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 competence 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. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:

identify the anatomical components of the horse relevant to farriers

assess condition of horse's foot and develop appropriate foot care and shoeing plans for a range of horses

provide advice on routine and preventative hoof care

provide non-veterinarian horse health care under routine circumstances in regard to common ailments

maintain biosecurity procedures

apply disease and ailment prevention procedures including isolation and quarantine principles as appropriate.

The skills and knowledge required to determine foot care and shoeing plans for horses must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in worksites, where routine farriery tasks are performed, or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions.

There must be access to a range of healthy horses, including a young horse, a mature horse, a shod horse and an unshod horse as well as the appropriate equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence.

Method of assessment

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are:

written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge

observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks

simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions

case study analysis

third-party evidence

workplace documentation

portfolio.

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).

Required skills

adhere to OHS and animal welfare legislation, regulations and codes of practice

employ safe and environmentally responsible organisational systems and procedures when working with and handling horses

maintain highest standards of hygiene and infection control at all times to reduce the risk of infection and cross-infection

maintain records as appropriate

literacy skills to read and follow organisational policies and procedures, including occupational health and safety (OHS), waste management and hygiene standards; follow sequenced written instructions; and record the information accurately and legibly

oral communication skills/language to fulfil the job role as specified, including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification and seeking advice when required

numeracy skills to estimate, calculate, record and apply routine workplace measures to required tasks including measurements to assess shoe requirements

problem-solving skills to select required materials and equipment and prioritise tasks

use safe manual handling techniques and equipment

use safe waste handling and disposal procedures.

Required knowledge

anatomical features of the lower limb and foot of the horse and applicable biomechanical functions

general anatomy of the horse

principles and practices of isolation and quarantine

notifiable diseases and processes to be followed

relevant legislation and codes of practice and personal responsibilities

safe work practices.

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.

Features of horse anatomy may include:

features of general anatomical systems:

skeletal system

muscular system

nervous system

circulatory system

lower limb anatomical features:

bones

hoof regions

hoof structure

joints

ligaments

major blood vessels

nerve supply

sensitive and insensitive structures

tendons

the process of and rate of hoof growth.

Functions of the foot may include:

circulatory regulating

biomechanical:

anti-concussion

arc of flight and break over patterns

supportive

non-slipping functions

protective.

Features of ideal and undesirable feet may include:

ideal feet:

general healthy range of hoof angles depending on:

age of horse or pony

breed

conformation

front and back feet variations

quality of hoof wall and horn

shape of feet

shape and location of frog

shape and quality of sole

undesirable feet:

abnormally sloping or oblique feet

brittle feet/shelly walled

club feet

mule feet

dropped sole

excess flares

flat feet

thin or double sole

upright feet.

Symptoms of malformation, injury and disease may include:

abscess/gravel

bone/hoof developmental abnormalities

corns

coronary band injuries

false quarter

hoof deformities such as flared hooves

joint ailments:

curb

degenerative joint disease

joint injuries

navicular disease

sesamoditis

side bone/ring bone

spavin

lacerations and abrasions

lameness/heel pain

laminitis

limb deformities

puncture wounds

sand crack/grass cracks

seedy toe

thin soles

thrush

white line disease

tendon and ligament injuries and disease.

Gait, conformation and way of going may include:

gaits:

walk

trot

pace

canter

gallop

jump action

common faults of the skeletal system, stance and their effects on gait

common injuries of the muscular system and their effects on gait

the role of the growth plates and their sensitivity to damage due to:

improper angulation and balance of the foot

relationship of the conformation of the foot and limb to the way of going

characteristic actions of various breeds and types of horses.

Shoe wear patterns may include:

wear patterns may be either uneven or excessive in specific areas:

unevenness of wear may be the result of:

faulty preparation of the foot

fitting the wrong type of shoe

the horse's gait

undesirable conformation of limb or pastern foot axis

excessive wear in the toe may be caused by:

the horse goes on its toe to alleviate pain, such as in navicular disease, ligament or tendon injuries

the shoe has excessively high caulkins

excessive wear in the quarters may be due to:

an undesirable pastern foot axis

an uneven bearing surface

excessive wear in the heels may be due to:

chronic laminitis or low ringbone disease.

