Course coordinator
Dr Danielle Fitzgerald
Consultation is by appointment.ﾠPlease email me: d.smith8@uq.edu.au
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- Gatton
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- Gatton
- Coordinating unit
- Agriculture and Food Sustainability School
This course presents the underpinning science of digestive physiology and nutrition in the horse. This knowledge is applied to the feeding management of horses to optimise health and performance. Disorders with a nutritional basis and their management and prevention are discussed. Other health topics including transport and biosecurity are covered. Evidence of immunity to Q fever and vaccination against tetanus is mandatory for the In Person offering of this course. Refer to UQ Student Immunisation Requirements for more information .
This course will be last offered in 2026.
This course is designed to build on the second level course, ANIM2053 Animal Nutrition and provides students with a fuller understanding of equine nutrition as it relates to feeding and nutritional health. The course ﾠfocuses on anatomy of the equine gastrointestinal system, nutritional physiology as it relates to nutritionally related diseases and applied aspects of nutrition with regard to growth & development, performance and breeding. General aspects of equine health related to management are covered including common diseases, preventative actions, first aid and biosecurity.
This course has mandatory immunisation requirements due to an increased risk of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD) for students working with animals or in agricultural environments. Students will be asked to provide evidence of immunity to Q fever and vaccination against tetanus via my.UQ My Requests as a condition of enrolment in this course. Refer to UQ Student Immunisation Requirements for more information.
Course requirements
Assumed background
The successful completion of ANIM2053 will assist students undertaking this course.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
ANIM1006, ANIM2024 and ANIM2039
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
ANIM2053
Companion or co-requisite courses
You'll need to complete the following courses at the same time:
ANIM3006
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
ANIM7117 (co-taught)
Restrictions
In Person offering restricted to students who meet mandatory immunisation requirements.
Jointly taught details
This course is jointly-taught with:
- Another instance of the same course
This course shares content with ANIM3030 External, with activities and assessment that may vary (Online modules) to suit the mode and campus of study.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Guest lecturer
Associate Professor Shane Campbell
Dr Noman Naseem
Miss Sascha Nott
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Lectures will be delivered via online recordings with contact time used for content and literature review.
Mobile phones are not to be used during practicals and when on-site visits. Always ask permission before taking pictures.
You are required to attend all practical classes - please remember to wear a hat and sunscreen, as well as required clothing as identified in Learning Resources.
All timetabled practicals from Week 3 have been identified as high-risk activities for Q-fever exposure.
UQ Equine Science Conference
The UQ Equine Science Conference is an event for all Equine Science specific courses in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. This will consist of a timetabled session that will occur on Friday May 30th between 10am - 2pm in 8103-132 - Animal Industries Building, Learning Theatre. Your participation in this conference is compulsory and linked to your presentation assessment (please refer to Assessments page for details).
If you have any concerns regarding your official timetable or course allocations, or there are no suitable class times available, contact Faculty of Science Timetable science.mytimetable@uq.edu.au for advice.
If you have any questions about missing class activities, please contact your course coordinator.
Aims and outcomes
This course will enable you to:
- integrate an understanding of the nutritional physiology of the horse with the dietary requirements of different classes of horses
- analyse the nutritional requirements of individual horses or groups of horses and assess how their diet impacts on their health and performance
- design management strategies to minimise the risk of disease for both individual and groups of horses.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Describe the structure and function of the equine gastrointestinal tract.
LO2.
Demonstrate an understanding of the nutritional physiology of the horse.
LO3.
Analyse a horse's diet and determine if it meets the nutritive needs of the horse to which it is being fed, as well as the factors which impact this.
LO4.
Demonstrate knowledge of the laboratory techniques used for feed analysis
LO5.
Know how to perform an animal welfare and health check.
LO6.
Understand common diseases of horses, critically assess preventative measures available and decide how to implement preventative measures.
LO7.
Process and critically analyse scientific publications.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Ration Formulation
|
20% |
11/04/2025 4:00 pm |
| Presentation |
Glycaemic response of feeds
|
30% |
30/05/2025 2:00 pm
Poster will be due for upload by 2pm on 23/05/2025. Presentations will be delivered In Person from 10am on Friday May 30, 2025. |
| Examination |
Final Exam
|
50% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
Assessment details
Ration Formulation
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
11/04/2025 4:00 pm
Task description
As part of nutritional management of horses, you need to create rations to suit various classes and activities. You will use the software programme FeedXL, in a practical class and have access to it on your personal computer, to evaluate, modify, and recommend an adjusted diet to provided scenarios. You will provide a report of two (2) of the scenarios including a diagnosis of the nutritional disorder which has arisen from the existing diet and a formulation of a corrected diet. A detailed document for this assessment will be provided at the practical class.
