Unit of competency details
SISOEQU006 - Guide horse trail rides in untracked areas (Release 2)
Summary
Companion volumes:
Unit of competency
Assessment requirements
Training packages that include this unit
Qualifications that include this unit
Classifications
Classification history
| ASCED Module/Unit of Competency Field of Education Identifier | 092101 | Sport And Recreation Activities | 14/Feb/2018 | |
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Unit of competency
Modification History
Unit Release 2. No change to unit content from Release 1; mapping updated for accuracy.
Application
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to guide participants on complex trail rides along untracked areas with steep or difficult terrain, numerous obstacles and or environmental extremes.
It requires the ability to demonstrate, to participants, horse handling and riding techniques appropriate for challenging terrain, and to manage group riding for complex trail rides. To do this, guides must be proficient horse riders.
This unit applies to guides and trail bosses who work for outdoor recreation operators which provide complex trail rides of varying duration.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Pre-requisite Unit
SISOEQU001 Handle horses
SISOEQU010 Identify hazards, assess and control safety risks for horse handling and riding activities
Competency Field
Equine
Unit Sector
Outdoor Recreation
Elements and Performance Criteria
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ELEMENTS
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PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
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Elements describe the essential outcomes
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Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.
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1. Confirm operational details for trail rides.
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1.1. Interpret activity plans and risk assessments for trail ride and confirm suitability.
1.2. Access and interpret current weather and environmental information to ascertain impacts on riding activity.
1.3. Make adjustments to route and activity as required, and inform relevant personnel of route and anticipated timings before departure.
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2. Prepare and pack equipment for rides.
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2.1. Select navigation and communication equipment suitable for destinations and check for safe working condition.
2.2. Prepare first aid and other equipment for horses and riders according to operational requirements of trail ride.
2.3. Prepare food and water resources for horses and riders for duration of ride.
2.4. Pack saddle bags to ensure even weight distribution, horse comfort and wellbeing.
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3. Prepare tack, horses and participants.
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3.1. Select horses of suitable history, size and temperament to match participant capabilities and obtain participant disclaimer.
3.2. Confirm participants have clothing and footwear appropriate for the ride and changing weather conditions.
3.3. Select riding equipment to match riders and riding conditions and check it is in safe working condition.
3.4. Fit and adjust tack and personal equipment to participants and horses to ensure comfort and safety.
3.5. Assist with mounting of horses, check and adjust rider equipment.
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4. Brief and instruct participants.
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4.1. Communicate instructions and information about ride in a manner appropriate to participants and encourage questions and advice before and during ride.
4.2. Provide information on practices to minimise impact of horse riding on the environment.
4.3. Inform participants of known and anticipated risks, safety procedures, safe behaviour, safe areas and boundaries.
4.4. Advise participants of order of ride procedures and communication protocols to use during ride.
4.5. Provide information to participants about their horses and behaviour pattern.
4.6. Demonstrate correct horse handling and riding techniques appropriate for difficult untracked terrain.
4.7. Check and confirm participant riding ability for terrain, ability to start and stop horse, and control horse direction and speed before departure.
4.8. Check matching of rider to horse and adjust as required.
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5. Lead rides in untracked areas.
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5.1. Lead mounted and unmounted horses from designated order of ride position, adjusting position and role as required.
5.2. Provide clear demonstrations and concise directions to participants during ride to negotiate difficult terrain.
5.3. Monitor individual participant performance and provide directions to improve techniques and control of horse.
5.4. Monitor participant adherence to order of ride and safety procedures and assertively correct breaches.
5.5. Monitor horse behaviour and interaction and promptly control aggressive, misbehaved and frightened horses.
5.6. Monitor riding conditions and hazards, including signs of rider and horse difficulty, to ensure rider and horse safety and welfare during ride.
5.7. Implement required modifications to activity, speed and route to ensure participant safety and comfort and completion within ride timelines.
5.8. Respond to emergency situations according to organisational safety, emergency response and first aid procedures.
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6. Complete post-ride responsibilities.
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6.1. Notify relevant personnel of ride completion.
6.2. Retrieve equipment, inspect for wear or breakage, tag faults and store in designated area.
6.3. Check condition of horses and deal with injuries according to organisational procedures.
6.4. Document any equipment faults, horse injuries and safety incidents.
6.5. Evaluate the ride through a debrief and identify improvements for future activities.
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Foundation Skills
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Foundation skills essential to performance in this unit, but not explicit in the performance criteria are listed here, along with a brief context statement.
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SKILLS
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DESCRIPTION
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Reading skills to:
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- interpret complex and sometimes unfamiliar documents and information which can include:
- activity plans and risk assessments
- organisational policies and procedures
- weather and other environmental information.
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Writing skills to:
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- use fundamental sentence structure to complete forms that require factual information, these can include:
- safety checklists
- equipment faults
- incident reports.
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Oral communication skills to:
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- provide clear and unambiguous instructions to participants using language and terms easily understood by riders
- ask open and closed probe questions and actively listen to determine participants’ understanding of instructions.
