Application
This unit applies to current or aspiring individuals operating as outdoor guides who are responsible for safely guiding overnight rides in a controlled environment. This may include those working for private horse riding companies or group leaders in school outdoor education programs. |
Prerequisites
Nil | ||
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Plan an overnight horse trail ride. | 1.1. Establish participant's needs and characteristics and assist with participant's disclaimer where required 1.2. Select trail ride route suitable for participants and identify rest stops to minimise impact on the terrain and other trail users according to relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. 1.3. Assess the capacity to acquire additional or new horses, as required according to organisational policies and procedures. 1.4. Identify hazards associated with the ride and minimise risks to ensure personal safety of participants. 1.5. Access relevant sources to interpret detailed weather and environmental information to determine activity plan. 1.6. Determine food and water requirements for participants according to principles of nutrition and contextual issues of the activity. 1.7. Develop and document a plan for the ride, according to relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures, to meet participants' needs. 1.8. Identify and plan for the care requirements of horses according to relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. 1.9. Obtain permits as required and inform appropriate authorities of route and anticipated duration before commencing the ride. |
2. Select equipment for the ride. | 2.1. Select horses of suitable size and temperament to suit individual rider's needs, abilities and attitude. 2.2. Select and organise equipment according to contextual issues and organisational policies and procedures. 2.3. Select and pack first aid supplies for horse and rider. 2.4. Perform and document appropriate safety checks suitable for the ride, according to relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. 2.5. Adjust and fit equipment to ensure personal comfort. 2.6. Pack saddle bags to ensure they are balanced and comfortable for the horse. |
3. Brief participants. | 3.1. Communicate instructions and relevant information about the ride in a manner suitable to the participants. 3.2. Demonstrate correct horse handling and riding techniques. 3.3. Establish a suitable communication system for participants to use during the ride. 3.4. Outline safety procedures and safe areas and or boundaries for the ride. 3.5. Check and confirm participants are properly equipped for the ride. |
4. Lead an overnight ride. | 4.1. Provide clear and concise direction and advice to group during the ride. 4.2. Identify potential hazards and decide how they can be overcome or avoided. 4.3. Monitor individual participant's performance and provide appropriate feedback. 4.4. Implement appropriate modifications to the ride in regard to all variable factors that are monitored. 4.5. Respond to emergency or non routine situations according to organisational policies and procedures. |
5. Select and maintain a temporary overnight site | 5.1. Assess and select suitable sites to minimise impact on the local environment 5.2. Explain relevant minimum impact practices to group and monitor their compliance 5.3. Arrange shelter appropriate for prevailing weather conditions 5.4. Check condition and health of horses at completion of the day's ride and manage problems that arise from wear or injury according to organisational policies and procedures 5.5. Monitor the security and safety of horses through the night. 5.6. Return site to an equal or greater standard on departure according to relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures |
6. Complete post trip responsibilities. | 6.1. Notify relevant authority of ride completion 6.2. Retrieve, inspect, repair and store equipment according to organisational policies and procedures 6.3. Check and deal with injuries or wear to horses according to organisational policies and procedures 6.4. Evaluate relevant aspects of riding activity. 6.5. Identify potential areas of improvement for future overnight trail horse riding activities 6.6. Review own performance and identify potential improvements. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
communication skills to: consult with participants to plan overnight rides that meet their needs liaise with relevant authorities regarding the route, convey information about the safety aspects of rides interact with participants to create a safe and positive riding environment problem-solving skills to: plan suitable riding activities according to participant's needs and abilities assess different variables affecting the ride respond appropriately to non routine situations and manage the group effectively planning and organising skills to source, allocate and coordinate resources, equipment and a suitable trail ride route with easy access to a suitable site for short stops language and literacy skills to: produce plans for the riding activity complete post-activity participant and self evaluations personal horse riding skills to a high level of technical correctness to demonstrate and explain requirements to participants river reading skills, such as direction and speed of flow, currents, eddies and other hydrological features that may impact on safety during the ride navigation skills to lead a group on a planned overnight horse riding activity along a certain route and or to a chosen destination first aid and emergency response and rescue skills appropriate to the location to enable initial response to emergencies for both participants and horses. |
Required knowledge |
relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures to enable safety of participants and horses during the riding activity minimal impact codes to enable protection of the environment horse handling techniques and behaviour patterns and characteristics of horses to ensure safety of participants symptoms, treatment and prevention of hypothermia, hyperthermia and dehydration to assist in planning riding times and distances and assist participants in self monitoring location specific information to assist in the planning process and enable management of potential hazards and any special restrictions applying to the area characteristics and purposes of equipment and gear used to control and handle horses to enable its safe and efficient selection, use and maintenance clothing requirements such as wet weather gear and sun protection care and maintenance of riding equipment to ensure prolonged life span and safety requirements waterproofing and stowing techniques to enable protection of equipment that is not required on hand during ride communication systems and signals used to communicate during the ride principles of nutrition to maintain health during the riding activity camp craft to establish overnight site to ensure comfort and safety of participants and horses weather and environmental information to identify forecast conditions and their effect on the riding activity hazards, obstacles and risks commonly experienced when undertaking overnight rides and ways to avoid or negotiate these emergency response, first aid and rescue procedures appropriate for horse riding, to ensure prompt response to manage injuries to self, group and horses. |
