Carry out pre and post horse trek activities
This subtopic equips learners with the practical skills and underpinning knowledge to safely conclude a horse trek, including systematic post-trek horse checks, cleaning and storing tack and equipment, and promoting health and safety. It emphasises the rationale behind each procedure, such as preventing equine injury and extending equipment lifespan, while ensuring compliance with relevant legislation like COSHH and RIDDOR. Mastery of these activities is essential for roles in equestrian trekking centres, riding schools, and equine tourism, directly impacting horse welfare and business reputation.
Assessment criteria
Quick Revision Summary (Key Takeaway)
The BHSQ Level 3 Diploma in Work Based Horse Care and Management covers advanced equine husbandry, health, nutrition, and business management. It equips students with practical and theoretical skills for careers in the equine industry, including yard management, breeding, and coaching.
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. It covers a wide range of topics including equine health, nutrition, breeding, yard management, and business operations. This diploma is ideal for those aiming for supervisory roles such as yard manager, head groom, or equine business owner.
The qualification emphasises practical skills combined with theoretical knowledge. Students learn to assess and maintain horse welfare, implement health care plans, manage feeding programmes, and understand the legal and ethical responsibilities of running an equine facility. It also covers customer service, staff management, and financial aspects, making it comprehensive for career progression.
Assessment typically involves work-based evidence, written assignments, and practical observations. The diploma is recognised by employers and can lead to further study in equine science or management. It is essential for those seeking to demonstrate competence and professionalism in the equine sector.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Equine health and disease prevention: recognising signs of illness, vaccination schedules, parasite control, and biosecurity.
- →Nutrition and feeding: understanding forage-based diets, feed types, body condition scoring, and dietary requirements for different life stages and workloads.
- →Yard management: daily routines, stable management, pasture management, and health and safety regulations.
- →Breeding and stud work: mare care, foaling, and stud management practices.
- →Business and customer relations: financial management, marketing, and providing excellent customer service in a livery or training yard.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Be able to carry out post horse trek activities, Be able to clean and store relevant equipment, Be able to promote health and safety, Understand how to carry out post horse trek activities, Understand the reasons for cleaning maintaining equipment, Understand relevant health and safety legislation
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for performing a thorough post-trek horse inspection, checking for signs of rubbing, sweating, lameness, or fatigue, and implementing appropriate cooling-down protocols.
- Award credit for correctly untacking the horse in a safe sequence, ensuring equipment is removed without causing injury, and verbally justifying the order of removal.
- Award credit for cleaning each piece of tack and equipment according to manufacturer guidelines, including drying, conditioning, and conducting wear-and-tear checks before storage.
- Award credit for explaining the importance of equipment maintenance in preventing cross-contamination and material breakdown, citing relevant safety data sheets or COSHH requirements.
- Award credit for identifying potential hazards during post-trek activities (e.g., manual handling risks, chemical exposure) and describing suitable control measures, including the use of personal protective equipment and safe working practices.
- Award credit for accurately recording post-trek incidents or equipment faults in line with workplace procedures and health and safety legislation such as RIDDOR.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡Narrate your actions during observed practical tasks – explain why you perform each step to demonstrate depth of understanding to the assessor.
- 💡In written work, always connect cleaning and storage routines to specific health and safety legislation (e.g., COSHH for chemical use, Manual Handling Operations Regulations for lifting saddles) to achieve higher marks.
- 💡Create a laminated post-trek checklist for your own reference and mental rehearsal; this reduces the risk of skipping steps under assessment pressure.
- 💡Observe correct lifting posture and two-person lift techniques when handling heavy tack, even if not explicitly prompted, as assessors will deduct marks for unsafe manual handling.
- 💡During knowledge-based questioning, be prepared to discuss real-world consequences of poor practice, such as bacterial infections from dirty bits or RIDDOR reportable incidents from equipment failure.
- 💡Use correct terminology: e.g., 'equine', 'forage', 'body condition score', 'biosecurity'. This demonstrates knowledge and professionalism.
- 💡Always link answers to welfare and best practice: mention the 'Five Freedoms' or current legislation like the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
- 💡In practical questions, describe step-by-step procedures with safety precautions and reasons for each action.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Failing to check for girth galls or tightness rubs immediately after untacking, which can lead to missed injuries and prolonged equine discomfort.
