Application
This unit of competency supports stewards or other nominated racing officials authorised to assess the driving or riding skills of license or registration applicants. Competencies attained in this unit apply to the harness or thoroughbred code of the industry. Consequently when performance criteria are applied they will relate to the harness code or the thoroughbred code, and statements of attainment for this unit will reflect this distinction. This unit can be contextualised for other industries while also maintaining the integrity of the unit. |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Review license registration requirements. | 1. Driving or riding skills required for nominated class of license or registration are determined. 2. Safe operating procedures in the control of horses in harness or under saddle are complied with. 3. OHS and animal welfare regulations and industry guidelines are complied with in the driving or riding of horses. |
Observe horse handling skills. | 4. Driver or rider is monitored while performing pre-drive or ride gear check and post-work cool down. 5. Driver or rider is assessed for ability to maintain control of the horse during trackwork, trials and racing as required by applicant category. 6. Driver or rider is assessed for ability to start a race or trial without hindering their horse's progress. 7. Driver or rider is assessed for ability to maintain nominated speed and position during trackwork. 8. Driver or rider is assessed for ability to make decisions that will improve their horse's position without endangering others. |
Determine license or registration application outcome. | 9. Performance during driving or riding skills tests is assessed using objective measurements that are consistent with racing authority standards and safe operating procedures. 10. Outcome of driving or riding evaluation is recorded. 11. Applicant is advised of outcome of practical assessment evaluation. 12. Recommended remedial action is suggested where skills do not meet racing authority requirements. 13. Reasons for decision on license or registration application endorsement or rejection are recorded. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
applying safe work practices when approaching and moving around horses assessing license or registration applicant's ability to: adhere to safe work practices demonstrate application of safe animal handling and controlling methods demonstrate application of safe driving or riding techniques at nominated pace identify and apply nominated gear correctly work with animals in confined spaces communicating with other stewards, racing officials, license and registration applicants and others using assertive communication techniques to gather, interpret and relay information related to assessing driving or riding skills completing duties in accordance with safe operating procedures and nominated time frame complying with OHS, environmental and animal welfare legislation complying with organisational policies and procedures and the rules of racing judging pace judging situations and taking appropriate action to prevent problems arising or to overcome problems before they develop further reading and interpreting workplace documentation and rules of racing recognising damaged or defective gear relating to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with varying physical and mental abilities using appropriate language and interpersonal techniques written communication skills to complete workplace documentation and reports. |
Required knowledge |
approved gear common safe horse handling and controlling techniques communication procedures for communicating with other stewards and industry personnel, including reporting lines within the workplace and wider racing industry ethical conduct standards of relevant racing principal authority horse behaviour and communication traits hazard identification and risk management industry terminology related to animal handling, driving and riding, racing operations and wider racing industry OHS and environmental legislative requirements organisational policies and procedures principles of effective communication racing industry animal welfare requirements racing industry safety requirements, including safe operating procedures reasonable understanding of applicable federal, state or territory legislation and regulations relating to anti-discrimination and harassment reporting requirements for irregularities and problems rules of racing relevant to driving and riding signs of horse health, ill health, injury and diseases. |
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. | |
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 all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit and include evidence of the following: knowledge of the requirements, procedures and instructions that are to apply when assessing driving or riding skills of license or registration applicants implementation of procedures and timely techniques for the safe, effective and efficient assessment of driving or riding skills working with others to undertake and complete the required procedures that meet required outcomes. Evidence should be collected over a period of time in a range of racing industry operations contexts, and include dealings with an appropriate range of situations and a variety of racing horses at different stages of preparation. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Competency must be assessed in a racing workplace that provides access to the required resources. Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints. It is to comply with relevant regulatory requirements or Australian Standards requirements. Assessment of the practical components of this unit will be by observation of relevant skills. The following resources must be available: a range of harness or thoroughbred horses materials and equipment relevant to assessing candidate's ability to assess license or registration applicants' driving or riding skills safe handling areas, such as stables, training and racetracks work instructions and related documentation. |
