AHCHBR202A
Handle young horses

This unit covers the process of handling young horses and defines the standard required to: catch and handle foals; assist with weaning foals; teach weanlings to lead; catch, handle, groom and exercise yearlings; prepare yearlings for sale to industry standards.

Application

This unit applies to working with minimal supervision within enterprise guidelines.


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Safely catch and handle foals

1.1. Foals of various ages are caught safely.

1.2. Foals are restrained for routine health and husbandry procedures.

2. Assist with weaning foals

2.1. Suitable facilities for the safe handling, training and weaning of foals are identified.

2.2. Foals are fitted with a halter according to enterprise guidelines.

2.3. Weanling foals are led according to enterprise guidelines.

2.4. Weanling foals legs are handled according to enterprise guidelines.

2.5. Weanling foals feet are picked up according to enterprise guidelines.

2.6. Rugs are fitted to weanlings.

3. Safely and competently perform routine tasks in the preparation and presentation of yearlings for sale

3.1. Routine daily checks of yearlings are carried out.

3.2. Yearlings are safely led for exercise and presentation.

3.3. Yearlings are exercised, shampooed, and groomed according to enterprise guidelines.

3.4. Bridles, bits, rugs and safety gear are fitted according to enterprise guidelines.

3.5. Sale presentation techniques are demonstrated.

Required Skills

Required skills

identify hazards and follow safe work procedures

handle animals in a safe and humane manner

monitor animal behaviour and recognise abnormalities

demonstrate safe and environmentally responsible workplace practices

teach a weanling to accept a halter

teach a weanlings to lead

maintain facilities and equipment to industry standards

communicate effectively and maintain accurate reports and records

fit rugs to weanlings&yearlings

safely exercise weanlings&yearlings

groom a yearling

safely fit, in an appropriate manner, bits, bridles and halters

teach a yearling to lead for exercise and presentation for sale

teach a yearling to stand correctly for presentation at sale

use literacy skills to follow sequenced written instructions and record information accurately and legibly

use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine workplace measures

use interpersonal skills to relate to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge

suitable facilities for weaning

potential dangers to the foal during weaning and appropriate actions to reduce them, such as the removal of troughs or other objects that may cause injury

stress responses sometimes associated with weaning, such as fretting, over-heating, refusing food, overeating, self-inflicted injuries.

suitable facilities for yearling preparation

potential dangers to the yearlings during sale preparation and appropriate actions to reduce them, such as removing any potential hazards from stalls and handling areas, exercising in confined areas, monitoring exercise and the effects of exercise on joints and bones of the legs

various responses in yearlings associated with sale preparation such as fretting, poor appetite, overeating, stable vices

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and animal welfare legislation and enterprise requirements.

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:

catch and handle foals

assist with weaning foals

teach weanlings to lead

catch, handle, groom and exercise yearlings

prepare yearlings for sale to industry standards.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions. Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances.


Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Young horses may include:

all breeds and types of foals, weanlings and yearlings.


Sectors

Unit sector

Horse breeding


Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.


Licensing Information

Not Applicable