Application
This unit applies to current or aspiring individuals operating as riding instructors who would be responsible for planning, instructing and evaluating horse riding and/or horse handling sessions to enable participants to safely participate in a horse riding activity and improve their horse riding and horse handling abilities and techniques.
Prerequisites
Nil
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the Evidence Guide. |
1. Plan an instructional session. | 1.1. Establish participant's needs and characteristics and assist with participant's registration or disclaimer where required. 1.2. Assess participant's readiness and current knowledge of horse riding/horse handling to determine the session's aims and objectives. 1.3. Develop a session plan according to participant's needs and characteristics, relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. 1.4. Select, access and perform safety checks suitable for the session, according to relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. 1.5. Identify potential hazards and risks associated with riding or horse handling exercises and activities and determine safety procedures and contingency plans according to best practice principles of equestrian sports. 1.6. Assess and prepare horses safely and appropriately for the exercises and activities being performed. |
2. Brief participants. | 2.1. Communicate instructions and relevant information about the riding session in a manner appropriate to participants. 2.2. Encourage participants to seek clarification, information and feedback as required during the session. 2.3. Inform participants of known and anticipated risks, safety procedures, appropriate behaviour and rules and regulations of riding and/or horse handling. 2.4. Establish a suitable communication system to use while participating in exercises and activities. |
3. Conduct riding session or sessions. | 3.1. Apply appropriate teaching techniques to impart required knowledge for relevant riding/handling exercises and activities. 3.2. Explain and demonstrate safe horse handling techniques to participants. 3.3. Warm up and mentally prepare horses and participants through safe and appropriate exercises. 3.4. Monitor individual participant's performance and maintain effective communication during horse riding/horse handling exercises and activities. 3.5. Bring participants to a halt safely and allow time for cooling down at the end of the session. |
4. Complete post session responsibilities. | 4.1. Check and release horses and store tack and equipment according to organisational policies and procedures and best practice principles of equestrian sports. 4.2. Encourage participants to identify their personal progress and satisfaction with the session, and give feedback as required. 4.3. Evaluate relevant aspects of riding/horse handling session and identify potential areas of improvement for future riding sessions. 4.4. Review own performance and identify potential improvements. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
communication skills to: consult with participants to plan a horse riding session that meets their needs convey information about the safety aspects of the session interact with participants to create a safe and positive environment problem-solving skills to: plan an appropriate horse riding session according to participant's needs and characteristics anticipate and mitigate aggressive, misbehaved and or frightened horses address participant difficulties in developing skills anticipate and respond appropriately to non routine situations planning and organising skills to: source, allocate and coordinate tack, personal equipment, horses and a suitable location monitor and evaluate progress organise participants into manageable groups with suitable horses for exercises and activities language and literacy skills to produce plans for horse riding session or sessions and complete post session evaluations numeracy skills to support effective time management to deliver exercises and activities within session timeframes first aid skills and safety procedures appropriate to the location to enable initial response to emergencies and personal health care. |
Required knowledge |
legislation, organisational policies and procedures, best practice principles of equestrian instruction and rules and regulations of horse riding and horse handling to enable safe and effective conduct of all activities location specific information to assist in the planning process and enable management of potential risks, and any special restrictions applying to the location selection, use and set up of tack and equipment for horse riding sessions instructional techniques and practices applicable to a range of ages and learning abilities characteristics of a range of physical abilities, fitness and motor performance to enable assessment of participant readiness skills of riding/horse handling, and specific exercises and activities that promote skill acquisition in individuals and group communication systems used between participants, instructors and horses during riding hazards and risks commonly associated with riding, and methods of mitigating these risks behaviour patterns and communication traits of horses to recognise and treat individual temperaments and behaviours throughout session emergency and safety procedures appropriate for horse riding, to ensure risk minimisation to participants 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: conveys information to participants for riding/horse handing sessions to ensure activities are conducted safely, according to participant's needs, relevant legislation, organisational policies and procedures, rules and regulations and best practice codes assesses participant's needs and applies relevant processes to safely prepare suitable horses for the sessions compatible with individual needs monitors participants and provides constructive feedback and intervention and modifies riding/handling activities to facilitate participation in the riding/handling session evaluates and reflects on own performance to identify areas that need improvement. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure conduct of safe sessions that reflect the needs and characteristics of a range of participants to demonstrate competency and consistency of performance. Assessment must also ensure access to: locations appropriate for horse riding/horse handling sessions suitable horses a group of participants tack and personal equipment such as halters, ropes, saddles, bridles, helmets and suitable attire safety 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 consultation processes with participants to determine their needs and characteristics oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of relevant legislation, organisational policies and procedures, rules and regulations of riding/horse handling and best practice principles to enable safe conduct of all riding activities during the session or sessions observation of safe conduct of session or sessions, and monitoring and adjusting session or sessions according to participant's needs, characteristics and responses portfolio of self evaluations and safety checks for sessions third-party reports from a supervisor detailing performance. Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended. |
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: | age cultural factors fitness level and physical capabilities knowledge of riding skills horse handling skills injuries and illnesses. |
Participant readiness may include: | dress motor performance factors compatibility between participant and horse. |
Session's aims and objectives may include: | developing horse riding and handling skills education development therapy fitness targets recreation. |
Session plan may include: | session's aims and objectives date, time and duration location and space instructor and participant ratios equipment, resources and horse activities evaluation weather details safety requirements. |
Relevant legislation may include: | occupational health and safety permits or permissions for access environmental regulations. |
Organisational policies and procedures may include: | occupational health and safety: conflict resolution communication protocols use, care and maintenance of horse, tack and personal equipment training and scheduling commitments maintenance of records code of ethics. |
Safety checks may include: | riding/horse handling areas condition of tack horses personal equipment resources. |
Hazards and risks may include: | horse behaviour or injury equipment malfunctions: participant falls environmental hazards participant behaviour jump cups left in jump wings unsuitable jumps spectators other riders or facility users. |
Riding or horse handling exercises and activities may include: | jumping gaits western riding natural horsemanship mounting dismounting riding positions saddle posture halting voice commands transitions between gaits turning working with horses from the ground. |
Relevant information may include: | skill or skills focus equipment, clothing and resource requirements, selection and use activity boundaries and instruction area safety and emergency procedures communication systems aims and objectives rules and regulations of riding rules and regulations for horse handling on the ground responsible and safe behaviour. |
Teaching techniques may include: | self mounted or unmounted demonstration and explanation using correct terminology and commands focussing on a single skill or tactic breaking down skills into components progressing through, linking and sequencing skills questioning monitoring and observing progress adjusting, refining or correcting individual or group skills assessment and evaluation. |
Safe horse handling techniques may include: | approaching horses position near a horse leading horses tying up horses releasing horses distance from other riders. |
Participant's performance may include: | use of appropriate communication systems performance and accuracy of riding/handling skills attitude and behaviour. |
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
Outdoor Recreation
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills.
Licensing Information
No licensing, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.