Application
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to manage horses for stock work.
This unit applies to livestock managers who use horses for stock work. Managers may also be required to coordinate specialist services from veterinarians and farriers.
All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, work health and safety, animal welfare and biosecurity legislation and codes of practice and sustainability practices.
This unit applies to individuals who take responsibility for their own work and for the quality of the work of others within known parameters. They use discretion and judgement in the selection, allocation and use of available resources and provide and communicate solutions to a range of predictable and sometimes unpredictable problems.
All units of competency dealing with animals in the AHC Training Package have the requirements for animals to be handled humanely to minimise stress and discomfort.
No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Element | Performance criteria |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Manage horse condition and health | 1.1 Develop and implement workplace procedures for maintaining health and welfare of horses in consultation with workplace staff 1.2 Assess, report and document soundness and working condition of horses in the workplace 1.3 Ensure proper selection, use and maintenance of appropriate personal protective equipment 1.4 Identify unsound or unhealthy horses and diagnose or establish reasons for their condition such as seeking veterinary advice where required 1.5 Administer treatment and implement management plan for unsound or unhealthy horses under supervisor or veterinary supervision as required 1.6 Keep proper records of horse identification, treatments administered and management plans |
2. Manage nutritional requirements of horses | 2.1 Develop and implement feeding plans for horses in the workplace taking into account daily and seasonal factors affecting nutritional requirements 2.2 Provide supplementary feeding programs to workplace horses to ensure they are in optimum physical condition and health for stock work 2.3 Identify potential nutritional problems and take preventative or corrective action through the use or withdrawal of supplementary feeding 2.4 Develop and implement work programs for horses according to their condition and nutritional status |
3. Supervise activities and tasks requiring the use of horses of workplace personnel | 3.1 Conduct risk assessments for activities and tasks requiring the use of horses, and implement and monitor the measures to control these risks 3.2 Match horses in workplace to personnel by rider ability and suitability for tasks 3.3 Schedule tasks requiring the use of horses and communicate details to appropriate staff 3.4 Coordinate tasks requiring the use of horses and provide supervision to ensure that horses and personnel work within industry and enterprise policies and procedures 3.5 Coordinate breaking in of horses by contractors or staff and provide supervision to ensure that horses and personnel work within industry and enterprise policies and procedures 3.6 Provide inexperienced horses with stock training by experienced riders 3.7 Maintain regular communication with workplace staff and contractors to ensure smooth operation 3.8 Monitor outcomes of activities and tasks requiring the use of horses and record in line with enterprise requirements |
Evidence of Performance
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:
develop and implement management plans for the condition and health of horses in the workplace
monitor and manage the health and welfare of horses and develop feeding plans for horses in the workplace
develop work programs for horses in the workplace
match horse type and experience to rider and task
supervise and coordinate activities and tasks requiring the use of horses in the workplace, and monitor the outcomes
provide training for inexperienced horses
identify and treat ill or injured horses and consult with veterinarians where necessary
coordinate the horse work of other property personnel such as horse breakers, veterinarians, farriers and other farm staff
communicate with workplace staff and contractors
observe, identify and react appropriately to environmental implications and work health and safety hazards
apply relevant animal welfare and biosecurity requirements
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:
relevant work health and safety, animal welfare, biosecurity and environment sustainability requirements
workplace policies, procedures, standard operating procedures and guidelines relevant to the job role
feeding plan and work program for individual horses in the workplace
care, husbandry and management procedures for horses
signs of health, anatomy, physiology and behaviour of the horse
signs of ill health in horses and management strategies for common illnesses
strategies for and management of breaking in of horses and training inexperienced horses
use of horses for workplace operations
strategies for effective communication in the workplace
strategies for effective supervision and management of staff in the workplace
Assessment Conditions
Competency is to be assessed in the workplace OR workplace and a simulated environment that accurately reflects performance in a real workplace setting.
Assessors must satisfy current standards for RTOs.
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
Sectors
Livestock (LSK)