{"id":228747,"date":"2025-04-30T07:15:20","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T11:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=228747"},"modified":"2025-09-04T10:58:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T14:58:22","slug":"uconn-launches-new-equine-science-and-management-major-strengthening-connecticuts-role-in-a-thriving-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/04\/uconn-launches-new-equine-science-and-management-major-strengthening-connecticuts-role-in-a-thriving-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"UConn Launches New Equine Science and Management Major, Strengthening Connecticut\u2019s Role in a Thriving Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p>The University of Connecticut is saddling up to meet a growing demand in the horse industry with the launch of a new <a href=\"https:\/\/animalscience.uconn.edu\/equine-science-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bachelor of Science in Equine Science and Management,<\/a> set to welcome its first cohort of students in fall 2026. The University\u2019s Board of Trustees approved the program at their meeting this month.<\/p>\r\n<p>Offered exclusively at the Storrs campus through the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (<a href=\"https:\/\/cahnr.uconn.edu\/\">CAHNR<\/a>), this new major will provide students with a unique blend of scientific rigor and hands-on experience that positions UConn as a leader in equine education across the Northeast.<\/p>\r\n<p><iframe title=\"Jumpstart Your Equestrian Career at UConn\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/F-wgSrWf1Sg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\r\n<p>Connecticut is no stranger to the equine industry. With the largest population of horses in New England and over 500 horse-related businesses, the state sees nearly $40 million in annual equine-related expenditures. UConn is uniquely suited to respond to this economic force \u2013 not just because of its location, but because of the depth of its resources, facilities, and expertise.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not building from scratch \u2013 we\u2019re building on a strong foundation,\u201d says Pedram Rezamand, head of the <a href=\"https:\/\/animalscience.cahnr.uconn.edu\">Department of Animal Science<\/a>. \u201cUConn already has a robust equine program, and this new degree allows us to expand opportunities for students while supporting Connecticut\u2019s workforce needs.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>The Department of Animal Science currently maintains a herd of 70 horses and supports competitive riding teams, a public riding lesson program, an active Morgan horse breeding program, and a wide range of teaching, research, and extension activities.<\/p>\r\n<p>Students in the new major will engage in experiential learning from day one, whether it\u2019s managing horse care, training and breeding, or studying nutrition and equine physiology in cutting-edge facilities that include a 120-foot by 220-foot indoor arena with public viewing space, a breeding unit with laboratory space, and more than 50 stalls across multiple barns.<\/p>\r\n<p>The new program also stands out in the region. As a result, students from New England often have to travel to states like Kentucky or Colorado to pursue specialized education in equine science. The UConn program fills this gap, offering a full, four-year degree with a curriculum tailored to the real-world demands of the equine industry. Graduates will be prepared for careers in equine health, breeding, facility management, training, business, and nonprofit sectors, with transferable skills in communication, leadership, and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\r\n<p>&#8220;UConn\u2019s program is designed to be more than just academic, it\u2019s career-focused,&#8221; says Rezamand. \u201cWe are working with industry professionals and our departmental advisory committee to make sure students will graduate ready to step into meaningful roles in the equine world.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Initial enrollment is expected to be between 30 and 40 students, with total enrollment projected to reach 160 within four years. Interest is already strong: 31% of Animal Science majors at UConn take at least one equine-related class, and nearly 20% of surveyed students said they would have chosen this major had it been available.<\/p>\r\n<p>Importantly, the program also supports UConn\u2019s land-grant mission. It strengthens workforce development in a high-value regional industry, aligns with UConn\u2019s emphasis on experiential learning, and increases access to education through plans to apply for inclusion in the New England Board of Higher Education\u2019s regional tuition program. This would allow eligible out-of-state students to attend at a reduced cost, boosting the University\u2019s appeal throughout the Northeast.<\/p>\r\n<p>Looking forward, UConn also plans to expand the program\u2019s reach by offering select courses in a hybrid format and developing an online certificate in Equine Science in the future.<\/p>\r\n<p>&#8220;We\u2019re excited about the opportunity for students to turn their passion into a profession that this new major will provide, right here in Connecticut,\u201d says Rezamand. \u201cIt\u2019s a way for UConn to lead the region in preparing the next generation of equine professionals.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p><em>Follow\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/uconncahnr_social\"><em>UConn CAHNR<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0on social media<\/em><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Launching in fall 2026, the new major will meet student and industry demand<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":229752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2275,2298,2224,2649,2235,2233],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2140],"class_list":["post-228747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-affairs","category-animal-science","category-cahnr","category-blue-pride","category-today-homepage","category-university-news"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-07 18:09:09","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/127"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228747"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":234892,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228747\/revisions\/234892"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/229752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228747"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=228747"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=228747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}