Elements and Performance Criteria

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 plan and implement education of horses for racing. Workplaces include harness or thoroughbred stables and racecourses, training tracks and public areas.
Racing stable activities include:
accepting restraints, including being tied up
adapting to living in stables or yards
feeding routines
shoeing
standing for grooming, hosing, clipping, tacking up and rugging
standing or working close to other horses.
Racing tack and equipment include:
bridles
blinkers, winkers and hoods
harness specific:
cart
head check
hobbles
jog machine vehicle
protective equipment, including:
boots
bandages
swimming pools
thoroughbred specific:
girths
saddles and associated tack, for example:
breast plate
martingale
saddlecloths
treadmills and walking machines.
Remedial or corrective equipment includes:
assorted bits
blinkers or hoods
harness specific:
ear muffs
head check
lugging pole
nosebands
spreaders
thoroughbred specific:
barrier blanket
brow band
cornell collar
martingale
noseband
nose roll
pacifiers
tongue tie
winkers.
Methods that could be used to acclimatise horses to exercise related activities include:
horses ridden or driven singly under direct supervision
horses worked with experienced, reliable horses
horses loaded onto truck or trailer and transported to track
horses put into tie-up stalls.
Methods that could be used to acclimatise horses working on the track include:
introducing other working horses at controlled distances and speeds to work with inexperienced or young horses
learning theory, including:
classical conditioning
habituation
operant conditioning, for example:
extinction response
positive and negative reinforcement
practising on home or quiet track where number of horses on track can be controlled
working young or inexperienced horses with experienced and confident horses.
Race start activities include:
harness specific:
performing score up
mobbing to race start
loading for standing start
loading for mobile start
parading in birdcage
thoroughbred specific:
parading in mounting enclosure
moving to race start
loading into barriers.
Social and housing needs of racing horses include:
need for company of other horses
need for personal space
need for shelter with adequate ventilation and room to move and lay down.
Assessment of horses' condition may include:
blood tests
evaluating condition score
evaluating muscle definition and balance
weighing.
Acclimatisation to stable and training routines and gear may include:
horse is eating up feed and drinking appropriate amounts of water daily
horse is less reactive to repeated exposures to stimuli
horse maintains weight
horse shows interest in surroundings and activities
horse stands relatively quietly for exercise or race preparation activities.
Specialist advice may include:
dentist
farrier
horse breaker
jockey or driver
nutritionist
other trainer
specialist young horse trackwork rider or driver
starter
thoroughbred barrier attendant
thoroughbred specialist trackwork jump-out rider
veterinarian.

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:
knowledge of the requirements, procedures and instructions that are to apply when planning and introducing racing husbandry and exercise practices to racehorses
implementation of procedures and timely techniques for the safe, effective and efficient introduction of industry-approved routines and activities related to educating horses for racing
working with others to implement and complete horse education 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 and track 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 harness or thoroughbred horses that are currently in training
commercial racing training establishments, and training and racetracks
materials and equipment relevant to assessing candidate's ability to plan and implement education of horses for 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:
RGRPSH401A Relate anatomical and physiological features to the care and treatment of horses
RGRPSH408A Manage horse health and welfare
RGRPSH409A Determine nutritional requirements for racing horses
RGRPSH501A Plan and adapt training and conditioning programs for racehorses.
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).