Principles of Equine Nutrition ✓ Verified

Principles of Equine Nutrition by A Stable Connection
Principles of Equine Nutrition by A Stable Connection is a one of a kind, comprehensive, one day course for both horse owners and those looking to teach nutritional courses for horse owners.

What Is Elisabeth Crabtree, Owner of A Stable Connection?
Elisabeth is a certified Senior Equine First Aid Instructor and Affiliate with Equi-Health Canada/Equi-First Aid USA, offering a range of first aid and safety classes to horse owners. She is also an Instructor Trainer, offering training courses for individuals who want to combine their passion for horses with a business opportunity. Elisabeth is also a certified trainer with Canine Health Canada, offering emergency first aid training to dog owners. A lifelong equestrian, Elisabeth is also a Rider Biomechanics Coach and a founding member of the International Association of Equestrian Biomechanics. Elisabeth holds multiple certifications in equine facilitated work, is a Path-certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health & Learning and serves on faculty for The Herd Institute. Elisabeth holds an MSc in Education & Training and a Certificate in Equine Science.

Is Your Horse Getting The Right Nutrition For Their Bodyweight, Lifestyle and Working Needs?
Horses are as different as you and I. Some are active athletes working daily. Others work even longer hours on ranches and farms. Some are pasture pets that just get the occasional ride. Some horses are chubby and stay fat on very little, others may be underweight and struggling to keep a good coat. A Stable Connection can give you the knowledge you are looking for to keep each of the horses in your care on the right diet for their individual needs — and thus have happier and healthier horses, able to perform their optimal best! The class was developed in collaboration with a Board of Advisors, including an independent equine nutritionist, an equine surgeon & criticalist, a hoof specialist, and other experts.

What Makes the Principles of Equine Nutrition Course Different?

Principles of Equine Nutrition is a one-day class covering the fundamental principles of equine nutrition. Most importantly, it is independent and unbiased. We’ll cover what a horse has evolved to eat, the GI tract, classes of nutrients, types of forages and feedstuffs, reading feed labels, calculating rations, feeding for life stages, special considerations – and more. Activities will include calculating a horse’s weight, body condition scoring, feed comparisons and ration calculations. The class includes a full-color 80+ page reference manual and a Certificate of Completion. Drinks & snacks are included. Instructors available to teach in Canada and the USA— only$159/student.

Is This A One-of-a-Kind Course?

As far as we know, Principles of Equine Nutrition is the only completely independent, unbiased, in-person nutrition class available! This one-day class provides horse owners with an understanding of the fundamentals of equine nutrition, to help them make more informed decisions about feeding their horses. Available in both the USA and Canada, the class covers what the horse has evolved to eat, the horse’s digestive tract, classes of nutrients and the nutritional requirements, types of forages and feedstuffs, how to read feed labels and calculate rations, feeding for life stages, special considerations – and more. Practical activities include calculating a horse’s weight, body condition scoring, feed comparisons and ration calculations. The class was developed in collaboration with a Board Advisors, comprised of an independent equine nutritionist, an equine surgeon & critical care specialist, a hoof specialist and other equine professionals. Students receive a full-color reference manual and a certificate of completion.

What If I Would Like to Teach These Nutrition Courses Myself?

This is the question so often asked by our students! Our courses are highly beneficial, easy to teach and rewarding! They are a great way to help the horse world, make friends and even make a wonderful additional income!

You Will Be Teaching Desperately Needed Courses!!

A Stable Connection is actively looking to expand its nutrition instructor team across the North America.
We offer Instructor training to people who want to combine their love of horses and their experience with a great income opportunity. Training is available in both Canada and the USA.

Here are Instructor Courses Available For You To Learn and Teach:
Please don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions.

► Principles of Equine Nutrition Instructor Course
This is a course that every horse owner should want to take! A Stable Connection is now offering a one-day Equine Nutrition class for horse-owners. This class will offer an independent, unbiased overview of the principles of equine nutrition. It is the only independent, in-person equine nutrition class available and instructor training is available to those who would like to teach the class. The total tuition is $1,599 – again most instructors make their investment back with their first couple of classes! $1,599

What Other Courses Are Available To Learn That I Could Teach?

► Equine First Aid Instructor Course
3-day Equine First Aid instructor training. Once certified, instructors are able to teach all the first aid classes that Equi-Health Canada/Equi-First Aid USA offer. The total tuition is $2,999 – most instructors make their investment back with their first 2-3 classes! Once certified, Equine first Aid Instructors can add the three additional classes (below) to their teaching portfolio at 50% discount.

