ACMEQU310 — Exercise and school horses

Elements & performance criteria

Performance evidence

• There must be evidence that the individual has developed and safely implemented a schooling and exercise program for at least three compliant and manageable horses. Each program must be undertaken in a safe riding environment, and must include at least three separate training sessions. For each horse, the individual must have:
• ridden the horse and assessed level of education, including: response to aids, mouth and bitting, balance, fitness, suppleness of movement (softness of back)
• developed, agreed and documented a horse schooling and exercise program in consultation with supervisor, including: end use for horse, level of end rider skill and ability/fitness, duration and cost or program, program logistics
• developed and demonstrated exercises showing at least three of the following schooling movements in the horse: accurately complete circles with a 20-metre diameter in trot and canter, accurately complete circles with a 15-metre diameter in trot and canter, leg yielding type exercise to both left and right, turn on forehand to the left and right, shoulder in left and right, counter canter using left and right lead, simple changes through trot and walk, stop or halt, turn a horse on hindquarters, back up
• In addition, as part of the schooling and exercising program for each horse, the individual must have:
• conducted a pre-activity risk assessment
• selected, checked and correctly fitted appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
• selected, checked, fitted and used appropriate horse gear and equipment for activity
• applied suitable warm-up methods for horse according to horse and program requirements
• applied industry-accepted riding and schooling techniques, including: maintained effective rein connection, controlled horse under saddle at all times and maintained appropriate gait, recognised signs of soreness, stress and fatigue
• completed a post-exercise report on: horse behaviour, horse physical and mental response to exercise, horse progress compared to specific program objectives, problems encountered with horse, gear or environment

Knowledge evidence

• key considerations for assessing horse suitability for schooling program, including: horse age and sex, horse history, including previous use and riders, response to aids, mouth and bitting, balance, fitness, level of education, suppleness of movement (softness of back)
• key considerations for developing a horse schooling and exercise program, including: current horse fitness and general health, including previous injuries, end use for horse, level of end rider skill and ability/fitness, duration and cost of program, program logistics, own skills
• key requirements for documenting a horse education program, including horse performance indicators
• key requirements for monitoring and reporting horse progress against a horse education program
• hazard identification, risk assessment, risk control and reporting prior to, during and after horse riding activities
• horse training approaches, methods, techniques, gear and equipment for educating horses in a range of schooling movements, including: accurately complete circles with a 20-metre diameter in trot and canter, accurately complete circles with a 15-metre diameter in trot and canter, leg yielding type exercise to both left and right, turn on forehand to the left and right, shoulder in left and right, counter canter using left and right lead, simple changes through trot, walk, stop or halt, turn a horse on hindquarters, back up
• key health and safety procedures and practices for riding and schooling horses, including: low stress horse handling and riding techniques, horse and rider fatigue and stress monitoring, appropriate response to reactive horse behaviour, exercise routines to warm up and cool down horses
• industry-accepted safe horse handling, riding and schooling techniques, including: controlling horse under saddle at all times and maintaining appropriate gait, responses to horses becoming over-excited, recognising signs of soreness, stress and fatigue, positioning of horses relative to other horses during exercise
• types and purpose of PPE required for riding and schooling horses
• types and purpose of gear for exercising and schooling horses, including: types and styles of saddles, bits and bridles, accessory gear for relevant sector or discipline and schooling, saddlecloths, boots and bandages
• characteristics of horse gaits

Foundation skills

• Reading: Interpret information relating to workplace procedures, instructions, work plan and weather
• Oral communication: Use active listening and open and closed questions to clarify instructions Use industry terminology to describe horse exercise activities
• Numeracy: Estimate distance, speed and circles during horse riding

Unit content sourced from training.gov.au — © Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Auditori is not affiliated with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

Questions about assessing ACMEQU310