse itself, students will learn the legal and ethical issues that the equine industry faces on a daily basis. Students will also be introduced to the business aspect of the equine industry along with the training side. Students will also learn good communication skills that are needed to succeed in the equine industry today.

The Equine Studies Program is broken into four different parts with the first section being devoted to equine science and health. The courses in this section of the program are taught by a veterinarian with years of equine experience and include classes in nutrition, reproduction, anatomy and physiology, first aid, and preventative medicine. The second section of the program is devoted to the business portion of the equine industry and is designed to promote the understanding of the financial and physical aspects of the horse industry. The third portion of the program is devoted to riding and training horses. Students will take riding classes in three different seats: western seat, hunt seat, and saddle seat. The last portion of the curriculum is devoted to field experience and internships. These are essential to give the students a realist view of a career that involves horses.

Graduates of this program will have many different career options to choose from and students will be able to select different elective courses to enhance their knowledge in the field of study that they choose to pursue. Graduates will be able to find employment in a number of fields including:

? Stable Manager

? Farm Manager

? Riding Instructor

? Equine Records Manager

? Equine Sales and Marketing Agent

? Horse Trainer or Assistant Trainer

? Equine Journalist

? Horse Show or Events Manager

? Horse Show Judge

? National Breed Association Representative

Students who are accepted to the equine studies program can apply for scholarships and state and federal aid to assist with the expenses that are associated with attending college.

The Ohio Horse Park is a center of learning for both students and the public. This facility is dedicated to providing both its students and the public with a safe equine experience and its doors are always open to people who are looking for any type of equine information. Ohio University Southern Campus Horse Park offers a state of the art equine facility that features

? 290 ft x 120 ft outdoor show arena

? 20m x 60 m dressage arena

? 180 ft x 75 ft indoor arena

? Indoor Therapy Arena

? 44 stalls available for show rental

? Camper hookups for shows and travelers

? Over 6 acres of turnout

? 2 classrooms and one common area

? OU Southern Reproduction Center

? Ohio Horse Park Center for Therapeutic Riding

The Horse Park is also the site of many different organizations which include:

? Home of the OU Southern Equine Studies Program

? Home of the OU Southern Equestrian Teams

? Host to events from 10 different organizations

? OUS Community Lesson Program

? OUS Therapeutic Riding Program

? Rental of facilities for shows and clinics

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