- Storing leather tack while still damp, resulting in mould growth, weakened fibres, and premature replacement costs.
- Neglecting to disassemble and scrub bit ports thoroughly, leaving dried saliva and food debris that can cause oral sores or infections.
- Confusing a near-miss with a reportable incident under RIDDOR, leading to under-reporting or over-reporting in workplace records.
- Skipping the post-trek cool-down walk, which can cause muscle stiffness, tying-up, or respiratory distress in the horse.
- Using harsh or inappropriate cleaning chemicals on sensitive materials like sheepskin numnahs, causing skin reactions or fabric damage.
- Misconception: Horses can be fed once a day. Correction: Horses are trickle feeders and require frequent small meals; ideally forage should be available almost continuously.
- Misconception: All horses need hard feed. Correction: Many horses can maintain condition on good quality forage alone; hard feed is only needed for specific energy or nutrient requirements.
- Misconception: A horse with a high temperature is always infectious. Correction: Temperature can rise due to exercise, stress, or other non-infectious causes; always consider context and other signs.
Revision Plan
How to revise this topic in 1–2 weeks
- 1Week 1: Focus on equine health and disease. Review common conditions, vaccination schedules, and biosecurity protocols. Create flashcards for signs and treatments.
- 2Week 2: Study nutrition and feeding. Learn to calculate rations, body condition scoring, and feed types. Practice with sample scenarios.
- 3Week 3: Cover yard management and business. Understand daily routines, legal requirements, and customer service. Visit a local yard to observe practices.
- 4Week 4: Revise all topics, attempt past papers, and focus on weak areas. Use active recall and practice exam questions under timed conditions.
Exam Question Types
How this topic typically appears in the exam
- 📋Multiple choice questions on health conditions and treatments: read carefully, eliminate wrong answers, and look for key words.
- 📋Short answer questions on nutrition calculations: show all workings and include units.
- 📋Scenario-based questions on yard management: apply knowledge to a given situation, prioritise welfare and safety.
- 📋Extended writing questions on business or welfare: structure with introduction, points, and conclusion, using examples.
Command Word Expectations (BHS QUALIFICATIONS)
What examiners look for when using specific command words in this specification
Weigh up pros and cons, give a balanced argument, and conclude with a justified judgement. Use evidence and examples.
Give a detailed account of the features or characteristics. No need for explanation or opinion.
Give reasons or causes, showing understanding of how and why something happens.
How Students Lose Marks (Examiner Pitfalls)
Common mark loss traps and how to write 100% full-mark answers
Step-by-Step Worked Solutions
Detailed solution breakdown for typical exam problems
Question: A livery yard has 20 horses. Each horse requires 2.5% of its body weight in forage per day. The average horse weighs 500 kg. Calculate the total daily forage requirement for the yard in kilograms.
- 1.Step 1: Calculate forage per horse: 500 kg × 2.5% = 12.5 kg per day.
- 2.Step 2: Multiply by number of horses: 12.5 kg × 20 = 250 kg per day.
- 3.Step 3: State final answer with units: 250 kg per day.
Question: Describe the signs of a horse in the early stages of laminitis and outline the immediate management steps (6 marks).
- 1.Step 1: Identify signs: increased digital pulses, heat in hooves, reluctance to move, shifting weight, standing in a 'sawhorse' stance.
- 2.Step 2: Immediate management: remove from pasture, place on deep bedding, call vet, restrict feed (especially carbohydrates), and provide supportive hoof care.
- 3.Step 3: Emphasise the need for prompt veterinary treatment and ongoing farriery involvement.
Active Recall Memory Test
Test your memory before revealing the key facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for BHS QUALIFICATIONS Carry out pre and post horse trek activities
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
- •Basic horse handling and care skills (e.g., from Level 2 qualification or experience).
- •Understanding of equine anatomy and physiology at a basic level.
- •Knowledge of health and safety in an equine environment.
Coursework AI Review
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Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Be able to carry out post horse trek activities, Be able to clean and store relevant equipment, Be able to promote health and safety, Understand how to carry out post horse trek activities, Understand the reasons for cleaning maintaining equipment, Understand relevant health and safety legislation
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