► Disaster Planning & Emergency Preparedness Instructor Course
Dpep instructor training. We now offer the opportunity to become an instructor specifically for the Disaster Planning & Emergency Preparedness course, for those who only wish to teach this class. The total tuition is $1,599 – again most instructors make their investment back with their first couple of classes!

► Safe Trailering Practices Instructor Course
Know anyone who every hauls their horse? This is a badly needed course and becoming an instructor for this course will bring you and your students great rewards!! We also now offer the opportunity to become an instructor specifically for the Safe Trailering Practices course, for those who only wish to teach this class. The total tuition is $1,599 – again most instructors make their investment back with their first couple of classes!

► Livestock Handling for First Responders Instructor Course
Ever seen a horse stuck in a slew or ditch? In addition to our classes for all horse & livestock owners, we also teach a class to police, fire, EMS and other first responder personnel, that covers a range of topics to help first responders safely and effectively deal with incidents involving a variety of livesetock species. We now offer the opportunity to become an instructor specifically for the Livestock Handling for First Responders class, for those who only wish to teach this course. Prerequisites: Lhfri candidates Must be certified as both the Disaster and Safe Trailering instructors before taking this course. The total tuition is $1,599 – again most instructors make their investment back with their first couple of classes!

Take These Courses For Yourself or as a NEW Career Today!

Every horse owner or stable owner needs these classes. Think of the fun and enjoyment you will have in helping the horse world become educated on courses that can make a difference! You’ll be making friends and a wonderful income to boot. Talk to Elisabeth today and join a career that can make a world of difference to your horse community. Elisabeth at A Stable Connection is here to help you today!

---

---

What does the Principles of Equine Nutrition class actually teach?

The Principles of Equine Nutrition Class is a one-day, in-person course that walks horse owners through the fundamentals every feeding decision rests on: what the horse has evolved to eat, how the equine GI tract works, the classes of nutrients, and the types of forages and feedstuffs available today. The day moves from theory into hands-on practice — calculating a horse's weight, body condition scoring, comparing feeds, reading feed labels, and building actual rations. By the end, owners can look at their own horse, their own hay, and their own feed bag and make informed, confident choices rather than guessing.

Who is Elisabeth Crabtree, and why does her independence matter?
A Stable Connection is led by Elisabeth Crabtree, who holds an MSc in Education & Training from Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge, UK) and an Equine Science Certificate from the University of Guelph. She is a Certified Independent Equine Nutrition Advisor through Legacy Equine Nutrition, a Senior Equine First Aid Instructor with Equi-Health International, and a Founding Member of the International Association of Equestrian Biomechanics. Because she is not tied to any feed brand, the nutrition class is deliberately independent and unbiased — the goal is teaching owners to read the science, not to sell a particular bag of grain.

What's included when you take the course?

Every student receives a full-color reference manual of more than 80 pages to keep and use long after class ends, plus a Certificate of Completion. The reference manual is built to be a working tool — feed-comparison frameworks, ration-calculation methods, life-stage feeding guidance, and special-considerations notes are all captured so owners can return to them when their horse's needs change. The student course is priced at $169.

How the course handles real-world feeding decisions

Rather than memorizing abstract numbers, the class teaches a repeatable process: estimate the horse's weight, assign a body condition score, then build a ration that matches the animal's actual life stage and workload. Owners learn to weigh commercial feeds against forage, decode the guaranteed analysis on a feed label, and account for special considerations such as growth, performance, or metabolic concerns. Elisabeth also offers personalized nutrition programs, which can optionally be reviewed by Dr. Mottet, an Independent Equine Nutritionist, as an add-on service.

Can you teach the course yourself? The instructor pathway

Beyond the student class, A Stable Connection offers an instructor training program so qualified horse people can deliver the Principles of Equine Nutrition class to their own communities. The instructor program is priced at $1,599 and was developed in 2020 by Elisabeth working with a team of advisors to create a standardized, independent nutrition curriculum. It is a fit for trainers, barn owners, Pony Club leaders, and equine professionals who want a vetted, brand-neutral nutrition course they can offer to clients.

Where it's offered and how to register

The Principles of Equine Nutrition class is available across the USA and Canada through A Stable Connection. To check dates, host a class at your barn, or enroll in the student or instructor program, contact Elisabeth Crabtree by phone at or through the contact form at astableconnection.com. The business is also active on Facebook (facebook.com/astableconnection) and Instagram for class announcements and updates.