Horses have been a staple at UConn since its early days as an agricultural college. Since then, the equine program housed in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) has grown dramatically, continuously innovating in its offerings for students, the community, and research.
“Various equine-related programs and activities, including riding, breeding, many classes for undergraduate students, extension, research, and equestrian sports have been long associated centrally with the Department of Animal Science here at UConn,” says Pedram Rezamand, department head. “Our Morgan program as well as our Polo championships are an important part of our proud history. We continue to offer riding lessons for not only students but also community members. Our latest activity in this space revolves around further developing opportunities in equine science and management curriculum to prepare students for in-demand careers in the equine field.”
A Historic Breeding Program
There are currently 67 horses at UConn of various breeds including Morgans, Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, and Warmbloods. Of the horses we have at UConn, 15 are utilized for our breeding program which predominately focuses on breeding quality foundation sport type Morgans but also includes hunter and dressage type Warmbloods and Quarter Horses.
UConn has bred Morgan horses since 1942, following a 1932 donation of horses from the U.S. government.
“[Morgans] are good at everything, a jack of all trades,” says Alena Meacham, director of the horse riding program and lecturer in the Department of Animal Science. “They are sound, they are easy to manage, and they are super smart.”
Spring of 2025 will bring eight new foals to UConn. In an effort to preserve high quality bloodlines, two Morgan foals with genetics from older mares are expected to arrive this spring through embryo transfer, something that has not happened at UConn in decades.
Through coursework and independent studies, students follow mares’ reproductive cycles, help with the breeding process, care for pregnant mares, are present for the foals’ births, and help care for them in the crucial first hours of life.
Students are also involved in a new program that began last spring to market and sell some of the young horses through an online horse sale. This fall, they found new homes for five horses that were born and raised at UConn.
Experiential Learning
Students have access to a wide variety of hands-on course offerings that cover every aspect of horse science from breeding to the end of life, applying what they learn in other classes to practical decision making.
In the 2023-34 academic year, 196 students took classes in the equine program, or approximately 32% of undergraduates in either the four-year bachelor’s degree program or the two-year associates of applied science program offered through the Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture. Jenifer Nadeau, associate professor of animal science and UConn Extension equine educator, is currently advising 28 undergraduate students in the equine area of interest and overseeing one master’s thesis project.
Lisa Streff, horse unit manager and lecturer, teaches a course on horse training where students work with young horses to desensitize them to everyday stimuli.
“I think the horses really provide experience students could never get in a classroom,” says Lisa Streff, horse unit supervisor and academic advisor. “The students really get a lot of pride in seeing the change they can make in a horse that age in such a short amount of time.”
Meacham teaches a course where students help train young horses for use in lessons. She also teaches a course on how to become riding instructors.
Students can take independent studies focused on topics like stallion training, developing a driving horse, equine extension work, equine health management, and trail management.
Two years ago, Streff and Sarah Reed, associate professor of animal science, created an equine sports rehabilitation minor where students put knowledge from classes to work with horses that need rehabilitation. Prior to that, Nadeau created a Therapeutic Horsemanship Education minor.
Other course offerings in the program cover horse science, exercise physiology, and best management practices, which includes a focus on sustainability issues like pasture runoff and water management.
The courses are designed to prepare students for a variety of career opportunities, like equine veterinarian, geneticist, nutritionist, or stable owner.
Riding at UConn
The equine program offers riding lessons with beginner, intermediate, and advanced riding instruction for students, faculty, and the community. Students on the four competitive teams (dressage, polo, and equestrian) also participate in the riding program.
There is also a one-credit elective open to any student titled Pleasure Horse Appreciation and Use which teaches the basics of horse care and riding.
In the 2023-24 academic year, 119 people participated in the riding Practicum each semester.
There are also summer and winter programs and private lessons open to the community. Anyone over the age of 12 can take advantage of these programs.
“The benefit of the horses is that they can be therapeutic in so many ways,” Meacham says. “They really kind of mirror the rider and give a spiritual connection. It’s fun, it’s great exercise.”
Contributions to Equine Research
Equine research at UConn is highly applicable for horse owners and managers looking to make evidence-based decisions.
Reed’s work focuses on horse physiology and maternal nutrition.
“Our goal is to understand the science and the physiology so that we can provide owners better management and decision-making tools,” Reed says. “The more information we have about how things impact our horses then the better we can manage them to keep them healthy for longer.”
In a recent project, Reed looked at how an antioxidant supplement impacted a horse’s ability to manage oxidative stress during deconditioning (when a horse is not working as much as usual) and reconditioning (getting them back to competition-level fitness).
She found that the supplement was helpful but did not have as much of an effect on the horse’s physiology as the actual de- and reconditioning processes.
Reed is now working on a project assessing how brood mares’ weight during pregnancy affects foal growth and development, and metabolism and lactation.
“Because horses live for so long and we expect them to be athletic, we want to give them the best start that we can so that we set them up for success as athletes,” Reed says.
Nadeau studies the fecal microbiome of horses and how changes impact their susceptibility to parasitic infections.
She also conducted a study where she put GPS trackers on horses and looked at how they moved at different times of year and in adverse weather conditions.
Working with CT Horse Owners
Despite its small population, Connecticut has the most horses of any New England state – 43,000.
The equine program’s extension activities engage directly with the state’s community of horse owners.
UConn Extension offers online modules on equine nutrition, the equine skeletal system and disorders, and a forthcoming module on behavior training.
Nadeau runs an online clinic on safety for riding camp instructors.
“It’s everything you need to know to be successful at instructing a summer camp and it’s open to anyone interested in safety too,” Nadeau says.
The CT Horse Symposium is held in March where clinicians from all over the northeast come to present on topics essential to horsemanship. There are also opportunities to ride during the event.
Meacham leads a first experience horsemanship clinic on weekends which introduces brand-new riders to the basics of handling, tacking, and riding on a lead line. She also runs a full-day clinic on the basics of horse ownership.
The UConn equine program supports a variety of youth outreach organizations like 4-H and FFA, Future Farmers of America. UConn students in one of Nadeau’s independent studies develop activities for the youth to learn about different areas of equine science.
“We have it all,” Reed says. “When you come and participate fully in the equine program, you have the ability to do all the things that are the basis of the equine industry.”
This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.
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