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Teamwork skills to:
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- pro-actively and cooperatively work within teams of guides, support staff and base operational staff to organise ride logistics, solve operational problems and deliver a quality ride experience to participants.
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Planning and organising skills to:
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- manage own timing and that of participants to complete trail rides within organisational service times.
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Unit Mapping Information
No equivalent unit.
Links
Companion Volume Implementation Guides - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=1ca50016-24d2-4161-a044-d3faa200268b
Assessment requirements
Modification History
Unit Release 2. No change to unit content from Release 1; mapping updated for accuracy.
Performance Evidence
Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:
- guide two different trail rides, each lasting for a minimum of four hours, on two different compliant and manageable horses
- during each of the rides, at different times, assume the position of both front rider guide and drag or roving rider guide
- guide a minimum of five and a maximum of ten participants during each trail ride
- during each ride:
- consistently control participant adherence to safety procedures and practices
- consistently monitor and control horse behaviour
- consistently ensure riders are in control of their horse and provide assistance with riding techniques as required
- provide responses to two emergency situations and complete two incident reports
- complete two reports on equipment faults.
Knowledge Evidence
Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
- organisational safety, emergency response and first aid procedures for guiding horse trail rides
- organisational policies, procedures and codes for minimal impact of horse riding activities to the environment
- basic aspects of applicable state, territory, local government or land manager environmental regulations sufficient to know where trail rides may be operated in untracked and environmentally sensitive areas and under what conditions
- sources of information on weather and environmental conditions and how to use to ascertain riding conditions
- the effects of weather on riding conditions, route and selection of personal equipment and tack
- purpose, features and safe set up of horse riding tack for trail rides:
- saddles of different types and their suitability for different riders and trails with difficult terrain
- equipment to ensure security of saddle position on difficult terrain including breastplates and cruppers
- halters and ropes and techniques for securing during travel
- saddle bags
- factors that affect the selection of tack and personal protective equipment to suit individual riders
- key features of different types of navigation and communication equipment used for complex trail rides, and factors that affect choice:
- compass
- route maps
- topographic maps
- global positioning systems (GPS)
- two-way radios
- mobile phones and applications
- satellite phones
- alerting and tracking devices including personal locator beacons (PLBs)
- clothing requirements for trail rides to protect against sunburn, heat stroke, wet and cold weather
- waterproofing and stowing techniques used to keep clothing and equipment dry during ride
- communication protocols for group trail rides in untracked environments
- order of ride procedures for group trail rides to include positioning and roles of:
- front rider
- drag roving rider guide
- assistant guides and support staff
- participant riders
- unmounted horses
- procedures for safely crossing public roads and travelling along them
- behavioural history of individual horses chosen for the ride
- common behavioural problems of horses during group trail rides in untracked areas with difficult terrain
- techniques used to control adverse horse behaviour while maintaining welfare of the horse and safety of rider.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated in a horse trail riding environment meeting the following conditions:
- untracked areas with difficult terrain
- steep ascents and descents
- numerous environmental obstacles.
Horse matching prior to all assessments involving horse interaction is essential. Assessors must:
- complete, participate in or validate a risk assessment of both the candidate’s and other participant riders’ characteristics and level of horse handling and riding skills
- match, or validate the matching of, horses of suitable history, size and temperament to both the candidate and other participants to ensure that rider and horse combination is safe.
Assessment must ensure use of:
- a group of minimum five and maximum ten participant riders whom the individual guides
- compliant and manageable horses, matched to all riders as above, and educated for untracked trail ride conditions
- tack to include:
- halters
- leads
- ropes
- saddles which can be stock, hybrid or western saddles
- saddle cloths
- bridles
- reins
- bits
- stirrups with safety features
- saddle bags
- personal protective equipment to include:
- sun protection and wet weather clothing
- riding boots
- Australian Standard, or equivalent, compliant helmets
- navigation equipment
- communication equipment including equipment for emergency response
- activity plans
- risk assessments for trail rides to include known and anticipated hazards, safety risks and control measures
- hard copy or online information on weather and other environmental conditions
- template:
- safety checklists
- participant disclaimers
- equipment fault reports
- incident reports
- organisational safety, emergency response and first aid procedures for guiding horse trail rides
- organisational policies, procedures and codes for minimal impact of horse riding activities to the environment
- plain English documents issued by state, territory, local government regulators or land managers describing regulations for operating horse trail rides in untracked areas.
Assessment must ensure access to:
- breastplates and cruppers
- human and equine first aid equipment.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations requirements for assessors, and:
- hold a qualification or Statement of Attainment which includes this unit of competency, SISOEQU006 Guide horse trail rides in untracked areas, or a qualification or Statement of Attainment which includes a unit of competency that has been superseded by this unit, and
- have at least three years’ experience as a trail guide or trail boss where they have applied the skills and knowledge covered in this unit of competency, and
- hold accreditation relevant to assessing trail guide skills covered by this unit; accreditation refers to:
- accreditation offered by equine sporting organisations recognised by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), or
- certification offered by equine organisations which are Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) or whose training is managed by an affiliated RTO.
Links
Companion Volume Implementation Guides - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=1ca50016-24d2-4161-a044-d3faa200268b
