The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology will
continue to offer an equine studies program even if the current riding
academy can no longer afford to deliver it, said Grant Zalinko, head of
SIAST’s livestock production program at Regina.
Zalinko said drought has hurt many regions and businesses in
Saskatchewan, citing the dry Meadow Lake area where the Canadiana
International Equestrian Centre runs the equine program for SIAST.
But he said there is great demand and strong appeal in agriculture for
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
short intensive courses like equine studies. SIAST, which owns the
certificate program, would seek another operator if the centre
determines it is no longer feasible, Zalinko said.
Costs have escalated for feeding the horses, said equine studies
co-ordinator Carol Poche. The program, the only one of its kind in
Saskatchewan, operates on a cost recovery basis, with students’ tuition
covering the program costs.
To keep the business viable and costs down, the three-year-old course
has undergone changes that include squeezing what was once a 34-week
course into 16 weeks for the class of 10 students.
“That’s really cramming them through to get it done,” Poche said.
She said graduates find employment mainly in stables, horse training
and coaching.
She would like to receive government funding to support her programs,
the way similar courses in Alberta do.
Olds College in Olds, Alta., offers a two-year, on-site diploma course
in equine science. Other Alberta colleges like Lakeland and Fairview
offer shorter certificate courses in riding, training and horse care
and stable management.
Zalinko said an on-campus program is not possible at SIAST due to lack
of space and high costs in establishing such facilities. He noted SIAST
offers numerous other programs off-site in partnership with private
operators, including pilot training.
He doubted government funding was possible, given tight budgets at
Saskatchewan colleges.
“There’s not a high probability that the government would throw money
at it,” he said.
SIAST collects tuition and then pays the equestrian academy on a per
student basis.
The college delivers the theory training, providing qualified
instructors for subjects like hoof care and bookkeeping at the Meadow
Lake site. The academy provides horse riding and training, following
Canadian Equestrian Federation standards.