Method of assessment | Assessment methods must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the Racing Training Package. The suggested strategies for the assessment of this unit are: written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge observed, documented and firsthand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks. Evidence is required to be demonstrated over a period of time, therefore where performance is not directly observed any evidence should be authenticated by supervisors or other appropriate persons, at least one of whom should be approved by the State Principal Racing Authority. This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role. |
Guidance information for assessment | Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds). |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below. The range statement provides details of how this competency can be used in the workplaces of the racing industry to assess driving or riding skills of license or registration applicants. Workplaces include harness and thoroughbred stables, racecourses, training tracks and administration buildings. Stewards oversee the conduct of all racing-related activities within the responsibilities and powers described under the rules of racing. The conditions under which this unit is delivered and assessed must take into consideration these powers and responsibilities. These powers and responsibilities are further described in the rules of racing for the relevant racing code. It is strongly recommended that training facilitators and learners refer to these powers and responsibilities as part of the range of conditions for all units covered in the steward specialist area of the Training Package. | |
Driving or riding skills for nominated class of license or registration are determined by: | reviewing existing class of license or registration status using industry-approved assessment documents. |
Safe operating procedures for the control of horses in harness or under saddle will include: | cooling horses down after driving or riding fitting a range of gear relevant to the code while ensuring adherence to the following: awareness of animal behaviour checking durability of gear, for example frayed reins comfort of the animal rules related to gear application, for example bandages stitched or taped safely moving around the animal using approved gear identifying and responding to behaviour and activity in horses in harness or under saddle, including: animal location, for example: stables or stalls enclosure crowds enclosed spaces, including barriers inclement weather conditions, such as: extreme heat wind loud noises other horses pre or post-race or trial activity signs of distress, excitement or nervousness in horses, such as: agitation and sweating up charging forward kicking pulling back or sideways rearing reluctance to move forward turning in circles leading and controlling horses moving around and working with other horses preparing horses for driving or riding. |
OHS and animal welfare regulations and industry guidelines may include: | adhering to responsibilities under OHS legislation and workplace practices adhering to responsibilities under national and state codes of practice; federal, state and territory legislation; and local government regulations covering animal welfare adhering to rules of racing and rules of the race venue, including track rules covering: crossing a track entering and coming off direction position of pull up position on track when doing slow work or fast work safety of fellow drivers or riders where horses may be driven or ridden, such as: bull rings trails various tracks considering variables that influence behaviour of horses, such as: fences and equipment other persons or animals vehicles wind and noise ensuring horses are worked or trained only within the scope of their current training program following industry safety inspection checklists and safe operating procedures identifying dangerous driving or riding situations, for example: bad weather faulty equipment loose horses track hazards, such as: excessive water machinery or vehicles other animals rough surfaces reporting horse injuries to trainer or other relevant person, such as: epistaxis exhaustion lameness overheating using safe and approved gear, including: bandages, bits, blinkers, boots, bridles and breastplates cross over nosebands girths hopples overchecks pacifiers reins rings saddles shadow roll stirrup leathers sulkies surcingles tongue ties positioning horse safely in trackwork or in the field working with animals in confined spaces wearing approved personal protective equipment and ensuring helmet and vest replacement terms are complied with. |
Driver or rider assessment for ability to maintain control of the horse during trackwork, trials and racing may include: | driving or riding competitively horse is driven or ridden to and from the track in a safe manner horses are warmed up to, and cooled down from, working pace and are exercised in a balanced manner in all required gaits pace of horse is judged and maintained for required times and distances according to plans or instructions driving or ridings skills are appropriate to a variety of trackwork situations, including: cross only when two lengths clear of other horses constant awareness of other drivers or riders keeping horse straight. |
Ability to start a race or trial without hindering horse's progress may include: | driver or rider hand and seat position is correct driver or rider has demonstrated correct positioning of the horse in or at the barriers driver or rider has demonstrated safe and correct procedure for driving or riding horse from the barriers horse is driven or ridden straight from the barriers pace of the horse is judged and maintained for required time. |
Using objective measurements for driving or riding skills tests will include: | developing checklists and using safe operating procedures to assess tasks, including: applying safe animal handling and controlling methods applying safe driving or riding techniques at varying paces fitting a range of approved gear relevant to code and task identifying and responding to behaviour in animals leading and controlling animals. |
Recommended remedial action may include: | attending recognised training programs extending period of time as registered person before applying for license working with or under other trainers for additional guidance or mentoring. |
Sectors
Unit Sector | Harness and thoroughbred racing codes |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Not Applicable