Equestrian sports are unusual in that they require the co-ordination of effort between the human athlete and the equine athlete. The Equestrian Sports Science degree will enable you to study the athletic combination of horse and rider and develop research into the interaction between the two. You will develop an in-depth knowledge of the support required for horses and riders competing at the highest levels of competition in all aspects of equine sport. The degree covers both equine and sporting expertise and will set you up for a wide variety of career opportunities within the equine and sporting industries. Lecturers have extensive academic and industry experience in areas such as equine sports medicine, equine performance and biomechanics. Hartpury’s equine facilities are some of the best in the country and include championship indoor and outdoor arenas, and the Equine Veterinary and Therapy Centre (which includes an Aqua-Fit and a high speed equine treadmill). In addition The Hartpury College Equine Centre provides extensive DIY facilities and is approved to teach to FBHS level. All facilities provide students with the opportunity to gain valuable practical experience. Students will have access to modern laboratories, including the human sports science laboratory.

Equestrian Sports Science graduates have a range of both sporting and equine careers open to them. I freelance for the UK’s top equestrian magazines including Horse Magazine, Horse and Hound, Eventing Magazine and Horse and Rider. About 80% of my work is commissioned - so editors email me a brief which includes a topic, a fee, a word count and a deadline. The other 20% involves me sitting down and thinking of ideas to pitch to editors. I particularly enjoy writing about veterinary subjects as I’ve always found that area very interesting. There’s always lots of variety such as writing features for Horse Magazine and event reporting for Horse and Hound.