Abstract:
A week long, spring semester Horse Industry Study Tour was established in 2003 to expose students to the broad array of opportunities in the equine industry and to increase students' appreciation for the various disciplines within the horse industry. The tour is limited to eight University of Nebraska students which travel either to the eastern Kentucky region (primarily horse racing) or south to the north Texas region (primarily stock horses) and encompasses breeding facilities, breed and discipline associations, race tracks, training facilities, veterinary clinics, and various other horse industry supportive businesses. Prior to the tour, students participated in once-a-week planning meetings for nearly nine weeks consisting of identifying tour stops, researching each stop, and discussion of each. Following the tour, students completed a 10 to 15 page paper as well as a follow up survey on the usefulness of the tour. Post-tour survey results compiled over the eight years of the tour clearly indicate that a significant gain in knowledge of the horse industry and the various disciplines was achieved. The Horse Industry Study Tour has been a beneficial means of experiential learning for students by enhancing their career exploration and expanding their understanding of the broad spectrum of the equine industries.
Keywords:
horse industry study tour, experiential learning
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