For a common practise in educating and training the Icelandic horse Erasmus Project

Project Title

For a common practise in educating and training the Icelandic horse

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Cooperation between educational institutions and business; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Project Summary

There are about 250 000 Icelandic horses registered in the world and the partnership of Iceland (Holar University College), Germany (Islandspferde-Reiter- and Züchterverband) and Sweden (Wången AB) represent approx 65% of the entire population. With its long history on Iceland there is of course an immense source of knowledge about the Icelandic horse. As for the rest of the equine sector knowledge from master to apprentice has been the most frequent way of teaching and learning but its implementation has been in various ways of work-based situations. However, the need for other systems of transferring knowledge and skills have increased with the breed’s popularity. Still work-based learning has not ceased to be the most important way of learning both within vocational training and education as well as outside VET.
The OBJECTIVES of the partnership is to:
A.Knowledge about vocational education and training programs in the partner organisations and to classify according to EQF
Each partner presents the different kinds of education for and within the Icelandic horse sector – offered by the organisation (short term courses and training programs, vocational education on secondary level and/or BSc-programmes on tertiary level).
The different offered programs will be classified according to the European Qualification Framework (EQF) for transparency and recognition.
B. Good practises in work-based learning
.As our knowledge of the horse is becoming both broader and deeper the needs for promoting work-based learning in all its forms also increases. All education has to be based on science and “proven experience”. Good pracitices in applying theory into practical situations under various conditions will help us to have a healthy horse in a healthy horse business and will meet the demands from society on ethical aspects, horse welfare and stayability in the sector.
The most important TARGET GROUPS:
1. Partner organisations
2. Partner organisations staff
3. The working life sector in Icelandic horse
4. Students, now and in the future

The project is planned for 24 months and the partnership has planned to meet four times during that time and will rotate between the partner countries.
The project will have a positive impact on the educations offered in the partner organisations. With the EQF classification it will be important for the transparency and will be a major pathway for recognition.
For the participants it will give an opportunity for professional development and promote competence and practical skills. Based on the exchange of experience partners can identify the good practises and combine them into common guidelines for education an training of the horse which will have a major impact on the Icelandic horse breed and also the sector as a whole.
The partnership will actively disseminate activities and results during the project, also on websites and in social media.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 38950 Eur

Project Coordinator

Wången AB & Country: SE

Project Partners

• Islandspferde- Reiter- und Züchterverband
• Holar University College