UNDERSTAND HORSES

Studying the equine brain gives us insight into how horses perceive the world. By learning about their realms of sensory information and how their cognition processes this information we can understand how best to ensure they survive and thrive.

  All of the horse's behaviours – those that we adore and those that we could do without – are produced by the brain. Learning about the anatomy of the brain and how it functions means we can better understand the horse and how they behave at a deeper level.

This course, from neuroscientist and equine behaviour consultant Emma Lethbridge, is an introduction to the horse's brain. You will benefit from an improved understanding of how horses think and behave as well as gaining insight into the mind and senses of this intelligent, sentient and perceptive creature.

 You will learn about:

• The anatomy of the horse's brain on a macro and cellular level

• The structure of the horse’s brain and how this affects function

 • How electricity travels through the brain to generate perception and thought

• How the horse’s brain generates environmental responses

• How horses feel, see, hear, taste and smell

 • The horse's stress response and how it affects the body

• How the 'fight' or 'flight' systems work

 • How horses perceive the world

• How the horse's hearing compares to ours

• Whether horses can really be 'left or right brained'

Emma also addresses some commonly held myths regarding the horse's intelligence, sentience and laterality using the latest research.

 This course is aimed at horse owners, students and equestrian professionals interested in learning about the neurobiology and behaviour of the horse. You don't need any prior knowledge to take this course.

Once enrolled you have 60 days to complete the course.