Elements and Performance Criteria
- Confirm operational details for trail rides.
- Interpret activity plans and risk assessments for trail ride and confirm suitability.
- Access and interpret current weather and environmental information to ascertain impacts on riding activity.
- Make adjustments to route and activity as required, and inform relevant personnel of route and anticipated timings before departure.
- Prepare and pack equipment for rides.
- Prepare tack, horses and participants.
- Select horses of suitable history, size and temperament to match participant capabilities and obtain participant disclaimer.
- Confirm participants have clothing and footwear appropriate for the ride and forecasted weather conditions.
- Select riding equipment to match riders and riding conditions and check it is in safe working condition.
- Fit and adjust tack and personal equipment to participants and horses to ensure comfort and safety.
- Assist with mounting of horses, check and adjust rider equipment.
- Brief and instruct participants.
- Communicate instructions and information about ride in a manner appropriate to participants and encourage questions and advice before and during ride.
- Provide information on practices to minimise impact of horse riding on the environment.
- Inform participants of known and anticipated risks, safety procedures, safe behaviour, safe areas and boundaries.
- Advise participants of order of ride procedures and communication protocols to use during ride.
- Provide information to participants about their horses and behaviour pattern.
- Demonstrate correct horse handling and riding techniques appropriate for undemanding terrain.
- Check and confirm participant ability to start and stop horse and control horse direction and speed before departure.
- Check matching of rider to horse and adjust as required.
- Lead rides in tracked areas.
- Lead horses from designated order of ride position, adjusting position and role as required.
- Provide clear demonstrations and concise directions to participants during ride to negotiate undemanding terrain.
- Monitor individual participant performance and provide directions to improve techniques and control of horse.
- Monitor participant adherence to order of ride and safety procedures and assertively correct breaches.
- Monitor horse behaviour and interaction and promptly control aggressive, misbehaved and frightened horses.
- Monitor riding conditions and hazards, including signs of rider and horse difficulty, to ensure rider and horse safety and welfare during ride.
- Lead a mounted rider from horseback when required.
- Implement required modifications to activity, speed and route to ensure participant safety and comfort and completion within ride timelines.
- Respond to emergency situations according to organisational safety, emergency response and first aid procedures.
- Complete post ride responsibilities.
- Notify relevant personnel of ride completion.
- Retrieve equipment, inspect for wear or breakage, tag faults and store in designated area.
- Check condition of horses and deal with any injuries according to organisational procedures.
- Document any equipment faults, horse injuries and safety incidents.
- Evaluate the ride through a debrief and identify improvements for future activities.