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World's First Diploma in Horse Genetics
On this course you’ll learn about numerous aspects of genetics as they relate to horses. It is accredited by the Institute of Animal Care Education
and provides a high standard of education for the serious student of any age. You do not have to have recently been in full time education. The course has been determined by IACE to be level three, and gently works up from basics to the equivalent of UK A level standard.
It is a distance learning course that you can study in your own time, and in the comfort of your own home. Whatever your lifestyle you can fit your study around it: whether you work, are retired, look after the kids, care for relatives, or whatever else. There's no need for inconvenient scheduling of study time. And there's no need to spend the time or money to attend on-campus classes.
IACE have deemed the course to be of about 200 hours or more study. The actual number of hours any one student takes depends on their background, natural ability and recent familiarity with studying. It also depends on the project you do at the end, and if it includes any personal research, or is more of a desk-study (although either could be quite involved). Some students are so well motivated they speed through the modules, but then get engrossed in their final project. However... it really does not matter how long you take, as long as you have fun and learn something useful!
Is this course for me?
Whether you are a recreational rider curious about genetics, a breeder wanting to make some informed choices or an equine science or genetics student there is something here for you.
A diploma in horse genetics could be of interest and use to horse breeders, students of equine studies, genetics or animal conservation or sciences, equine related apprentices, and grooms wanting to improve their career prospects.
Horse breeding is very expensive of both time and money, and highly competitive in all disciplines. Breeders with a knowledge edge are more successful. What’s more there are risks in making certain types of crosses, some of which can result in health problems or even the death of a horse. Now more than ever we can understand those risks, and be equipped to avoid them in ways previously impossible. Equine students with specific genetics knowledge could be more employable than others, who otherwise have a comparable "standard" education.
Can I learn at my own pace?
I remember a trick horse trainer once saying that with horses you should “make haste slowly”! Anyone who’s trained a horse to do anything will understand what he meant. The same is generally true for people learning something new, or about which they have only a patchy starting knowledge. Start off slowly, get the basics right, don’t let anyone else push you or rush you - go at your own pace. Gradually, as you become familiar with the basics, the speed and ease with which you pick up new things will increase. This course is built to be like that - one which you can do at your own pace, in your own time, and progressing only when you are ready.
Who wrote the course and assesses my work?
Glynis Scott
has a PhD in genetics, along with 23 years of research and teaching experience in the field. As a university lecturer she taught, mentored and examined students all the way up to PhD level. She is a published author, including co-author of a students text-book on genetics. She has also had a life long love of horses.
How is the course assessed?
The module assessments are a mixture of multi-choice, short answer and analytical questions. They help you to review and reinforce your knowledge, with some emphasis on learning to apply it to realistic horse genetics problems.
The final assessment is in the form of either an essay or report on some aspect of horse genetics of your own choosing. This allows you to develop your understanding of a particular aspect of horse genetics that is of interest or significance to you. It is your chance to express yourself and demonstrate your own individual enthusiasms - it is your chance to shine! Many possible examples are provided to help you choose, if you are uncertain about the opportunities available.
You may be a little daunted by the thought of writing essays. Perhaps it's something you haven't done in a while, or perhaps you just weren't good at it at school. Well don't worry about it! We will give you a copy of Night Owls excellent essay writing guide
Night Owls excellent essay writing guide
as a free gift when you sign up for the diploma. It will be available to download with your introductory and module one lessons, and again when you download module five.
Each of the six assignments carries equal weighting.
What's in the course?
The first four modules of this course introduce you to a wide range of genetic concepts and techniques. All of them are relevant to horses, and essential for a good basic understanding of horse genetics. They cover much more than just basic genetics and Mendelian inheritance, which many enthusiasts learn to some degree. There’s also plenty to help you understand more complex inheritance, such as that affecting performance, conformation and character traits.
