Elements and Performance Criteria
- Prepare horses for work
- Select, use and maintain appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Select, muster, or bring from paddock, and assess the suitability of the horse for the task
- Catch and handle horses safely and humanely
- Check horse health, soundness, and fitness level to ensure it is capable to complete the work required
- Select, check, and maintain working equipment, according to instructions
- Groom horse prior to exercise or work
- Fit working gear to individual horse
- Train horses for stock work
- Identify and assess risks, and implement risk controls associated with horse riding and horse training
- Assess current level of education of the horse
- Train horse to calmly carry out required movements for working stock, including stops, turns and rollbacks
- Train horse to work and control a mob of livestock as a whole
- Train horse to safely handle a single beast and to return it to the mob safely according to industry practices
- Train horse to separate a beast from a mob as instructed and according to industry practices
- Train horse to calmly accept a stock whip being used by the rider, if required by the workplace, according to industry practices
- Train horse to work with working dogs where required by workplace
- Utilise agreed emergency procedures when training horses in required safety movements, including one-rein stops
- Ride horses to carry out stock work
- Interpret work program to determine work to be undertaken, and confirm with management
- Select horses for the task, taking into consideration task requirements and own skill level
- Catch and handle horses safely and humanely
- Practise and reinforce training of horse while carrying out routine stock work
- Take corrective action to re-train horse where necessary
- Provide post ride care and maintain saddlery and equipment
- Remove gear, and groom, wash and/or clean horse according to industry practices
- Water and feed horse in line with workplace procedures and safe work practices
- Release horse safely to appropriate enclosure, paddock or yard
- Check, clean, maintain and store working gear
- Repair working gear according to industry practices
- Apply the workplace’s biosecurity and sustainability policies
- Maintain horse health and condition
- Monitor horses as a part of daily routines to identify signs of ill health, injury and poor condition
- Muster or catch horses in need of attention, and report and record condition in line with workplace procedures
- Administer prescribed treatments for common ailments, under supervision of the veterinarian or manager
- Safely check horse legs and feet, safely clean out feet, and correctly identify lameness and potential causes for lameness
- Organise shoeing according to workplace procedures