Equestion was inspired by my passion for horses and teaching, and as a Psychologist I wanted to utilise the most effective ways of learning to help make a difference for riders and students.  After many years’ experience as the owner of a riding school and Equine Assisted Therapy Centre, I struggled with engaging some of my younger clients in the theory and the knowledge side of horses. They loved to work with the horses, get hands on and do practical activities, but picking up a book to learn the principles of feeding? the structure of the foot? recalling the skeletal or digestive system? – that was hard going! When I noticed how everyone would be glued to their phones at lunchtime or break time, I wondered ‘If only could onto get those textbooks onto their phones’!

Many students also struggled to remember the facts they needed for their qualifications, and somehow these needed to be cemented into memory as one-off lectures didn’t quite cut it. 

To encode information securely into memory, one of the best ways of doing this is to actively engage with the material. It also goes further than just simply being able to recall information, when you really understand something, it becomes so much easy to remember, both now, and in the long-term. By responding to the many thousands of questions within the app you are actively participating in the learning process. Not simply, passively reading information, which then becomes so easily forgotten. Have you ever read a page of a book and then by the end of the page have no idea what you’ve just read?  Me too!

 Memories are better encoded and much stronger if they are either formed through experiences, or by repetition and practice. The app is a learning experience, rather than passively reading a textbook - you are participating in something that is so much more, plus, you can repeat and practice what you need to learn. The app has an intuitive ‘smart quiz’ system so it knows which topics you need to revise, and also allows you to visualize your success. You can also interact with your coach or instructor by sending them your results, or by challenging friends to beat your score, so it’s a lot of fun too!

Equestion contains thousands of questions across the two levels, the content is based on the BHS (British Horse Society) and NVQ (vocational) qualifications as well as real life horse care experience. Content has been written by experienced qualified instructors to cover all you need to know when caring for horses.

Although it covers exam topics and some of the specifics needed for those working in the industry, it is an in-depth and accurate resource, ideal for anyone who wants to know more about horses. Riders can improve their knowledge and become much more confident in their abilities when caring for their horses.  

Level 1 covers:

• Working Safely on a Yard
• Grooming and Washing
• Maintaining Stables & Yard
• Rugs
• Behaviour and Health
• Tacking up & Untacking
• Handling, leading & Controlling
• Cleaning Tack & Horse Clothing
• Feeding & Watering
• The field, catching & moving horses
• Riding 

Each level also a 'Test Yourself' section and will provide a randomised quiz from across all modules. 

Level 2, in addition to the going into greater depths of the topics above, includes:

• Fitness and Rehabilitation 
• Riders with Special Requirements
• Fitting and Maintaining Tack
• Trekking 
• Preparing horses for sale and buying horses 
• Travelling a horse to competition
• Anatomy & Health
• Lungeing and Long reining
• Grooming & Presentation 
• Riding Safely on the Road 
• The Foot
• The Stable
• Riding Knowledge

Equestion has been used by all ages and abilities, from children as young as 6 years of age through to adults of all ages.

For younger riders, it’s perfect for studying for your BHS, Pony Club or vocational exams and is used by riding schools to help riders learn more about horse care and at Pony Camps. 

Equally, it’s great for a variety of people of all ages, whether you are new or returning to horses or maybe thinking about horse ownership and want to be fully prepared.  There really is something for everyone and we are constantly developing and updating the information in the database.

Equestion is ideal for people with disabilities. As the creator of the app, the idea stemmed from over a decade of experience working with people with physical, behavioural and educational needs, as well as neurodiversity.  It was from the running an alternative educational provision that helped to recognise the need for a more interactive way of learning. Working with many students we designed Equestion to engage everyone in learning through technology. The understanding of the diversity within psychology and learning styles is the foundation of the app itself. Equestion helps with memory, improved understanding and recall of information. It is suitable for all and works equally as well with assistive technology on your smartphone or tablet, so can be used by all including people who are blind or partially sighted.

The app is free to download with in app purchases to give you the choice of purchasing either level that is most suited to you, or both. 

Equestion Level 1 is under £5 and Level 2 is under £10 on both Apple and Android platforms. 

These are one off costs and not a subscription, so once you've bought it, it's yours to keep. 

The content of Equestion is equivalent to horse care and stable management books you would expect to pay in the region of £40-50 to find the equivalent resources and information contained within. It has taken over two years to develop the app and included within is decades worth of knowledge. The app is extremely reasonably priced and at a fraction of the cost of traditional books. Plus, you can carry Equestion around in your pocket and study whenever your have free time, unlike a traditional book which would certainly weigh you down! 

The content is based on the BHS and NVQ qualifications as well as real life horse care experience and decades of knowledge from experienced qualified instructors. We also consulted with qualified farriers, equine nutrition experts and other experts to confirm the facts you are learning in Equestion are all up to date. All of the health and care information is applicable to all horses across the world. We are specific to the English style of riding, but not exclusively to the United Kingdom (we have plans to include Western riding as well as more discipline specific sections). The only information which is specific to the UK is the industry knowledge for those undertaking career exams, but this is a small part of the app, but even if you are not planning to take equine exams, the knowledge of health and safety is still good standards to work to.  

We have also compared the UK qualifications with those from other countries, including the US and Canada and many countries use the British Horse Society as the basis for their own exam syllabus . 

As a coach, Equestion can support your student's learning and help cement information and facts following your stable management lectures or lessons. 

Set tasks for clients between sessions, as well as sending you their test or module scores directly to you, via email, text or social media. This can be great to set challenges offer incentives for students. 

You will be surprised at how much more information students will retain using Equestion. Because of the intuitive learning system and with easy access to the app anywhere, on the go your students will enjoy learning.

For more information about how to best utilise Equestion at your riding establishment contact Lucy to chat more.

Equestion is designed to be used as a standalone learning platform and does not require any further input from instructors. 

Of course, riding and equine care is a very practical subject, and nothing can replace hands-on experience. We promote good understanding and knowledge of horse care theory will enable confidence in your practical abilities. 

We have had lots of requests for an instructor-led course which will build upon the information within the levels and will be supported learning online. Our first course to accompany Level 1 will be available in July 2020, if you would like to be first to know or like further information email us and we will keep you informed.