Equine Sports Science, BSc (Hons)

Overview

Reasons to choose this course:

• Brackenhurst Equestrian Centre has international sized indoor and outdoor arenas, plus modern laboratories and Veterinary Nursing Centre for the scientific study of nutrition, physiology, sports injury and genetics.
• The School has good links with veterinary schools and the Animal Health Trust giving you the option to take a work placement during your Third Year.
• Equestrian industry guest speakers and eventing professionals give lectures and demonstrations to students.
• NTU were the National Student Equestrian Team Champions 2009 - NTU student Emily Parker won two gold medals at the Young Rider European Championships 2010.
• Research into using eye-tracking technology to improve equestrian sports performance is being developed at Brackenhurst. Interest has been expressed by the World Class Performance Manager and Chef d'equipe to the Senior British Equine Eventing Team.

About the course
The course provides the knowledge to improve the management, performance and welfare of the horse as a leisure animal and as an equine athlete. It incorporates the development of practical and investigative skills required by the industry, together with a thorough background of scientific knowledge. The course aims to improve students’ abilities to think critically and solve problems.

Undergraduates study the physiological and psychological principles of sports science and relate them to different equine sports, including events, showjumping, dressage and endurance. The syllabus is designed for students wishing to further their knowledge of competition horse training or study towards the internationally recognised British Horse Society Instructor’s (BHSI) examination. Modules cover both riding and non riding options. 

• Check out our Flickr photostream!
• Find out more about our Equestrian Centre.

Course

Brackenhurst Equestrian Centre

A high level of knowledge, skills, qualifications and experience are offered by the team at Brackenhurst Equestrian Centre, with specialist expertise in many aspects of equestrianism. The Centre is home to top-flight instructors (dressage and jumping), lecturers, facilities and horses, offers some of the best training available in the UK. 

The centre offers a full range of facilities including:

• 60 x 40 metre indoor school
• 60 x 40 metre floodlit outdoor arena
• modern bio-science laboratories and Veterinary Nursing Centre 
• Sstabling for up to 60 horses
• camera technology for behavioural monitoring
• horse walker 
• solarium 
• weighbridge
• treatment stocks 
• round pen
• crew yards.

Livery
A variety of forms of livery are available for horses owned by students, allowing them to take advantage of these extensive facilities.

Assessment
Assessment may be by project, coursework, presentations and examinations.

Modules

Year One

• Advance Equitation One
• Equine Anatomy and Physiology
• Bioscience
• Graduate Skills
• Horse Behaviour and Welfare
• Horse-human Relationship
• Nutrition for Sports Horses
• Sports Horse Management

Year Two

• Advanced Equitation Two
• Competition Horse and Competition Management
• Equine Breeding
• Experimental Design and Analysis
• Equine Reproductive Physiology
• Sports Injury
• Training Young Horses
• Equine Veterinary Science

Year Three - students can take an option placement year in industry.

Final year

• Alternative Therapies and Rehabilitation
• Biomechanics and Locomotion
• Dissertation
• Drugs and Performance
• Energetic Basis of Performance
• Exercise Physiology
• Genetics

Facilities

Careers

Your future career
Graduates of equine science at Nottingham Trent University have been successful in securing exciting and challenging career positions, indicating that our approach to the subject is well regarded by the equine industry. Graduates are well qualified for management training in other areas. Our students have found employment in a whole variety of roles including:

• equine marketing assistant
• university research assistant
• lecturer
• groom for an international dressage rider
• with organisations such as Spillers, Horse and Hound
• Weatherbys 
• the Laminitis Trust. 

Some students may also wish to continue their studies at MSc or PhD level. A number of students progress on to our MSc/MRes Equine Health and Welfare postgraduate degree.

Placements

Work placements

Students often take an optional placement year working in the industry. Vital experience gained in a vocational position, ultimately makes students more employable when they graduate. 

There are currently some exciting and challenging work placement opportunities available with organisations such as the Animal Health Trust, Irish Equine Centre, Kentucky Equine Research and the veterinary schools of the universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, London, Liverpool and Sydney.

Giving you competitive advantage
In today's competitive job market graduates often find that a degree is no longer enough to attract employers. A work placement is a valuable addition to your education. You'll gain vital real-life work experience that will make you stand out from the crowd and enhance your employability in your chosen field of work.

Student Profile
Donna Abraham
"I worked at the Equine Hospital at Edinburgh University. This placement was with three other Equine Science undergraduates from UK universities. The work was very varied, and basically involved assisting the resident vets with their caseload.  My duties were varied and included:

• mucking out and grooming the intensive care horses
• taking horses for radiographs
• trotting up and lungeing horses for lameness diagnosis
• assisting with surgical procedures as a vet nurse (the best bit)
• exercising race horses on the treadmill
• intensive care nursing of grass sickness horses
• some office work as a PA for the Professors."

How to apply

How to apply

Applications for this course should be directed through the UCAS application system.

UCAS code: DC36 BSc/EqSS

Full entry requirements

• You will need 220 UCAS tariff points minimum achieved from at least two full A-levels or equivalent (including one Science subject).
• We also accept the BTEC Diploma in Horse Management (Merit, Merit, Merit) or equivalent subjects.
• GCSE Maths and English are required at Grade C or above.
• Applications are encouraged from mature students who may not have formal entry qualifications, but who can demonstrate commitment or have relevant experience.

International student entry requirements

We welcome students from all over the world on this course.

Applicants requiring Tier 4 visas will need to have a minimum score of either:

• IELTS 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in reading, listening, speaking and writing skills), 
• TOEFL iBT 87 (with at least 21 in reading, 22 in listening, 23 in speaking and 21 in writing), 
• or equivalent language qualification

For further information, please visit our English language requirements web page for International applicant

EU applicants and non-Tier 4 international applicants - English language requirements

You will require:

• GCSE English Grade C, IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 76 or equivalent.

For further information, please visit our English language requirements webpage for EU applicants.

Contact us
If you want to speak to us about this course, open days or how to apply - then get in touch using the following details:  

Email us
Telephone: +44 (0)1636 817099 (Brackenhurst campus)
Telephone: +44 (0)115 848 4200 (Admissions)

Riding assessment (for optional modules)
Once enrolled on the course students will be required to take a riding assessment if they elect to take riding option modules. This is part of NTU's health and safety policy regarding equestrian studies. Please note the riding assessment is not compulsory for entry on to BSc (Hons) Equine Sports Science.