Education
Education
The Montana Center for Horsemanship (MCH) is home to the nation's only four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Horsemanship, awarded upon successful graduation from this program at the University of Montana Western.
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Three full-time horsemanship instructors and three full-time UMW professors represent the faculty, which uses an innovative experiential approach to working with horses, turning a student’s passion for horses into a rewarding and successful career. Equine Studies majors also have the unique benefit of working with horses on a daily basis at MCH, located just minutes from campus but in a very ‘real-world’ setting.
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Academic aspects of the program are designed to increase students’ knowledge of the science, care, and management of horses, as well as to expand students’ awareness of the equine industry well above that of the average horseperson.
Partnership with UMW
The University of Montana Western is a public institution founded in 1893. The 20-acre campus is located in Dillon, a rural southwestern Montana town known as the “Horse Capital of the Northwest.” The average class size is 15 students with a total enrollment of 1,470 students. U.S. News & World Report rankings placed Montana Western among the best in the nation and second among "colleges that offer small classes on a budget." All of this amid some of the most inspiring mountain scenery and recreation the West has to offer.
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Since its inception in 2011, the program has enjoyed incredible success, with hundreds of graduates from 30 states and three foreign countries, an 80% retention rate and the major with the some of the highest GPAs on campus. The Program is now in wide demand by students from across the United States. Currently, there are more than 106 Natural Horsemanship students enrolled in the four degree programs. Program students typically experience significant success post-graduation as well: 80% are employed directly or indirectly in the horse-world after graduation, or have matriculated to graduate school to further their studies.
The Degrees
The goals and purpose of the Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Horsemanship, a 4-year accredited university degree program, are to provide students with a well-rounded, high quality education in equine theory and science, combined with the practical skills of Natural Horsemanship. Horsemanship skills taught in the hands-on, real-world and practical classes are based upon the principles of equine behavior, instinct and personality, along with horse training methods of experts who are world-renowned in Natural Horsemanship and similar disciplines.
The La Cense Method
The Montana Center for Horsemanship teaches the "La Cense Method," of Natural Horsemanship, developed with a team of academics, horse experts and scientists, led by William Kriegel, owner of La Cense Montana and Haras de la Cense in France. William Kriegel is also co-founder of MCH, and has been involved in Natural Horsemanship for many decades. He also helped to develop the first comprehensive pedagogic program in Natural Horsemanship, emphasizing communication and respect between horses and people.
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This program is known today as the La Cense Method, first introduced at the renowned Haras de la Cense in 1999. La Cense is Europe's leading equestrian education center dedicated to the teaching of Natural Horsemanship in France, and is recognized by universities and institutions worldwide.
Horse and Human Communication
The La Cense Method is a progressive, step-by-step process that blends the best of traditional horsemanship with the art and skill of training and riding horses—all in a manner that works with a horse’s behavior, instincts, and personality.
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By replicating the instinctive language horses use to communicate with each other and to teach their young, the La Cense Method encourages an effective method of communication between humans and horses. Taking a positive and respectful approach, the La Cense Method gradually builds trust, and frees horses to be confident in all they are asked to perform and do.
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In 2005, La Cense and AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) formed an educational partnership, publishing “Fundamentals of Horsemanship.”
