Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit covers the process of handling young horses and defines the standard required to: catch and handle foals; assist with weaning foals; teach weanlings to lead; catch, handle, groom and exercise yearlings; prepare yearlings for sale to industry standards.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to working with minimal supervision within enterprise guidelines.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Safely catch and handle foals

1.1. Foals of various ages are caught safely.

1.2. Foals are restrained for routine health and husbandry procedures.

2. Assist with weaning foals

2.1. Suitable facilities for the safe handling, training and weaning of foals are identified.

2.2. Foals are fitted with a halter according to enterprise guidelines.

2.3. Weanling foals are led according to enterprise guidelines.

2.4. Weanling foals legs are handled according to enterprise guidelines.

2.5. Weanling foals feet are picked up according to enterprise guidelines.

2.6. Rugs are fitted to weanlings.

3. Safely and competently perform routine tasks in the preparation and presentation of yearlings for sale

3.1. Routine daily checks of yearlings are carried out.

3.2. Yearlings are safely led for exercise and presentation.

3.3. Yearlings are exercised, shampooed, and groomed according to enterprise guidelines.

3.4. Bridles, bits, rugs and safety gear are fitted according to enterprise guidelines.

3.5. Sale presentation techniques are demonstrated.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• identify hazards and follow safe work procedures
• handle animals in a safe and humane manner
• monitor animal behaviour and recognise abnormalities
• demonstrate safe and environmentally responsible workplace practices
• teach a weanling to accept a halter
• teach a weanlings to lead
• maintain facilities and equipment to industry standards
• communicate effectively and maintain accurate reports and records
• fit rugs to weanlings&yearlings
• safely exercise weanlings&yearlings
• groom a yearling
• safely fit, in an appropriate manner, bits, bridles and halters
• teach a yearling to lead for exercise and presentation for sale
• teach a yearling to stand correctly for presentation at sale
• use literacy skills to follow sequenced written instructions and record information accurately and legibly
• use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine workplace measures
• use interpersonal skills to relate to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge 

• suitable facilities for weaning
• potential dangers to the foal during weaning and appropriate actions to reduce them, such as the removal of troughs or other objects that may cause injury
• stress responses sometimes associated with weaning, such as fretting, over-heating, refusing food, overeating, self-inflicted injuries.
• suitable facilities for yearling preparation
• potential dangers to the yearlings during sale preparation and appropriate actions to reduce them, such as removing any potential hazards from stalls and handling areas, exercising in confined areas, monitoring exercise and the effects of exercise on joints and bones of the legs
• various responses in yearlings associated with sale preparation such as fretting, poor appetite, overeating, stable vices
• Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and animal welfare legislation and enterprise requirements.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

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 competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:

• catch and handle foals
• assist with weaning foals
• teach weanlings to lead
• catch, handle, groom and exercise yearlings
• prepare yearlings for sale to industry standards.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions. Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Young horses may include:

• all breeds and types of foals, weanlings and yearlings.

Unit sector 

Horse breeding

Co-requisite units 

Competency field