ASC208 Equine Disease, Injury and Rehabilitation (8)

This subject allows students to develop and apply their knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the healthy horse. Students' knowledge and competence in providing first aid and rehabilitation for sick horses will be developed. On successful completion of this subject students will be equipped with the skills to recognise common equine diseases and injuries and be able to identify and administer appropriate equine first aid and equine rehabilitation methods.

Availability

* Offering has a residential school. Please view following information for further details.

Session 1 (30)
On Campus
Wagga Wagga Campus
Online *
Wagga Wagga Campus

Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: ASC208. Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Subject Information

Grading System

HD/FL

Duration

One session

School

School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences

Enrolment Restrictions

This subject is primarily for students in the Bachelor of Equine Science and Bachelor of Science (Business Management) course.  Students studying other animal based courses may be admitted with the permission of the Subject Coordinator and their Course Director.

Prerequisites

ASC148

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
  • be able to recognise typical clinical and behavioural signs of a healthy and sick horses;
  • be able to categorise horse disease problems by severity to assist with prioritising first aid;
  • be able to explain the basic wound healing process, and outline appropriate first aid measures for a typical traumatic equine lower limb injury;
  • be able to describe important equine disease states and apply this knowledge to outline the specific considerations for first aid and rehabilitation of common equid emergencies;
  • be able to outline the principles of evidence-based rehabilitation of horses with common injuries; and
  • be able to identify available horse health professionals and review their legal limits and expertise in the context of relevant legislation.

Syllabus

This subject will cover the following topics:
  • Equine healthy behaviour and vital signs
  • Behavioural signs of disease and pain indicators in the horse
  • Case-based disease processes of common infectious and non-infectious diseases/disease states (including viral, bacterial and fungal diseases of the skin and respiratory tract) and colic in the horse
  • Basic cellular wound healing process in the horse
  • Evidence based first aid and triage for selected equine emergencies (colic, laminitis, haemorrhage and shock, recumbency, catastrophic musculoskeletal injury, lower limb injuries and ocular emergencies)
  • Rehabilitation principles for the equine
  • Equine rehabilitation practitioners
  • Allied health treatment frameworks for the equine

Indicative Assessment

The following table summarises the assessment tasks for the online offering of ASC208 in Session 1 2021. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated and can also differ to suit the mode of study (online or on campus).

Item Number
Title
Value %
1
Equine disease oral presentation
25
2
Injury and rehabilitation report
35
3
Final exam
40

Residential School

This subject contains a 3 day Compulsory Residential School.

The 3 day Residential School will allow online students to appropriately cover practical aspects of the subject such as equine health assessment, managing wounds, bandaging different limb areas and different bandaging techniques, including a practical assessment, and principles of physiotherapy (eg laser, Tecar, hydrotherapy, T-touch, etc) undertaken by their internal counterparts. 

Special Resources

Online students are required to attend a Residential School which may involve travel and accommodation expenses.

Closed-in stout leather shoes or boots must be worn when working with horses.

Clean overalls with long sleeves are compulsory for this subject.

When working with horses it is a requirement that all students wear an Australian Standards approved hard hat AS 3838. You may also use helmets considered acceptable by Equestrian Australia  these include NZ 3838, ARB HS 2012, ASTM F1163, PAS 015 and VG01.040.

The information contained in the CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: June 2022. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.

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