Equine Nutrition Short Course

The Equine Nutrition Short Course provides science-based, unbiased nutrition information to equine owners, business operators, industry professionals, and enthusiasts alike. The 9-week course includes fundamental nutrition knowledge for horses, ponies, mules, and donkeys. Beginning with fundamental nutrition concepts and building through nutrient requirements and specific needs for equine classes, this course will empower participants to make informed nutrition decisions for any equid!

2026 Equine Nutrition Short Course

Registration is open!

Online Sessions and Classroom

Each session will be held live on each date, but live participation is not required for course completion. All sessions will be recorded and posted in an online classroom. Recorded sessions, resources and the Question/Answer stream will be available on each topic for access throughout the program. Participants will have access to all resources in the online classroom for 1 year, including recorded sessions.

The 2026 Equine Nutrition Short Course tentative webinar schedule is included below. The instructors may adjust the course schedule as needed during the program to accommodate guest speaker schedules. Webinars will be recorded.

All sessions run from 7:00-8:30pm Eastern time.

September 1: Course Welcome & Overview; Equine Digestive Tract
September 8: Body Weight, Body & Muscle Condition; Nutrients and Requirements
September 15: Feed Types; Reading the Feed Tag; Interpreting Forage Tests
September 22: Supplements
September 29: Growing, Breeding, and Lactating Equids
October 6: Feeding Athletic Equids
October 13: Metabolic Conditions and Overweight Equids
October 20: Senior & Starved Horses
October 27: Current Issues and Topics in Equine Nutrition

Three Question and Answer sessions will also be hosted to help answer participant questions on topic areas. Each Q&A session will be recorded.

All Q&A sessions run from 12-1:30pm Eastern time.

September 17: Questions from webinars 1-3
October 8: Questions from webinars 4-6
October 22: Questions from webinars 7-8

Meet the Coordinators

Dr. Jennie Ivey is a Professor and Equine Extension Specialist in the Animal Science Department at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. Holding a doctorate in Animal and Nutritional Sciences from West Virginia University, she has spent more than a decade building science-based equine education programs that reach horse owners, veterinarians, producers, and youth across Tennessee and well beyond state lines. She is the founder and lead instructor of the Tennessee Master Horse Program, a statewide certification program that has trained more than 1,185 individuals since 2016, and has developed a suite of online short courses in equine nutrition and health management that have enrolled participants from 45 states and multiple countries.

Dr. Ivey’s work sits at the intersection of equine nutrition, welfare, and outreach; translating research into practical guidance for the people who work and live with horses every day. She leads the Animal Science Extension team at UTIA, coordinates youth education programs through Tennessee’s 4-H Horse Program, and serves as the university’s appointed member on the Tennessee Equine Health Advisory Commission. Her research program focuses on nutritional management of emaciated horses, and her outreach efforts have generated more than $2.4 million in program funding over her career. She is also a committed mentor, having guided more than 10 graduate students and hosted international visiting faculty through USDA exchange programs in Kenya and the Philippines.

When she is not in the classroom or the extension arena, Dr. Ivey is likely planning the next iteration of the Equine Industries course — a multi-institution, travel-based experience that takes students from Tennessee to Ireland and everywhere in between. She can be reached at jzivey@utk.edu.

Learn more about Dr. Ivey

Registration Information

Registration Cost:

$185 until August 28, 2026
$226 from August 29-September 10, 2026

Open to all individuals over 15 years of age. Tennessee residence is not required for registration.

Attendance is required in order to successfully complete the Equine Nutrition Short Course and receive incentive materials. Sessions will be recorded and posted along with activities to earn attendance credit if unable to attend sessions live. A minimum of 25 participants is required to hold the course.

The cost per person is NON-REFUNDABLE. The program fee includes access to all sessions and the online classrooms, one forage test, a certificate, and additional incentive materials.