COURSES at Kildalton College aim to provide knowledge and skills relating to the sport horse industry and in particular training students to add value to young horses. There are employment opportunities in the industry including stud farms, training yards and equestrian centres.

Courses are offered at Kildalton Agricultural College, Piltown, Co. Kilkenny.

Kildalton College currently offer QQI Level 5 and Level 6 courses in Horsemanship and Stud Management. The college is in the process of developing a QQI Level 7 Assistant Stud Manger Apprenticeship which will hopefully start in 2019/2020.

Students at Kildalton learn to work as part of a team and make friends for life. Kildalton courses have a reputation for producing highly skilled graduates with an excellent work ethic. The college has developed strong links with all disciplines in the equine industry ensuring that our students have the best opportunity to find jobs once they have finished.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

AND APPLICATIONS

There are no minimum educational entry requirements but students who have completed the Leaving Certificate are likely to benefit most from the course. Applicants must be over 17 years on 1st January 2020 and must have riding experience if they want to take part in the horsemanship option.

Applications should be made online at www.teagasc.ie.

QQI LEVEL 5

CERTIFICATES

The QQI Level 5 Horsemanship Course (1st year) consists of 30 weeks’ course work at Kildalton College.

The QQI Level 5 Stud Management Course (1st year) consists of three days at Kildalton College doing course work and work experience for two days a week at excellent local stud farms.

During first year students on both courses develop knowledge and skills in:

On successful completion of the QQI Level 5 Certificate in Horse Breeding and Training programme, students may apply via online application to join the following Level 6 courses.

QQI LEVEL 6 CERTFICATES

The QQI Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Horsemanship and in Stud Management act as a second year to the Level 5 equivalent.

These courses are designed to train students to find employment in the sport horse or thoroughbred industry, or to start their own business. Students choose to study one of the two specialisms – Stud Management or Horsemanship.

Stud Management

Students come to Kildalton College for 18 weeks and complete the academic course work and develop their proficiency in handling young horses.

Stud students then spend 12 weeks on paid work placement on approved stud farms to develop proficiency in stud management skills.

On work placement students are involved in different areas, such as foaling down mares, stallion yards, barren mares, walk-in mares, foal and yearling sales preparation, pinhooking and breeze-ups.

This gives them a broad experience of the industry. Students may also get the opportunity of going to the sales and being involved in buying, showing and selling of stock at sales.

Horsemanship

Students spend 28 weeks at Kildalton developing their riding and horse management skills, backing three- and four-year-olds, training young horses for sales and competitions. Students learn how to manage a team of students and horses. They will also learn how a commercial yard works.

Students also have the opportunity to work towards their British Horse Society (BHS) qualifications in coaching. Kildalton is a BHS training centre and an exam centre, making it the ideal location for students to gain their qualifications.

On successful completion of the year two programme, students are awarded the QQI Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Horsemanship which meets the training requirements for becoming a Young Trained Farmer (Green Cert).

TESTIMONIALS

All courses throw up stars and ours is no different. Students that come to mind who have trained at Kildalton are:

Captain Geoff Curran from Waterford who joined the Ministry for Defence, competed at the Olympics and won the World Cup 2008 (3-Day Eventing).

Guy O’Callaghan was a student who started college in the riding stream and in 2nd year he opted to join the stud course. Guy is from the renowned Yeomanstown Stud which specialises in thoroughbred stallions, pinhooking and breeze-ups.

Guy enjoyed his time at Kildalton and said: “I gained great insights into riding young horses in a balanced way and felt that the grassland and horse health modules taught me about things that I will encounter daily.”

While Guy was at Kildalton he was very productive, not only did he complete his course, he also ran a half-marathon and rode at Cheltenham in a charity race.

Teagasc Kildalton Equine Courses are for you if you want to: