Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit of competency specifies the outcomes required to educate and develop the fitness of horses for jumping racing.

This unit also requires the practical care, management and flat training of racing thoroughbreds and the application of OHS standards in the workplace.

This unit of competency operates in work environments of racing stables, racecourses and public areas.

Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements may apply to this unit, check with your State Principal Racing Authority for current license or registration requirements.

Application of the unit 

This unit of competency supports supervisors, trainers and others in the thoroughbred racing industry responsible for training horses for jumping racing.

This unit can be contextualised for other industries while also maintaining the integrity of the unit.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

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.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Prepare horses for jumping education.

1. Horse's flatwork skills  are reviewed.

2. Rider skills  for introducing jumping to horses are prioritised.

3. Horse tack and equipment  for jumping exercises are selected.

4. Horse jumps training sessions are planned  .

Present pole and cavaletti exercises to horses.

5. Pole exercises  are introduced.

6. Cavaletti exercises are introduced.

7. Horse's aptitude for negotiating obstacles is reviewed.

Present jumping obstacles to horses.

8. Single and related distance jumping exercises  are introduced.

9. Racing brush and hurdle fences are introduced.

10. Jumping racing courses are introduced.

11. Horse's welfare  is monitored during jumping education and fitness development.

Plan jumps race program.

12. Rules of racing related to jumping racing are reviewed.

13. Jump racing trials are completed.

14. Horse's aptitude for jumping racing is evaluated.

15. Jumps races are selected that are aligned to individual horse aptitude.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• applying OHS workplace procedures
• applying safe handling and work practices when dealing with horses
• assessing area conditions for safe jumping
• assessing horse's aptitude for jumping obstacles
• assessing horse's aptitude for jumping and jumping racing
• identifying skills required by horses and riders for jumping racing
• communicating with riders, owners, specialists and others using assertive communication techniques to gather and relay information related to skill development in jumping racing for horses
• complying with animal welfare policies in the care and management of horses
• dealing with emergencies
• evaluating risks associated with jumping horses
• giving and receiving instructions
• identifying behaviour traits of individual horses related to introducing and developing jumping skills
• measuring jumping stride and adjusting obstacle distances for individual horses
• reading and interpreting workplace documentation, including relevant rules of racing
• relating to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with varying physical and mental abilities
• selecting and adjusting distance and height of jumping equipment
• selecting, fitting and maintaining horse tack for jumping
• selecting suitable jumping exercises for level of experience, education and fitness of horses
• supporting others in handling and providing education and exercise for horses learning to jump
• written communication skills to compile and maintain records related to planning, implementing and reviewing jumping education and training.

Required knowledge 

• common horse behaviour traits related to jumping
• common injuries related to jumping exercise and education
• communication procedures within stable and wider racing industry
• controlling techniques for horses
• effective working relationships, including teamwork
• emergency control measures
• industry terminology related to jumps education and racing
• racing industry animal welfare requirements
• racing industry safety requirements, including safe operating procedures
• relevant rules of racing related to jumping racing
• signs of lameness in horses
• stages of jumping education for horses
• types of jumping obstacles relevant to education and competition in jumping racing.

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.

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 all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit and include evidence of the following:

• applying safe operating procedures to ensure the safety of horses, riders and others during the education and fitness development of horses for jumping racing
• knowledge of the requirements, procedures and instructions that apply to overseeing the education of horses for jumping racing
• implementation of procedures and timely techniques for the safe, effective and efficient education and fitness development of horses for jumping racing
• working with others to undertake and complete procedures that meet required outcomes.
• Evidence should be collected over a period of time using a range of racehorses of different ages and sexes, and at different stages of preparation in racing stable, track and race meeting environments.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Competency must be assessed in a racing workplace that provides access to horses that are being educated and trained in a commercial racing stable under the care of a licensed trainer and the required resources. Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints. It is to comply with relevant regulatory requirements or Australian Standards requirements.

Assessment of the practical components of this unit will be by observation of relevant skills.

The following resources must be available:

• a variety of thoroughbred horses that are currently in training for jumping racing
• commercial racing training establishments, safe racetrack areas, race meetings and related facilities
• materials and equipment relevant to assessing candidate's ability to plan and oversee the education of horses for jumping racing
• work instructions and related documentation.

Method of assessment 

Assessment methods must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the Racing Training Package.

The suggested strategies for the assessment of this unit are:

• written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge
• observed, documented and firsthand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks.

Where performance is not directly observed any evidence should be authenticated by supervisors or other appropriate persons, at least one of whom should be approved by the State Principal Racing Authority.

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role, for example:

• RGRPSH502A Plan and implement education of horses for racing.

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).

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 in the performance criteria is detailed below.

The range statement provides details of how this competency can be used in the workplaces of the racing industry to train horses for jumping racing. Workplaces include harness or thoroughbred stables and racecourses, training tracks and public areas.

Flatwork skills  may include:

• responding to rider aids, including:

• selection of gait
• control of speed
• direction of travel
• turning signals
• stopping
• moving towards unusual objects.

Rider skills  may include:

• establishing and maintaining suitable tempo, stride length and control for jumping obstacles from poles on the ground to jumping racing fences
• identifying when horse is not coping with task
• reassuring nervous horse during exercise
• remaining calm and positive while horse is learning new skills
• riding in a balanced independent seat suitable for jumping
• using positive and negative reinforcement to encourage horse to negotiate obstacles.

Tack and equipment  may include:

• jumping equipment, including:

• cavaletti
• ground poles
• jump fill used to introduce jumping height and solid obstacles, including walls and ground line
• jump materials to replicate fences used in jumping races, such as brush and ditches
• jump wings suitable to build vertical and spread fences

• jumping tack, including:

• breast plates
• martingales
• specialist bits
• specialist shoeing for jumping

• protective equipment for horse, including:

• bandages
• brushing boots
• overreach boots
• sausage boots
• splint boots

• suitable arena with safe footing and reasonably level surface.

Planned jumping sessions  may include:

• frequency of jumping sessions per week when horse is learning to jump
• length of sessions depending on fitness and experience in jumping
• progression of jumping exercises, from learning to negotiate poles on the ground up to jumping racing obstacles
• type of obstacles used at different stages of education and fitness for jumping.

Pole exercises  may include:

• random single poles on the ground negotiated at walk, trot and canter
• grids of poles negotiated at walk, trot and canter on straight and curving lines at distances appropriate for gait and natural stride length of individual horses.

Cavaletti exercises  may include:

• random single cavaletti at various heights negotiated at walk, trot and canter
• grids of cavaletti at various heights on straight and curving lines negotiated at walk, trot and canter at distances appropriate for gait and natural stride length of individual horses.

Aptitude for negotiating obstacles  may be assessed by:

• evaluating horse's:

• ability to adjust stride height and length depending on height and distance of poles and cavaletti
• ability to establish and maintain a suitable tempo
• ability to maintain balance during pole and cavaletti exercises
• ability to negotiate poles and cavaletti with a decreasing frequency of hitting the obstacles
• willingness to approach obstacles
• willingness to negotiate obstacles

• consulting rider and other specialists on horse's potential for jumping racing.

Jumping exercises  may include:

• single obstacles of heights from 60cm to 1m, such as:

• cross poles
• natural obstacles
• oxers
• triple bars
• vertical fences
• walls

• related distance jumping exercises of heights from 60cm to 1m, such as:

• jumping two to three obstacles in a straight line
• jumping two to three obstacles on a curving line
• jumping obstacles on a line that changes direction
• jumping six to eight obstacles to practise establishing and maintaining balance, style, tempo and speed.

Jumping racing courses  may include:

• jumping up to eight obstacles over a distance of 2400m (hurdle) or 2800m (steeplechase), including:

• hurdle obstacles to 1m
• steeplechase obstacles to 1.15m
• jumps on undulating country.

Horse's welfare  may include:

• checking horse for injuries
• deciding if it is safe to jump after assessing work area conditions
• increasing workload according to horse's response to previous activities and rider reports
• planning appropriate warm-up and cool-down procedures
• preventing injuries by selecting appropriate safety and protective equipment
• using legal therapies to control heat and swelling in limbs.

Aptitude for jumping racing  may include:

• establishing and maintaining an appropriate speed and tempo
• willingness to negotiate jumping obstacles
• willingness to jump in the company of other horses
• approaching, jumping and leaving obstacles in balance
• willingness to finish the race
• ability to develop appropriate stamina for jumping racing.

Unit Sector 

Thoroughbred racing code

Co-requisite units 

Functional Area 

Racing performance services