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, 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.
Features of horse anatomy may include:
features of general anatomical systems:
skeletal system
muscular system
nervous system
circulatory system
lower limb anatomical features:
bones
hoof regions
hoof structure
joints
ligaments
major blood vessels
nerve supply
sensitive and insensitive structures
tendons
the process of and rate of hoof growth.
Functions of the foot may include:
circulatory regulating
biomechanical:
anti-concussion
arc of flight and break over patterns
supportive
non-slipping functions
protective.
Features of ideal and undesirable feet may include:
ideal feet:
general healthy range of hoof angles depending on:
age of horse or pony
breed
conformation
front and back feet variations
quality of hoof wall and horn
shape of feet
shape and location of frog
shape and quality of sole
undesirable feet:
abnormally sloping or oblique feet
brittle feet/shelly walled
club feet
mule feet
dropped sole
excess flares
flat feet
thin or double sole
upright feet.
Symptoms of malformation, injury and disease may include:
abscess/gravel
bone/hoof developmental abnormalities
corns
coronary band injuries
false quarter
hoof deformities such as flared hooves
joint ailments:
curb
degenerative joint disease
joint injuries
navicular disease
sesamoditis
side bone/ring bone
spavin
lacerations and abrasions
lameness/heel pain
laminitis
limb deformities
puncture wounds
sand crack/grass cracks
seedy toe
thin soles
thrush
white line disease
tendon and ligament injuries and disease.
Gait, conformation and way of going may include:
gaits:
walk
trot
pace
canter
gallop
jump action
common faults of the skeletal system, stance and their effects on gait
common injuries of the muscular system and their effects on gait
the role of the growth plates and their sensitivity to damage due to:
improper angulation and balance of the foot
relationship of the conformation of the foot and limb to the way of going
characteristic actions of various breeds and types of horses.
Shoe wear patterns may include:
wear patterns may be either uneven or excessive in specific areas:
unevenness of wear may be the result of:
faulty preparation of the foot
fitting the wrong type of shoe
the horse's gait
undesirable conformation of limb or pastern foot axis
excessive wear in the toe may be caused by:
the horse goes on its toe to alleviate pain, such as in navicular disease, ligament or tendon injuries
the shoe has excessively high caulkins
excessive wear in the quarters may be due to:
an undesirable pastern foot axis
an uneven bearing surface
excessive wear in the heels may be due to:
chronic laminitis or low ringbone disease.
Assessment ofcondition of feet may include:
assessing the special needs of the young horse
identification of:
ailments and injuries that may affect hoof and foot growth
unusual deformities of the feet and legs
observation of the horse at rest and in motion to identify lameness and faults of gait:
identification of the position of the foot axis when the horse is standing squarely which will identify whether the feet are balanced
assessing feet:
with the shoe on
with the shoe off
determining need for either new shoes or resetting existing shoes
picking up and cleaning each foot to check for injuries or foreign objects
evaluation, if not straight, of possible causes:
uneven wear or growth of the hoof
conformation faults
injuries
poorly fitting tack
observation of the horse's conformation to identify faults of gait or unsoundness:
abnormalities of gait including:
brushing/speedy cutting
cross firing
forging
knee hitting
over-reaching
paddling, winging, and plaiting
scalping
seeking information from the owner:
any bad habits
history of lameness or prior injury
history of shoeing, type of work or training, preference for style.
Relevant legislation and codes of conduct may include:
prevention of cruelty to animals
biosecurity protocols
codes of practice:
relationships with professional persons, such as other farriers, veterinarians, horse dentists and others
ethical considerations of the confidentiality of client information
animal care regulations which place limitations on the roles a farrier may undertake in the diagnosis and treatment of problems and advice that may be given.
Foot care and shoeing plan may include:
details of the service to be provided:
removal of shoes
trimming
fitting new shoes or refitting old shoes
adding accessories to shoes to correct problems, improve horse comfort or performance:
bars
caulks or trailers
other orthopaedic treatments
stud holes
explaining routine hoof care that can be undertaken by the owner or person responsible
planning a schedule that indicates when shoeing is likely to be required:
as a result of changes to the horse's work or other changes
as part of a regular maintenance plan
in order to review or adjust current treatment
referring client to veterinarian or other specialist for further investigation or treatment.
Routine and preventative hoof care may include:
cleaning feet
checking for injuries
checking for foreign objects
ensuring tetanus vaccination is current
applying moisturising or water proofing agents
feeding nutritional supplements
observing horse movement and checking for lameness or irregular gait
planning hoof trimming and shoeing according to:
conformation
environmental conditions
hoof quality and growth
horse's age
work load.
Records may include:
diary entries
horse health records
horse treatment records
invoices.
Common ailments may include:
colic
eye injuries
feed and related disorders:
condition score
feed allergies
the role of feedstuffs in hoof health
malnutrition
infectious and non-infectious skin disorders
infectious respiratory diseases
internal and external parasites
lacerations and abrasions
metabolic ailments:
azoturia/tying up
soft tissue:
heat
soreness
swelling
teeth disorders.
Appropriate action may include:
ethical responses under legislation protecting animals from cruelty require the farrier to report incidents or circumstances where the horse is in need of protection
farrier may advise the owner or responsible person that veterinary advice may be appropriate.
Non-veterinarian treatments may include:
treatments provided by farrier:
adjusting fit of orthotics, pads, wedges or shoes
applying poultice
cleaning nail prick wounds
preparing feet as part of pre-operation procedures by stripping the wall, sole or frog
preparing feet for X-ray by cleaning foot and removing shoe, if required
providing post-operative care by cleaning and dressing wounds
trimming feet to correct angles in accordance with veterinary instructions.
Biosecurity principles and procedures may include:
the separation/isolation of injured horses to prevent further damage
isolation and quarantine protocols to limit the spread of infectious diseases
isolation of horses and protective measures while in transit to events and stopovers en route
notifying the specified authorities in the case of suspected notifiable diseases
standards of hygienic practices required of the farrier to avoid transmission of diseases between individual horses and between properties and locations
complying with worksite specific quarantine and security protocols situation.

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 competence 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. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
identify the anatomical components of the horse relevant to farriers
assess condition of horse's foot and develop appropriate foot care and shoeing plans for a range of horses
provide advice on routine and preventative hoof care
provide non-veterinarian horse health care under routine circumstances in regard to common ailments
maintain biosecurity procedures
apply disease and ailment prevention procedures including isolation and quarantine principles as appropriate.

The skills and knowledge required to determine foot care and shoeing plans for horses must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in worksites, where routine farriery tasks are performed, or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions.

There must be access to a range of healthy horses, including a young horse, a mature horse, a shod horse and an unshod horse as well as the appropriate equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence.

Method of assessment
To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are:
written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge
observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks
simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions
case study analysis
third-party evidence
workplace documentation
portfolio.

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

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).