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Trail Riding 101

Course Contact: Dr. Christine Skelly

The Trail Riding 101 course is based on the knowledge of equine experts at Michigan State University and nationally recognized equine professionals. For questions regarding this course, please contact Dr. Christine Skelly at skellych@msu.edu.

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Course Overview

You will learn to make an informed decision when selecting a horse for an intended use based on the horse's conformation and your goals.
 
More specifically, you will learn about:

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  • Trail riding benefits

  • Horse/Equipment selection

  • Nutrition and conditioning

  • First aid on the trail

  • Trailering to the ride

  • Competitive and non-competitive trail rides

  • Trail safety and etiquette

  • Preserving trails

 

Each unit consists of an overview, informative topics including pictures and short video clips, as well as optional activities. At the end of each unit there are short quizzes, which you may retake if necessary. The on-line portion of this course is estimated to take 3 to 5 hours to complete.

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Course Format

Self-paced

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Price

FREE

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Registration Instructions

To register for this course you will need to create an account, sign in with your email/password, and complete the registration process. To watch a video tutorial, demonstrating an overview of the registration process, click on the following link: Online Course Registration Video Tutorial. Step-by-step instructions are below.

 

  1. Create your MSU Guest Account and Password: Create Your Account. 

  2. Login to the registration system with your Guest Account (your email) and Password: Trail Riding 101.

  3. Follow the instructions to register for the course. Upon registration, you will receive a receipt and instructions for accessing the course.

Technical Assistance  

If you have any technical problems, please contact the Michigan State University IT Service Desk from 7am-12am Monday through Friday and 10am-12am on Saturday/Sunday, any day that the University is open.  

  • Phone: (517) 432-6200 

  • Phone (toll free): 1 (844) 678-6200 

  • Chat 

  • Email Web Form 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is my username/NETID? 
Your username (or NET ID) is the email address you used to create your account during registration (you use the same email address/password for registering and for taking the course). 

 

What URL do I go to for logging into the course? 
Go to: https://d2l.msu.edu/. You will see the Michigan State University at the top of the page. Login with the email address and password you set during the registration process. 

 

I received a “not authenticated” response when trying to login – what do I do? 
A “not authenticated” message is typically an issue with a password not being entered correctly. 

 

I forgot my password – where can I reset it? 
If you need to reset your password at any time go to https://auth.msu.edu/ and select the option for "Need help Signing in." 

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