Derby College Equestrian Centre

We’ve had a busy couple of days hosting the British Horse Society Stage 2 Exams 🐴✨

Our horses were beautifully presented by our fantastic equine staff, and we couldn’t be more grateful for their hard work and dedication. A huge thank you to Lily, Emily, Carrie and Sophia, who all came in for an early start to get the horses spotless and to Jo for her organisation and ensuring the candidates were set up for the best possible success.

Your commitment never goes unnoticed – thank you for helping make the exams run so smoothly! 💙🐎

ED1 students took to the labs this morning to investigate macronutrients in foods 🥼 🧪🧫🥽

They carried out 3 tests on 3 samples, and collected the data 📊 to decide which foods the samples were sourced from.

They showed good evaluation skills, and it was a nice change to swap riding hats for lab coats.🥼

🐴 Open Afternoon – Full Loan & Working Livery Opportunities 🐴
Are you considering putting your horse on full loan or working livery? Come along to our open afternoon and see what we have to offer!

📅 Date: 2nd July
⏰ Time: 1:30pm – 6:00pm
Join us for a friendly, no-pressure afternoon where you can:
✔️ Meet the Centre Manager
✔️ Tour our facilities
✔️ Discuss our loan and working livery options
✔️ Ask any questions - nothing is too silly!
This is a great opportunity to get a real feel for the yard, with a view to horses joining the team from 17th August onwards for the next academic term.

📩 To book a slot, please contact Amy with your name and preferred time:
[email protected]

🐎 Our Packages
Full Loan
-Full livery provided at no charge during term time
-Substantially reduced livery during holidays
-Owners can ride once at weekends and as much as they like during holidays

🐎 Working Livery
-Full care at a substantially reduced rate
-Horses used within the college up to 3 times per week
-Owners can ride outside of this (ensuring the horse still has a rest day)

✅ Horse Requirements
14.2hh+
Able to walk, trot, and canter
Ideally able to jump 65–70cm courses (flexibility depending on the horse)

We pride ourselves on a supportive, knowledgeable environment and are always happy to discuss options with potential owners 💙
We understand this is a big decision so f you have any questions you can message us, or come along, we would be happy to help!

📣 Educational Evening 🐴

Following our recent strangles situation, GEM Equine Vets have very kindly offered to host an educational evening here on 24th June 2026.

This is a great opportunity to learn more about strangles, biosecurity, and best practices to keep our horses safe and healthy.

Knowledge really is power, and the more we all understand, the better we can protect our horses and each other.

We hope to see as many of you there as possible - whether you're liveries, students, parents, owners, or simply keen to learn more.
📅 Date: 24th June 2026
📍 Location: Derby College Equestrian Centre
⏰ Time: 6:15pm

✨ We’re delighted to share some wonderful news ✨

It brings us so much joy to confirm that today we have received a negative test result from the guttural pouch wash for strangles.

This is excellent news and, following clear advice and guidance from our veterinary team, we are now able to fully reopen the centre with immediate effect.
This decision has been made in close consultation with our vets, who are confident that it is safe to do so.

Throughout this time, we have followed strict biosecurity protocols, allowing the rest of our horses to remain healthy, and we will continue to maintain high standards of hygiene across the yard to protect the health and wellbeing of all our horses and visitors.

Our online booking system will be updated shortly to reflect this, and we are really looking forward to welcoming you all back again soon! 🐴💛

Thank you all for your patience, understanding, and continued support - it has truly meant a lot to us.

A glimpse into degree-level study 👀🎓

Our Level 3 year 2 students got stuck into an internal Higher Education taster morning - exploring biomechanics, diving into the anatomy of the eye, and even creating their own models before carrying out a pig eye dissection in the lab.
Making real comparisons between human, horse, and pig anatomy 🐎🧠

An exciting preview of what’s to come next year on the equine degree!

✨ Experience Life as a Derby College Student! ✨

Want to get a real feel for what it’s like to study at Derby College?
Join us for our Taster Day at the Equestrian Centre on 29th June -the perfect opportunity to explore everything we have to offer!

🐴 Tour the yard and facilities
📚 Take part in both practical and theory sessions
🤝 Meet your future classmates and tutors

Whether you're passionate about horses or considering your next step, this is your chance to see it all first-hand.
👉 Register now using the link below or scan the QR code:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=R9eEdSGUfUeDRb7cXXO8RrOLuDyox3xOhiMXXpigp0dUQU5HOUpIQU5MMzAyR1pEUTlMRENPWldGNC4u&origin=QRCode

🔬 Hands-On Learning in Action! 🐎

Our Level 6 BSc degree students have recently completed a detailed equine leg dissection as part of their programme, an invaluable opportunity to connect theory with practice.

This experience has strengthened their understanding of equine exercise physiology and biomechanics, giving real insight into how structure supports movement and performance. It has also allowed students to develop essential laboratory skills, from anatomical identification to precise handling techniques.

A fantastic effort from all involved, great to see such engagement with applied science! 👏