Assessment ofcondition of feet may include:

assessing the special needs of the young horse

identification of:

ailments and injuries that may affect hoof and foot growth

unusual deformities of the feet and legs

observation of the horse at rest and in motion to identify lameness and faults of gait:

identification of the position of the foot axis when the horse is standing squarely which will identify whether the feet are balanced

assessing feet:

with the shoe on

with the shoe off

determining need for either new shoes or resetting existing shoes

picking up and cleaning each foot to check for injuries or foreign objects

evaluation, if not straight, of possible causes:

uneven wear or growth of the hoof

conformation faults

injuries

poorly fitting tack

observation of the horse's conformation to identify faults of gait or unsoundness:

abnormalities of gait including:

brushing/speedy cutting

cross firing

forging

knee hitting

over-reaching

paddling, winging, and plaiting

scalping

seeking information from the owner:

any bad habits

history of lameness or prior injury

history of shoeing, type of work or training, preference for style.

Relevant legislation and codes of conduct may include:

prevention of cruelty to animals

biosecurity protocols

codes of practice:

relationships with professional persons, such as other farriers, veterinarians, horse dentists and others

ethical considerations of the confidentiality of client information

animal care regulations which place limitations on the roles a farrier may undertake in the diagnosis and treatment of problems and advice that may be given.

Foot care and shoeing plan may include:

details of the service to be provided:

removal of shoes

trimming

fitting new shoes or refitting old shoes

adding accessories to shoes to correct problems, improve horse comfort or performance:

bars

caulks or trailers

other orthopaedic treatments

stud holes

explaining routine hoof care that can be undertaken by the owner or person responsible

planning a schedule that indicates when shoeing is likely to be required:

as a result of changes to the horse's work or other changes

as part of a regular maintenance plan

in order to review or adjust current treatment

referring client to veterinarian or other specialist for further investigation or treatment.

Routine and preventative hoof care may include:

cleaning feet

checking for injuries

checking for foreign objects

ensuring tetanus vaccination is current

applying moisturising or water proofing agents

feeding nutritional supplements

observing horse movement and checking for lameness or irregular gait

planning hoof trimming and shoeing according to:

conformation

environmental conditions

hoof quality and growth

horse's age

work load.

Records may include:

diary entries

horse health records

horse treatment records

invoices.

Common ailments may include:

colic

eye injuries

feed and related disorders:

condition score

feed allergies

the role of feedstuffs in hoof health

malnutrition

infectious and non-infectious skin disorders

infectious respiratory diseases

internal and external parasites

lacerations and abrasions

metabolic ailments:

azoturia/tying up

soft tissue:

heat

soreness

swelling

teeth disorders.

Appropriate action may include:

ethical responses under legislation protecting animals from cruelty require the farrier to report incidents or circumstances where the horse is in need of protection

farrier may advise the owner or responsible person that veterinary advice may be appropriate.

Non-veterinarian treatments may include:

treatments provided by farrier:

adjusting fit of orthotics, pads, wedges or shoes

applying poultice

cleaning nail prick wounds

preparing feet as part of pre-operation procedures by stripping the wall, sole or frog

preparing feet for X-ray by cleaning foot and removing shoe, if required

providing post-operative care by cleaning and dressing wounds

trimming feet to correct angles in accordance with veterinary instructions.

Biosecurity principles and procedures may include:

the separation/isolation of injured horses to prevent further damage

isolation and quarantine protocols to limit the spread of infectious diseases

isolation of horses and protective measures while in transit to events and stopovers en route

notifying the specified authorities in the case of suspected notifiable diseases

standards of hygienic practices required of the farrier to avoid transmission of diseases between individual horses and between properties and locations

complying with worksite specific quarantine and security protocols situation.