Word count: 1000 - 2000 words
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Translation (MT) technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
You must submit your Assessment task, in Blackboard, via the Turnitin link by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Legal Declaration:
By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Glycaemic response of feeds
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
30/05/2025 2:00 pm
Poster will be due for upload by 2pm on 23/05/2025.
Presentations will be delivered In Person from 10am on Friday May 30, 2025.
Task description
You will prepare a conference style poster (as a single Power Point slide) and present a 3-minute presentation at the UQ Equine Science Student Conference.
The glycaemic response of four equine feeds was tested in a practical. For your poster you will use the information generated in the "Assessment of glucose response" practical to prepare a conference style poster outlining the differences in the glycaemic response of four feeds, relating these results to a randomly allocated management scenario, and make a feed recommendation. In this poster you will need to graph blood glucose changes of individual horses over time and relate differences to the nutritional differences of the feeds.
You will present at the UQ Equine Science Conference to be on Friday May 30, 2025.
Poster Submission
You will be required to upload your poster (as a single Power Point slide) via the link on Blackboard no later than 2pm on Friday May 23, 2025.
More information about your poster presentation and associated formatting will be provided on Blackboard.
Presentation
The UQ Equine Science Conference commencing at 10am on Friday May 30, 2025. All students undertaking ANIM Equine specific courses are expected to attend. Presentation and attendance of presentation of other students is compulsory. Presentation on this date is NOT negotiable. Exemption from presentation and participation will only be granted in the most exceptional circumstances.
The seminars are 3-minutes each. You are limited to 1 slide, so please think carefully about the important points you want to present in your talk. The time is not negotiable, and you will be cut off if you do not keep to this time.
The presentations will be marked by two staff members. Further, marks will be allocated for participation - you need to attend the presentations of all other students in the course.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Translation (MT) technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
You must submit your Poster portion of the assessment task, in Blackboard, via the Turnitin link by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Legal Declaration:
By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Exemption from presentation and participation during the Equine Student Conference will only be granted in the most exceptional circumstances. Presenting on a different day is to be discussed with the Course Coordinator.
Late submission
1) The presentation component of this assessment item - students are unable to submit late as the assessment is conducted in class.
2) The poster component of this assessment item - students who submit their poster after the identified due date and time listed above OR where students have been approved for an extension for the poster submission (see 'Deferral or extension'), and submit your assessment item after your approved due date and time, your assessment submission will be subject to the following late submission penalty:
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Final Exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
Task description
The exam will cover all aspects of the course, both theoretical and practical.
This will be a Closed Book exam with no written materials permitted. Students will require a UQ approved calculator for the exam.
The exam will be an on-campus exam. Have your UQ student ID card available for all your exams. Students enrolled in In Person delivery must attend the exam in person.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 0 - 34% |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 35% - 46% |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: 47% - 49% |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 50% - 64% |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 65% - 74% |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 75% - 84% |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 85% - 100% |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.
Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.
If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.
Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.
To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.
Additional assessment information
Please note the following when writing assignments
You must not re-use past work from previous assessments in your assignments.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
All reported work must be done by the individual student. Assignments that look and sound alike will be reported as plagiarism – a serious offence at UQ. Please note the university’s policy on academic integrity and plagiarism which can be accessed at Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy.
Practical class attendance
You must complete and adhere to the OHS paperwork/relevant inductions to attend practical classes.
For In Person students, there are Practical Classes scheduled as per your timetable. The practicals run for approximately 3-hours and may be a combination of laboratory-based and field-based activities. To obtain a grade for the practical classes students must participate and complete the associated exercises. If you do not participate in a practical class, or do not provide evidence of your attendance (i.e. signing attendance sheet/scanning student ID card at the beginning of your practical session), your report will not be marked.
Practical non-attendance
Students need to submit an assessment extension request on my.UQ > myRequests, for missing a practical session. The Practical sessions are timetabled activities, and if students miss a practical and request exemption/access to online material as relevant, they must provide documentation that shows they were unable to attend the practical on the relevant day. Documentation for ongoing conditions, such as Student Access Plans, are not acceptable evidence for missed Practical sessions.
TurnItIn Assignments
Assignments that are required to be submitted through TurnItIn, must only be uploaded to the assessment specific Turnitin link on the relevant course Blackboard site.ﾠ If you submit any version of your assessment item to any alternative Turnitin link, this is considered cheating and you will be held liable for this action.ﾠ
Release of marks
Unless specifically indicated by the lecturer involved,ﾠevery attempt will be made to haveﾠthe results for progressive assessment tasks available within 3 weeks of submission. For items of assessment submitted in the last 2 weeks of the semester, the results will be available before the day of your end of semester examination in the course, unless otherwise indicated by the Course Coordinator. Results and feedback availability will be advised to you by email or announced via the course Blackboard site.
