Assist the trek leader during a trek — BHS Qualifications Occupational Qualification Animal Care & Veterinary Revision

    This subtopic covers the essential skills and knowledge required to effectively support a trek leader on horseback rides, ensuring the safety and enjoyment

    Topic Synopsis

    This subtopic covers the essential skills and knowledge required to effectively support a trek leader on horseback rides, ensuring the safety and enjoyment of all participants. Learners will understand how to follow instructions, manage groups of riders and horses, and comply with relevant health and safety legislation. Practical application includes positioning during the trek, emergency procedures, and client care to maintain a professional standard.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid

    Examiner Marking Points

    Assist the trek leader during a trek

    BHS QUALIFICATIONS
    vocational

    This subtopic covers the essential skills and knowledge required to effectively support a trek leader on horseback rides, ensuring the safety and enjoyment of all participants. Learners will understand how to follow instructions, manage groups of riders and horses, and comply with relevant health and safety legislation. Practical application includes positioning during the trek, emergency procedures, and client care to maintain a professional standard.

    6
    Learning Outcomes
    3
    Assessment Guidance
    3
    Key Skills
    5
    Key Terms
    4
    Assessment Criteria

    Assessment criteria

    BHSQ Level 2 Diploma in Work Based Horse Care

    Topic Overview

    The BHSQ Level 2 Diploma in Work Based Horse Care is a vocational qualification designed for individuals working or volunteering in the equine industry. It covers essential practical skills and knowledge required for daily horse care, including feeding, grooming, health monitoring, and stable management. This diploma is ideal for those aiming to become stable hands, grooms, or assistant yard managers, providing a solid foundation for progression to Level 3 qualifications.

    The qualification is structured around work-based learning, meaning you develop competence through hands-on experience in a real yard environment. You'll learn to handle horses safely, recognise signs of ill health, maintain clean and safe stabling, and understand the nutritional needs of different types of horses. This practical focus ensures that you are job-ready upon completion, with skills directly applicable to employment in livery yards, riding schools, or competition stables.

    Mastering this diploma is crucial because it not only equips you with technical skills but also instils a strong emphasis on health and safety, biosecurity, and ethical horse care. These principles are fundamental to the equine industry, where the welfare of the horse is paramount. By the end of the course, you will be confident in your ability to provide day-to-day care for horses under supervision, making you a valuable asset to any equine business.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →Routine stable management: mucking out, bedding types (straw, shavings, paper), and maintaining a clean, safe environment to prevent respiratory issues and injuries.
    • →Feeding and nutrition: understanding forage-to-concentrate ratios, the importance of fibre, and recognising signs of poor condition or obesity.
    • →Health monitoring: taking TPR (temperature, pulse, respiration), recognising colic, lameness, and common ailments like thrush or sweet itch.
    • →Safe handling: leading, tying up, and turning out using correct techniques to minimise risk to both horse and handler.
    • →Grooming and hoof care: daily grooming routines, picking out feet, and identifying signs of hoof problems such as abscesses or cracks.

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • Describe the responsibilities of an assistant trek leader according to industry standards.
    • Demonstrate safe positioning and communication techniques while assisting on a trek.
    • Identify key health and safety legislation relevant to trekking operations.
    • Apply risk assessment principles to prevent accidents during treks.
    • Explain emergency procedures for dealing with incidents on a trek.
    • Assist in managing client behaviour and horse handling to ensure group safety.

    Assessment Criteria

    Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

    • Award credit for accurately listing and explaining the key points of the Health and Safety at Work Act as it applies to trekking.
    • Credit should be given for demonstrating correct positioning relative to the trek leader and clients during the ride.
    • Evidence of participating in a simulated or real emergency drill, such as dealing with a fallen rider.
    • Candidate must show understanding of how to brief clients on safety rules before and during the trek.

    Assessment Guidance

    Guidance for achieving higher grades

    • 💡For practical assessments, arrive early to familiarise yourself with the horses and route, and clarify any doubts with the trek leader beforehand.
    • 💡When discussing legislation, always refer to current UK regulations and provide specific examples of how they apply to trekking centres.
    • 💡Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) when describing how you handled a safety issue or assisted the leader.
    • 💡When answering questions on stable management, always link your answer to horse welfare and safety. For example, when describing mucking out, mention that removing wet bedding prevents ammonia build-up, which can cause respiratory problems.
    • 💡In practical assessments, demonstrate a systematic approach: check the horse's general demeanour first, then perform tasks in a logical order (e.g., pick out feet before grooming). This shows you are organised and thorough.
    • 💡For written exams, use specific terminology (e.g., 'forage' instead of 'hay', 'concentrates' instead of 'hard feed') and give examples of different feed types (e.g., alfalfa chaff, sugar beet). This demonstrates depth of knowledge.

    Common Mistakes

    Common errors to avoid in your coursework

    • Confusing the assistant's role with that of the trek leader, overstepping authority.
    • Failing to maintain awareness of all riders' positions, leading to gaps or unsafe spacing.
    • Not checking required safety equipment before departure.
    • Misconception: 'All horses need hard feed (concentrates) every day.' Correction: Many horses in light work or good condition only require forage (hay/haylage) and a vitamin/mineral supplement. Overfeeding concentrates can lead to obesity, laminitis, and digestive upset.
    • Misconception: 'A horse that lies down is always ill.' Correction: Horses lie down for rest and REM sleep, especially at night. However, if a horse is lying down excessively, not getting up, or showing signs of distress (e.g., rolling, sweating), it may indicate colic or other illness.
    • Misconception: 'You should always groom a horse vigorously before riding.' Correction: While grooming removes dirt and stimulates circulation, over-grooming sensitive areas (e.g., belly, legs) can cause discomfort. A quick brush to remove debris is sufficient before tacking up; a full groom can be done after exercise.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •A basic understanding of horse behaviour and handling, typically gained through regular volunteering or work experience in a yard.
    • •Completion of a Level 1 qualification in horse care or equivalent knowledge, such as the BHS Horse Care Level 1 Award.
    • •A current tetanus vaccination and awareness of personal protective equipment (PPE) like sturdy boots and gloves.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    • Role of the assistant during trek
    • Health and safety legislation
    • Risk management and emergencies
    • Client and group management
    • Equine welfare on treks

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