Assist with the exercise and care for performance horses
This element focuses on the practical skills and underpinning knowledge required to safely and effectively exercise and care for performance horses in a work-based environment. Learners must demonstrate competence in assessing the horse's condition, applying appropriate exercise routines, and maintaining meticulous records, while strictly adhering to health and safety legislation and environmental best practices. The content is directly applicable to roles such as grooms, riders, and yard assistants in competitive or professional equestrian settings.
Assessment criteria
Topic Overview
The BHSQ Level 3 Diploma in Work Based Horse Care and Management is a vocational qualification designed for individuals working in the equine industry, such as yard managers, riding instructors, or competition grooms. It covers advanced horse care, stable management, and business operations, ensuring students can manage horses' health, welfare, and performance in a professional setting. This diploma is essential for those seeking supervisory roles or self-employment in the equine sector.
The qualification integrates practical skills with theoretical knowledge, including nutrition, first aid, livery services, and event management. Students learn to assess horse behaviour, implement biosecurity measures, and comply with health and safety legislation. It also emphasizes customer service and financial management, preparing learners to run a successful equine business or manage a yard effectively.
This diploma fits into the wider Animal Care & Veterinary framework by focusing on equine-specific care, bridging general animal management with specialized horse husbandry. It is recognized by employers and equestrian bodies, providing a pathway to higher-level qualifications or direct employment in roles such as yard supervisor, competition groom, or equine business owner.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Equine health and welfare: Recognizing signs of illness, lameness, and stress; implementing preventive care like vaccination and worming programs.
- →Nutrition and feeding: Balancing rations for different types of horses (e.g., performance, breeding, elderly) using forage, concentrates, and supplements.
- →Stable management: Designing safe, hygienic stabling; managing bedding, mucking out, and turnout routines to prevent respiratory issues and injury.
- →Business operations: Understanding livery contracts, pricing strategies, and record-keeping for feed, veterinary visits, and farrier work.
- →Health and safety: Applying COSHH regulations, risk assessments, and emergency procedures for fires, injuries, or equine escapes.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Be able to exercise and care for performance horses, Be able to maintain accurate records, Be able to promote health and safety and environmental good practice, Understand how to exercise and care for performance horses, Know how to maintain accurate records, Understand relevant health and safety legislation and environmental good practice
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for demonstrating correct handling and exercise techniques tailored to the horse's fitness level and discipline, including warm-up and cool-down procedures.
- Expect precise and legible completion of daily exercise, health, and medication records, with entries signed and dated.
- Credit given for identifying and mitigating hazards in the working environment, such as uneven surfaces or protruding objects, and for consistent use of appropriate personal protective equipment.
- Look for evidence of environmental good practice, such as correct disposal of muck and used bedding, and minimising water and energy waste.
- Assess the ability to recognise signs of fatigue, injury, or altered gait during exercise and take appropriate immediate action.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡In practical assessments, clearly narrate your actions and decisions to demonstrate thorough underpinning knowledge, even if the skill is second nature.
- 💡Maintain a well-organised portfolio of sample records (exercise sheets, health logs, risk assessments) to provide concrete evidence of your competence.
- 💡Revise key legislation including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, COSHH, and the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and be prepared to explain how each applies to daily tasks.
- 💡Practice observing and documenting subtle changes in a horse's movement or behaviour, as assessors value early problem detection and appropriate response.
- 💡During discussions, link your practical work explicitly to the performance horse's training cycle and competition schedule to show contextual understanding.
- 💡Use specific examples from your workplace to demonstrate understanding, such as describing a feeding plan for a competition horse or a biosecurity protocol during an outbreak.
- 💡Show awareness of current industry practices, like using haylage instead of hay for dust-sensitive horses or implementing automated feeding systems.
- 💡Link theory to practice: when discussing health checks, mention how you monitor temperature, pulse, and respiration (TPR) and record findings in a daily log.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Confusing general hacking with structured exercise sessions; failing to adjust work intensity based on the horse's current condition and performance goals.
- Omitting vital signs (temperature, pulse, respiration) or subtle behavioural changes from health records, reducing their clinical value.
- Neglecting to check and adjust tack for each individual horse before exercise, leading to discomfort or injury.
- Inconsistent use of personal protective equipment, particularly safety boots and gloves, during routine yard tasks.
- Failing to comply with COSHH regulations when handling or storing cleaning agents, supplements, or medications.
- Misconception: Horses only need hay and water. Correction: Horses require a balanced diet with appropriate forage, concentrates, vitamins, and minerals based on workload, age, and health status.
- Misconception: A clean stable means no dust. Correction: Dust can come from hay, bedding, and feed; using soaked hay, dust-free bedding, and good ventilation is crucial for respiratory health.
- Misconception: Laminitis only affects overweight ponies. Correction: Laminitis can affect any horse due to factors like grain overload, concussion, or hormonal imbalances; prevention includes careful grazing management and diet control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for BHS QUALIFICATIONS Assist with the exercise and care for performance horses
Every vocational unit is marked against named criteria rather than an exam percentage. Your tutor's brief lists the exact codes for this unit — here is what each band is asking you to do.
Demonstrate baseline knowledge, accurate terminology, and core practical application.
Provide detailed analysis, structured explanations, and clear workplace reasoning.
Deliver thorough evaluation, original problem solving, and fully justified recommendations.
Before You Start
Prior knowledge that will help with this topic
- •BHSQ Level 2 Diploma in Horse Care or equivalent experience in a yard environment.
- •Basic knowledge of equine anatomy and common health issues.
- •Understanding of health and safety regulations in an equine setting.
Coursework AI Review
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Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Be able to exercise and care for performance horses, Be able to maintain accurate records, Be able to promote health and safety and environmental good practice, Understand how to exercise and care for performance horses, Know how to maintain accurate records, Understand relevant health and safety legislation and environmental good practice
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