Equine Studies

Updated:

April 25, 2025

Horses provide endless opportunities for learning. Here’s a selection of equine educational programs available in Canada.

By Tania Millen, BSc, MJ

Are you keen to learn more about horses, riding, and their management? It doesn’t matter if you’re a teenager, young adult, or knocking on retirement’s door, there’s an equine program for you. Across Canada, there are high schools, colleges and universities that offer horse-related programs and courses, plus there are online courses, too. Some equine programs provide general horsemanship knowledge while other program graduates learn specific skills such as how to care for horse’s feet as farriers, or their health as veterinary technicians. Although education can be costly, many programs are offered by government-recognized educational institutions hence students may be eligible for government loans and grants.

So don’t think you’re too young, too old or too inexperienced to pursue your equestrian goals. One of the programs listed below can undoubtedly help you achieve your dreams. They’re listed from west to east across the country and alphabetically within each province.

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Photo: iStock/RossHelen

British Columbia

Douglas College in New Westminster offers a two-year Diploma in Veterinary Technology which leads to certification as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) and is accredited by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA).

Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey provides a two-semester Certificate in Farrier Science. Many students who complete the program become full-time farriers running their own businesses.

Queen Margaret’s School in Duncan offers equine courses and a competitive riding program for children and youth in kindergarten to grade 12. The school is fortunate to have some high-quality upper-level horses that more advanced students can learn on, plus students can bring their own horse and compete as part of the school team.

Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops offers a two-year on-campus Veterinary Technician (VT) program, a three-year open learning VT program, and an eight-month distance education Animal Welfare Certificate program. The VT programs are accredited by the CVMA.

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Photo: iStock/Mypurgatoryyears; Photo: Shutterstock/Moonmovie

Alberta

Lakeland College in Vermilion has an equine centre and offers a two-year Diploma in Agricultural Science with an equine major. It’s the only post-secondary program in Canada that includes training a horse. Students are expected to bring an unstarted two- or three-year old horse to college, start it under supervision, do all the training themselves, and in some cases, sell it at auction.

Lakeland College also offers agricultural programs and a two-year Veterinary Technology Diploma which is accredited by the CVMA and includes hands-on clinical experience working with dogs and cats, as well as the college’s sheep, cattle and horses.

Olds College of Agriculture and Technology offers three equine-related certificates: Equine Care and Management, Equine Reproductive Technician, and Farrier Science. Many farriers across western Canada have graduated from the Olds program and developed into some of Canada’s top farriers.

Olds College also offers a 16-month VT Diploma program accredited by the CVMA where students become proficient at handling, treating, and caring for cats, dogs, horses, sheep and cattle at the college’s new Animal Health Education Center and Smart Farm.

Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton and Northwestern Polytechnic in Fairview both offer VT Diploma programs that are accredited by the CVMA and lead to recognition as an RVT. The programs focus on practical skills used in both small and large animal practices, including lab work, x-rays and medical and surgical nursing. Typical equine-related employers include mixed animal and equine veterinary practices/clinics, pharmaceutical and feed companies, and humane or rescue shelters.

University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine offers a four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program plus graduate degrees in Veterinary Medical Sciences, and advanced clinical training programs. Veterinary school seats are very competitive but for those specializing in horses, this school’s location in the heart of Alberta horse-country is ideal.

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Photo: iStock/TerryJ; Photo: Clix Photography

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Polytechnic College in Saskatoon offers a two-year VT Diploma in both in-person and blended distance formats that are accredited by the CVMA. The college also offers agricultural certificate and diploma programs.

University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon is home to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine — the premier centre for veterinary education, research, and clinical expertise in western Canada. The college offers a minimum of 88 first-year seats to students from BC, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba seeking to complete a four-year DVM program, which leads to certification as a veterinarian. The university also offers graduate programs in large animal clinical studies and other research, and practical topics relating to the horse industry such as feed safety, welfare, and surgery.

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Photo: Clix Photography

Manitoba

Red River College Polytech in Winnipeg offers a two-year VT Diploma program which is accredited by the CVMA. Students learn about anesthetics, drug dosage calculations, surgical and animal nursing, laboratory testing, diagnostic imaging, emergency care, and routine veterinary clinic office procedures. The college boasts that 100 percent of their graduates are hired.

Ontario

The Ontario Veterinary College, located on the campus of the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, is the oldest veterinary school in Canada. It offers a four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and is ranked number one in Canada and fifth in the world for Veterinary Science.

University of Guelph also offers a four-year Bachelor of Bio-Resource Management with a major in Equine Management. It’s Canada’s first degree program with an equine management specialty combining biology, physiology, and horse behaviour with the business and managerial aspects of the equine industry. For those seeking a practical non-riding four-year undergraduate degree in all things horse, this is it.