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 | Evidence of the following is essential: plans overnight ride within activity constraints and applies effective group management techniques to guide and monitor participants in a safe and professional manner, according to relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures monitors the progress of the ride and applies effective contingency management techniques to make adjustments in response to changing conditions, such as negotiating hazards, changing weather conditions and illness or injury encourages and responds to group feedback and evaluates and reflects on own performance to identify strengths, weaknesses and areas that need improvement. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure planning and leading overnight rides that reflect the needs of a range of participants to demonstrate competency and consistency of performance. Assessment must also ensure access to: resources and information regarding participants and location to accurately plan, guide and document overnight rides for a variety of participants suitable horses a route or location suitable for the conduct of overnight horse trail rides a suitable temporary site, if required a group of participants to take part in overnight rides horse riding equipment such as saddles, navigation equipment and rescue and first aid equipment. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: observation of planning and guiding processes and interaction with a group of participants, including conveying information for safe participation oral and or written questioning to assess knowledge of relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures to enable safe conduct of overnight rides observation of dealing with contingencies such as changing weather conditions and equipment failure portfolio of plans for overnight ride third-party reports from a supervisor detailing performance. Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended. |
Guidance information for assessment |
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, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Participant's needs and characteristics may include: | skill level previous experience fitness level and physical capabilities age injuries and illnesses medical conditions. |
Relevant legislation may include: | occupational health and safety permits or permission for access environmental regulations. |
Organisational policies and procedures may include: | occupational health and safety time and budget constraints use and maintenance of equipment communication protocols confidentiality of participant information guide and participant ratios emergency and safety procedures notification of illness or injury to participants or horses alteration of routes code of ethics. |
Hazards may include: | temperature extremes slippery or unstable terrain dangerous animals and insects stinging trees and nettles dense vegetation group management hazards. |
Risks may include: | hypothermia heat exhaustion injuries exhaustion lost party or party member equipment and course failure. |
Relevant sources may include: | Bureau of Meteorology media land managers or agencies local knowledge. |
Weather and environmental information may include: | satellite images daily and weekly forecasts maximum and minimum temperatures weather warnings event warnings river levels synoptic charts high and low tide predictions. |
Food and water requirements may include: | range of foods perishability energy content. |
Principles of nutrition may include: | essential nutrients individual food requirements and allergies hydration. |
Contextual issues may include: | weather extremes slippery or unstable terrain dangerous animals and insects stinging trees and nettles dense vegetation group management hazards |
Plan may include: | ride's aims and objectives date, time and duration of ride location, planned route and or destination guide and participant ratios route and meeting points for support vehicles group management resources equipment food and water weather details risk management permits and permission. |
Care requirements of horses may include: | food water corralling tethering shelter security. |
Appropriate authorities may include: | authorities supervisors. |
Equipment may include: | saddles and associated horse equipment: backpack or saddlebags overnight shelter sleeping bags cooking systems and utensils. navigation equipment safety equipment watch ropes knife communication equipment |
Relevant information may include: | logistical details safety procedures symptoms, treatment and prevention of hypothermia, hyperthermia and dehydration behaviour patterns and characteristics of horses equipment requirements preventative measures for risks horse handling and riding techniques rules and codes responsible and safe behaviour. |
Communication system may include: | calls radio hand signals whistles. |
Safety procedures may include: | serviceable equipment correctly fitted equipment communication systems use of safety and rescue equipment. |
Participant's performance may include: | use of appropriate communication system riding technique riding pace and space attitude negotiation of hazards use of equipment. |
Modifications may include: | riding pace. |
Variable factors may include: | change of weather equipment failure participant's needs riding conditions. |
Emergency or non routine situations may include: | illness of participants or horses injury of participants or horses. |
Relevant aspects may include: | objectives planning process activity site weather equipment selection clothing selection food selection instructional content instructional technique assessment technique group feedback directing techniques rescue techniques employed. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Outdoor Recreation |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Refer to Unit Descriptor