The introduction to molecular genetics in module three covers some medical genetics, as the two heavily overlap. In fact various aspects of medical genetics are covered throughout the course, where appropriate. I have chosen to specifically reflect what’s happening now, and to discuss a few techniques most likely to be used in the future. The recent advances in molecular genetics have provided breeders with many previously unavailable tests. Such tests will be to the eventual good health of horses, and will also aid many breeders in achieving their aims. Future advances in molecular genetics will directly lead to further improvements in veterinary medicine, to the benefit of horses and horse owners in general.
The subject of evolution is treated from the point of view that horse breeding is the application of artificially driven evolution, while equine conservationists can only make progress if they take evolutionary forces into account. Inbreeding, founder horses and selection, for example, are integral parts of horse breeding and conservation. With molecular genetic technology progressing apace I foresee that there could be some interesting and exciting developments in the worlds of horse breeding and conservation. This could well include an improved ability to select for traits controlled by several genes at once. In addition the fascinating subjects of domestication, ancient breeds and breed development are all benefiting, as advances in genetics help to unravel their stories, while preserving the odd mystery for us to contemplate.
The last module on horse colour and pattern genetics is different. There are a few new concepts introduced here and there. Generally though concepts already learned are illustrated, sometimes in depth, with reference to what is known about this ever popular aspect of horse genetics. It is this area of genetics that often triggers a persons interest in horse genetics, as it did my own. It is also this area that has benefited exceptionally well from recent research, with an explosion of information answering previous questions, and sometimes posing us with new ones.
The budding horse geneticist should realise that horse genetics is a rapidly expanding science (which hopefully, with proper funding, may remain so). There is still plenty to discover. There will still be exciting challenges in the coming years, followed by new revelations to delight and help us all. Advances in genetics will take away some of the frustrating, time-wasting, costly, and occasionally heart-breaking, aspects of horse breeding. The horse breeder will nevertheless still find his or her hobby or profession a mixture of challenges and achievements - enough to fire a life-time of enthusiasm!
What's the lesson plan?
Module one: Genetics and basic inheritance
What is Horse Genetics?
Lesson one: Genes, alleles and chromosomes
Lesson two: Inheritance and reproduction in the horse
Lesson three: Mendelian inheritance
Module one assignment
Module Two: Modified and complex inheritance
Lesson four: Modified Ratios
Lesson five: Genetic Linkage
Lesson six: Complex Traits and Polygenic Inheritance
Module two assignment
Module three: Equine molecular genetics
Lesson seven: An introduction to molecular genetics
Lesson eight: Finding and characterising genes for a particular phenotype
Lesson nine: Molecular genetics testing
Module three assignment
Module four: Evolution and natural selection
Lesson 10: Evolution
Lesson 11: Breeding Systems
Lesson 12: Domestication and ancient breeds
Module four assignment
Module five: The genetics of coat colours and patterns
Module Introduction
Lesson 13: Basic colour genetics
Lesson 14: Dilute colours
Lesson 15: White and white patterns
Lesson 16: Appaloosa patterns
Module five assignment
Final assignment
This Website
This website probably won’t always be as up-to-date as the course notes you’re studying, nor is it as comprehensive (covering mostly colour and pattern related issues).
Nevertheless you may find it fun (and useful) to look at the photos of the beautiful horses and ponies presented on here, especially when studying the final module on horse colour and patterns.
Course format
The course texts are written in English and available as downloadable pdf files, readable with the free Adobe Acrobat pdf reader software. You can print hard copies and file them if you wish (please note though that they are copyright protected so that you can not edit or redistribute them).
Your assignments can be submitted using Word or Open Office files (Open Office is freely available and very much like MS Windows software). Other formats will be accepted if I can read them (including pdf or text editor files).
If there is demand I could provide printed booklets, but the cost of doing this will be quite a bit more than for providing downloads (paper, printing, packaging and post will have to be charged as extra, for each of the 5 modules, estimated at probably about £15 per module for the UK).
The course costs 565 USD ($565, approximately £360). This includes administration, study texts, coursework marking and help, and an IACE completion certificate.
 
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