Equine Performance and Business Management
Learn to enhance equine performance, while gaining strategic business skills essential for success in the equine industry. Study a degree at ARU in Writtle.
UK students have the option to study this course over one year to achieve a CertHE. You’ll study the same modules as students on Year 1 of the BSc.
Contact us to discuss what you can do, or choose your preferred option when you apply.in the East of England for undergraduates employed as managers, directors or senior officials.
Source: GOS 2025
You can choose to follow one of two pathways: equitation and coaching, or breeding and production.
If your interests lie in horsemanship, riding and coaching, our equitation and coaching pathway will give you the opportunity to upskill, and prepare for potential careers in training, coaching and sports performance.
If you have a strong interest in horse breeding, the breeding and production pathway lets you focus on the skills and technical knowledge you need to be at the forefront of this expanding industry.
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Find out more about studying Equine Performance and Business Management at ARU in this short video.
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Build your professional network by working with equine organisations to solve real-life problems in the sector
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Take advantage of our Stallion collection facilities on Campus and get hands-on opportunities to see how this lucrative part of the equine industry operates
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Join our Equine Academy, which supports talented competition riders and provides coaching from UKCC-qualified coaches or choose one of our DIY livery packages and bring your horse to university while you study
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Gain real-life hands on experience with the opportunity to run your own event as part of your Event Management module
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Our course team includes industry-experienced staff and practitioners in equine rehabilitation, behaviour, nutrition and breeding
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Focus on business practices, with modules on brand management and a consultancy project
Careers
Studying at Writtle helped to deepen my understanding on areas such as nutrition, equine physiology, sports performance and veterinary conditions. This has been incredibly beneficial to my career.
This course will equip you with the practical, theoretical and scientific skills to work across the equine industry.
The business strategy and management aspect, meanwhile, will prepare you for leadership positions, as you learn about innovative practices and develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
Our strong industry links will help you build your professional network. You’ll have opportunities to collaborate with industry partners on a range of business-focused projects.
Teaching and modules
You’ll develop both theoretical and practical skills relevant to working with horses.
We’ll cover their biology, health, nutrition, breeding and foaling, grassland management, and how horses respond to training and equipment such as saddles and shoes.
You’ll also learn business skills including event planning, digital marketing and website design, and business operations, strategy and management for equine organisations, and consolidate them by working on projects with industry partners.
You’ll follow either the breeding and production pathway, or the equitation and coaching pathway, focusing and specialising in an area that interests you.
Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.
- Equine Anatomy and Physiology (15 credits)
- Equine Practical Skills (15 credits)
- Equine Health Management (15 credits)
- Equine Nutrition (15 credits)
- Breeding and Foaling (15 credits)
- Saddle Fit and Farriery (15 credits)
- Equine Business and Event Management (30 credits)
- Into ARU
- Research Methods (15 credits)
- Training for Performance (15 credits)
- Grassland and Facilities Management (15 credits)
- Equine Health and Disease (15 credits)
- Business Strategy and Operations (30 credits)
- Young Horse Production (15 credits) *
- Applied Stud Management (15 credits) *
- Equitation and Coaching (15 credits) *
- Equestrian Enterprise Management (15 credits) *
- Major Project (30 credits)
- Digital Brand Management (15 credits)
- Current Issues in the Equine Industry (15 credits)
- Applied and Clinical Equine Nutrition (15 credits)
- Consultancy Project (15 credits)
- Conception to Competition (30 credits) *
- Influencing Equine Performance (15 credits) *
- Equitation Science (15 credits) *
To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.
- Academic and Personal Management Skills (20 credits)
- Biological Concepts (Introduction to Laboratory Skills) (20 credits)
- Maths for IT and Science (15 credits)
- Chemistry for Life Sciences (15 credits)
- Independent (Themed) Project (20 credits)
- Applied Industry Techniques (30 credits)
If you study the Cert HE, you'll complete core modules from Year 1 of the BSc (Hons) course. Contact us to discuss what you can do, or choose your preferred option when you apply.
Our course team includes industry-experienced staff and practitioners in equine rehabilitation, behaviour, nutrition and breeding, as well as competition riders and UKCC coaches.
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Susan MooneySenior Lecturer
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Stephanie KeyLecturer
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Briony WitherowSenior Lecturer
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Jaime FinchDeputy Head of School
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Rosemary LawrenceLecturer in Equine
Facilities
Study equine courses with ARU in Writtle and benefit from our Equine Training and Development Centre.
On our 150-hectare campus, we have around 70 horses, a working stable yard, indoor and outdoor riding arenas, an oval horse walker, and a therapy barn. We also have a DIY Livery Yard for your horse.
You’ll also be able to make full use of facilities including extensive library and IT resources and access support, should you need it, with study skills, careers advice, health and wellbeing, and more.
Take a guided tour and meet our students.
Equine Academy: support for talented riders
The Equine Academy at ARU Writtle supports a group of competition-level riders every year. It offers training sessions for the rider, stabling for the horse, and access to our equine facilities and experienced support staff.
Find out more about Equine Academy eligibility and how to apply.
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Academy barn - Writtle students are able to bring their own horses to university with them on DIY livery.
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Central track and turnout which leads to our Equine Training and Development Centre
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Our Equine Training and Development Centre, home to all things equine and approximately 70 horses.
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Horse water treadmill
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This is the largest of our arenas (24m x 60m), each of which have a different surface. This allows students to assess the impact of surfaces on equine biomechanics.
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Our outdoor arena is 20m x 60m in size and located next to the horse walker.
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Tempo arena is one of our indoor arenas, 24m x 55m in size. DIY Livery students have access to all of our facilities when not being used for teaching purposes.
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The Therapy Barn is a large teaching space that allows presentations to be shared with students while simultaneously apply their learnt techniques.
Entry requirements
Fees and funding
Apply for Equine Performance and Business Management
Apply through Clearing
UK students
Clearing places available for the 4-year course with foundation year – apply today