The one-week Costa Rica Pre-Vet Equine program offers you the opportunity to gain experience in the basics of equine veterinary care and husbandry on a tranquil ranch in tropical Costa Rica. With your program veterinarian, you will have daily workshops on topics such as physical therapy, dentistry, nutrition, radiography and ultrasonography, farrier care, and acupuncture as well as daily lectures on topics such as equine physical exams and veterinary basics, farm management, horse breeding and genetics, and animal behavior and communication.
Daily horse care assignments will include food preparation, feeding, grooming, cleaning of stables and maintenance of grazing areas and walking trails, so be prepared to get your hands dirty! Rancho Ventura has a strong commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly initiatives so students will also get to participate in a ??vermicomposting workshop and see the ranch’s gardening projects, which help support the property’s self-sufficiency.
Leisure time is spent in hammocks, relaxing in the shade of the fruit trees with toucans and monkeys on the branches above. Students can also swim in the pool and explore the natural beauty of the ranch on a number of trails, bird watching and connecting with the environment. ‘Pura Vida’ is not just a greeting, here it is a way of life!
Who It’s For
This program is designed for university-aged students who are interested in a career in the veterinary field or working professionally with horses. Participants must be at least 18 years old. Most are 18 to 25, but we also accept full-time undergraduates over 25.
There are no prerequisites for this program. You do not need to be in school currently to apply. Individuals of any nationality may apply.
Each group of up to 12 students will have its own teaching veterinarian. All programming is in English.
Highlights
- Care for horses and donkeys at a unique equestrian school that strives to foster a strong connection between students, animals and their environment
- Master the basics of equine veterinary care with hands-on workshops with your program veterinarian
- Practice saddle fitting, leg wrapping and icing legs
- Learn the challenges of equine care specific to the tropics
- Attend a farrier session and learn hoof anatomy and gait biomechanics, common pathologies, farrier tools and more
- Volunteer with projects around the farm that promote sustainability
- Relax in the natural beauty of rural Costa Rica
Hours And Credit
You can receive 1 credit from the University of Findlay for this program. (Additional fee applies.) Loop Abroad can also assist you in working to get credit directly from your school. This is a study abroad program and all students will participate in the lectures, labs, and assignments in the schedule. Credit is optional and can be removed anytime before April 1.
You will receive a certificate for 40 service hours upon program completion. You will be supervised by a teaching veterinarian throughout the entire program. While you will need to track and calculate your own breakdown of veterinary, research, and animal experience hours based on your specific program schedule, you can plan on approximately 35 hours in total of veterinary and animal experience hours.
The syllabus for this program, ASLA 436 Large Animal Husbandry and Medical Care: Costa Rica Equine, can be found on our syllabi page.
Housing And Meals
You will be living at a wildlife facility for the duration of your program, and our housing will be only for Loop Abroad students and staff. Housing is shared rooms with bunk beds, which have screened windows and fans. Shared bathrooms have hot and cold water.
All meals are included in your tuition. Lunch is served buffet-style. We can accommodate vegetarian and vegan diets and food allergies with advanced requests.
Please note that this is a project that offers simple, rustic lodging and food.