Feedback in this course
Feedback is welcome in this course as any information on how students find this learning experience is constructive.
Please use the evaluation form provided to you at the end of semester - or if you are enrolled internally, a course evaluation process will occur in the last few weeks of semester.
Re-mark Applications – refer to the University's Re-mark Policy to check your eligibility
Before applying for a remark, students should consider the following:
- You have consulted the course coordinator for feedback
- Your academic grounds for remark have been discussed and are valid
- Wanting a higher grade is not grounds for a remark. A remark can decrease your grade.
Remark applications will not be considered without first having contacted your course Co-ordinator.ﾠ
Deferred and Supplementary assessment (including Deferred In-Semester Examinations)
Deferred and Supplementary information can be located on the my.UQ website
Supplementary assessment will be designed to allow eligible students to demonstrate specific learning objectives of the course.
Students are required to achieve a mark of 50% or greater in the supplementary assessment in order to pass the course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Other course materials
If we've listed something under further requirement, you'll need to provide your own.
Required
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| ANIM3030 Course Blackboard Site | Blackboard is the main method of communication for this course. | |
| ANIM3030 Course Profile | Provides details of specifications, rationale, aims and structure of the course. It also informs you of the assessment for this course, including weighting and due dates. | |
| Enclosed leather shoes/boots | Enclosed leather shoes/boots for horse handling and laboratory work | own item needed |
| Long trousers/jeans and collared shirt | Long trousers/jeans and collared shirt for horse handling and field work | own item needed |
| Laboratory coat and safety glasses | Laboratory coat and safety glasses for laboratory work | own item needed |
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 7 |
Lecture |
Equine Nutrition Modules Introduction and Digestive anatomy and physiology, Macro and Micro Nutrients, Feedstuffs and Feed Evaluation, Equine requirements and Weeds, Applied Equine Nutrition, Insulin and Glucose dynamics. Sub-activity: Digestive Anatomy and phyisology (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Nutrients; Macro Nutrients (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Nutrients; Micro Nutrients (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Feedstuffs & Feed Evaluation (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Equine requirements & weeds (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald & Dr Frances Shapter) Applied Nutrition; weight management (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Insulin and Glucose dynamics (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) |
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Seminar |
Seminar series Weekly discussions of scientific articles |
Practical |
Practicals Water management, Equine GIT anatomy, Ration formulation, Pasture and Feed evaluation, Weed Identification, Health assessments, Glucose response, First aid, Parasite control and management. Sub-activity: Water Mangement (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Pasture and Feed Evaluation 1 (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Dissection 1 (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald & Dr Noman Naseem) Dissection 2 (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Ration Evaluation and Development (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Pasture and Feed Evaluation 2 (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Weed Walk (A/Prof Shane Campbell) Pasture and Feed Evaluation 3 (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Health Assessment (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Glucose Response (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Bandaging (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald and Ms Sacha Nott) Parasite control and management (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) |
|
Multiple weeks From Week 8 To Week 13 |
Lecture |
Equine Health Modules The healthy horse, Internal parasites, Non-infectious diseases of horses, Infectious diseases of horses, First aid, Wound care and emergencies, Notifiable diseases, reporting responsibilities, Biosecurity Sub-activity: The Healthy Horse (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Internal parasites (Dr Anne Beasley) Non-infectious disease of horses (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Infectious disease of horses (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) First Aid, Wound care, Emergancies (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) Notifiable Diseases, reporting responsibilities, Biosecurity (Dr Danielle Fitzgerald) |
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Symposium |
UQ Equine Student Conference The UQ Equine Science Conference is an event for all Equine Science specic courses in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. This will consist of a timetabled session that will occur on Friday May 30th between 10am - 2pm in 8103-132 - Animal Industries Building, Learning Theatre. Your participation in this conference is compulsory and linked to your presentation assessment (please refer to section 5 for details). |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:
Course guidelines
Student immunisation requirements
The University policy Vaccination and Immunisation (Vaccinations and Immunisation Guideline / Document / Policy and Procedure Library) provides information about immunisation and screening requirements related to programs and courses. Failure to comply with student immunisation requirements can lead to an increased risk of serious illness occurring. Therefore, non-compliance will result in the relevant course/s being dropped from your enrolment under Section 3 of the Enrolment policy (Enrolment Procedure / Document / Policy and Procedure Library).