Additionally, seven post-secondary education institutions in Ontario offer VT Diploma programs that are accredited by the CVMA. These include Algonquin College in Ottawa, Georgian College in Orillia, Northern College in Haileyburg, St. Clair College in Windsor, St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Seneca College in King City, and University of Guelph – Ridgetown Campus in Ridgetown.

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Photo: iStock/Mypurgatoryyears; Photo: Adobestock/Mark J Barrett

Quebec

Université de Montréal’s Saint-Hyacinthe campus is the home of the university’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine which offers a DVM and is the only campus in North America to provide a full veterinary program in French.

Vanier College in St-Laurent offers an Animal Health Technology program that is accredited by the CVMA. The program is in English and prepares students to care for and work with animals in clinical and laboratory environments. Students study and practice elements of nursing, surgery, diagnostic imaging, animal husbandry, pharmacology, and nutrition. They work with live animals in the department’s on-site clinic, performing radiographs, collecting and analyzing samples, and preparing patients for surgery.

New Brunswick

Oulton College in Moncton offers an eight-month Veterinary Assistant program where students learn how to manage a veterinary clinic. The program provides a four-week practicum placement in a veterinary clinic and hands-on training for working with veterinary technicians and veterinarians.

Prince Edward Island

University of Prince Edward Island hosts the Atlantic Veterinary College, which offers a DVM leading to certification as a veterinarian along with graduate studies and research options.

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Photo: iStock/Nigelb10

Nova Scotia

Dalhousie University in Truro offers undergraduate degrees through their Faculty of Agriculture in subjects including animal science, agricultural business, agricultural economics, and pre-veterinary medicine. The faculty also offers a Minor in Equine Science to students in the Bachelor of Science (agriculture or bio-veterinary science) program. This minor provides students with theoretical knowledge and practical skills on how to raise and care for horses, the science behind good equine practice, the business of raising healthy horses, equine biology, horse health and welfare, genetics and breeding, nutrition, behaviour, and facilities management.

Dalhousie University also has a two-year Veterinary Technology program that is accredited by the CVMA.

Nova Scotia SPCA College of Animal Welfare in Dartmouth offers a one-year Veterinary Assistant program that prepares students for a career in the animal welfare industry as skilled assistants to veterinarians and veterinary technicians. In 2025, the college will offer a two-year VT diploma program accredited by the CVMA. Students graduating from the inaugural VT class with a minimum cumulative average of 85 percent are guaranteed employment in an SPCA facility in Nova Scotia.

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Photo: Clix Photography

Newfoundland

College of the North Atlantic in St. John’s will also offer a two-year VT diploma program in 2025 that is accredited by the CVMA.

Online Courses

If you’re looking for equine education without committing to a full-time program, the University of Guelph offers 20 online courses through an Open Learning portal. Students can complete a Diploma in Equine Studies, Certificate in Equine Business Management, Equine Science Certificate, or Equine Welfare Certificate, all online.

The Horse Portal at Equine Guelph also features on-demand online courses covering topics such as: equine behaviour, safe equine handling, equine business, equine first aid, equine health and welfare, sport horse injury prevention and care, emergency preparedness, introduction to forage, gut health and ulcer prevention, respiratory health, sickness prevention, and large animal rescue. Plus, The Horse Portal offers free online webinars from past presentations. These are great courses and presentations for those seeking specialty knowledge or those who need flexibility in attendance.

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Photo: Shutterstock/Shawn Hamilton; Photo: Clix Photography

Non-Academic Programs

There are also many non-academic and uncertified organizations and businesses with educational programs online and in-person. Their teachings may include horsemanship, hoof trimming, equine assisted learning, various equine therapies, horse training, and other topics.

If you prefer to learn more about horses with like-minded folk in hands-on settings, consider joining Canadian Pony Club (CPC). Too old, you think? Not so fast. Although CPC is designed for children and youth aged six through 21 today, adults over age 21 can join CPC too, in the Horsemasters program. Horsemasters is set up to offer education and experiences that members request and may include: stable management lectures, field trips to local equine clinics or symposiums, guest speakers, test driving a new discipline, or taking riding lessons. But every program is different and depends on participant interests. Contact CPC to see if there’s a Horsemasters program near you.

Before selecting any educational program, prospective students are encouraged to carefully research the programs, instructors and certification offered, to ensure that the program will meet their expectations.

Regardless of your age or equestrian interests, there is an educational program for you. Horses offer endless opportunities to learn and new equine science is continually available. Decide what program most interests you and start learning.

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