The College of West Anglia, Cambridge Campus and Anglia Ruskin University, are working in partnership to offer an exciting new Equestrian Degree in Cambridge.

On the 30th April the two educational establishments met on Parkers Piece in Cambridge to officially launch this exciting new higher education course. The event involved horses and their riders on the common - when did you last see horses in Cambridge? - together with key senior management from both establishments and VETNET.

This new equestrian degree is the first to be launched in Cambridge and offers a unique opportunity to benefit from the expertise of both establishments. Anglia Ruskin been renowned for its animal behaviour related degrees, whilst the college is highly respected for its equine practical vocational courses. Graduates from this course will be fully prepared for a range of positions within the equine industry. Students will be able to access the extensive range of resources at both institutions - getting the best of both worlds - hands-on horse skills and all the benefits of a studying in Cambridge with real horses.

To support the development of higher education equine courses at the college, Anglia Ruskin University are generously investing a significant amount of money in equine facilities and equipment. These new facilities are likely to include equine hydrotherapy equipment, horse weighbridge, equine solarium, gait analysis software, hot and cold therapy systems, magnotherapy equipment and a full size horse skeleton!

The new state-of-the-art equipment will be housed in a new barn at the Cambridge Campus of the college and treatment boxes will be built to enable horses to be safely handled by students.

The two riders on the day were Frances Murray on Calle (the dun horse) and Stephanie Soskin on O'sin (the grey Irish sport horse). Both riders are Equine Lecturers at the college, Cambridge Campus and the horses, which are their own, are stabled at the college for the students to train on. O'sin at 17.2 hands high is the tallest of the college horses and has completed a successful winter season BSJA and has just embarked on his summer activities as a working hunter at the county shows. Calle at 23 yrs old is one of the oldest of the college horses and as a Fjord is certainly the most eye-catching! Calle was Frances' Pony Club pony and still regularly competes.

For further details on the new Equine degree, please contact the College of West Anglia or call the Anglia Ruskin Contact Centre on 0845 271 3333.