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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Monitor horse health and condition
   • Monitor horses for signs of ill health, injury, or poor condition as part of daily routines
   • Report horse’s condition to supervisor
   • Administer treatments for common ailments under supervision of veterinarian or supervisor
   • Carry out hoof care and cleaning, as required
   • Apply enterprise biosecurity and sustainability policies and follow workplace procedures
2. Prepare horses for work
   • Assess work to be undertaken and confirm with supervisor
   • Identify hazards, assess risks, and implement control measures
   • Select and check equipment suitable for the work to be undertaken
   • Select and use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
   • Recognise horses by sex, colour, markings, and brands
   • Safely and humanely catch assigned horse, assess for health and soundness, and promptly report any issues to supervisor
   • Check with supervisor that the assigned horse is suitable
   • Prepare horse for ridden work including a pre exercise groom
   • Fit and adjust, for individual horses, the appropriate working gear to manage and control horse for required work
3. Ride horses for stock work
   • Select, use, and maintain appropriate PPE
   • Lunge horse to check gear fit and horse behaviour
   • Mount horse safely
   • Safely control the horse at walk, trot, and canter prior to beginning stock work
   • Practice appropriate safety drills and safely perform emergency manoeuvres including one rein stops
   • Using safe riding techniques, ride quiet educated horses to carry out basic stock work duties
   • Work and safely control horse at a walk, trot, and canter as part of stock husbandry routines
   • Safely dismount horse
   • Report and record stock work activities
4. Provide post ride care
   • Remove gear and groom, wash, or clean horse, as required
   • Water and feed horse in line with workplace policy
   • Release horse to appropriate enclosure, paddock, or yard
   • Check, clean, maintain, and store working gear
   • Repair working gear as required

Range Statement

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Performance Evidence

The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.

The candidate must provide evidence that they can:

recognise hazards and implement control measures

identify signs of ill health, injury, or poor condition, and administer basic treatments under supervision

select and use suitable personal protective equipment (PPE)

recognise horses by gender, colour markings, and brands

catch assigned horse and assess for health and soundness

consult with supervisor to assess suitability

handle educated horses safely and humanely

safely and correctly fit and adjust working gear to suit individual horse

lunge horse

ride and control, at a walk, trot, and canter, quiet educated stockhorses to perform basic stock work duties

ensure animal welfare policies are adhered to when working with horses and livestock

minimise stress of livestock when checking, mustering, and moving livestock

monitor horse behaviour, and take corrective action or report to supervisor as required

carry out basic hoof care and cleaning

select and maintain saddlery and equipment

complete records as required by enterprise

follow relevant work health and safety requirements

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Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

work health and safety, animal welfare codes of practice, biosecurity requirements, and sustainability practices in the context of their job role

common horse gender, colours, markings, and other identifying features

common basic features of horse behaviour and psychology

the features of livestock behaviour and how this is utilised to minimise stress for horse and livestock

relevant workplace procedures, industry standards, and guidelines for horse riding and riding safety (lunging or riding in a yard before outside, one rein stops)

basic care and husbandry and procedures for horses

the common signs of disease or injury in horses, basic anatomy and physiology of the horse

the use of horses for workplace operations

care and maintenance of working gear

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