Assist with riding activity for riders with special requirements — City & Guilds Limited Occupational Qualification Animal Care & Veterinary Revision

    This element focuses on the skills and knowledge required to effectively assist with riding activities for individuals with special requirements, including

    Topic Synopsis

    This element focuses on the skills and knowledge required to effectively assist with riding activities for individuals with special requirements, including physical, learning, or sensory disabilities. Learners must demonstrate safe practices, understanding of adaptive equipment, and compliance with relevant health and safety legislation to ensure a positive and therapeutic experience for the rider.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid

    Examiner Marking Points

    Assist with riding activity for riders with special requirements

    CITY & GUILDS LIMITED
    vocational

    This element focuses on the skills and knowledge required to effectively assist with riding activities for individuals with special requirements, including physical, learning, or sensory disabilities. Learners must demonstrate safe practices, understanding of adaptive equipment, and compliance with relevant health and safety legislation to ensure a positive and therapeutic experience for the rider.

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    Learning Outcomes
    4
    Assessment Guidance
    4
    Key Skills
    1
    Key Terms
    5
    Assessment Criteria

    Assessment criteria

    City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Work-based Horse Care

    Topic Overview

    The City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Work-based Horse Care is a vocational qualification designed for individuals working or volunteering in the horse care industry. It covers essential practical skills and theoretical knowledge needed to care for horses safely and effectively in a professional environment, such as livery yards, riding schools, or competition stables. The qualification is work-based, meaning you apply learning directly in your workplace, building competence in areas like feeding, grooming, health monitoring, and stable management.

    This diploma is part of the Animal Care & Veterinary suite and is recognised by employers as evidence of foundational competence. It prepares you for roles such as groom, stable hand, or assistant yard manager, and can lead to further study at Level 3. The course emphasises health and safety, animal welfare, and the importance of observing normal behaviour to detect early signs of illness or distress.

    By completing this diploma, you demonstrate that you can work under supervision to maintain high standards of horse care. You will learn to handle horses confidently, recognise common health issues, and contribute to the smooth running of a yard. This qualification is ideal for those who are passionate about horses and want to turn that passion into a career.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →Routine stable management: daily tasks such as mucking out, bedding management, and maintaining a clean, safe environment to prevent disease and injury.
    • →Feeding and nutrition: understanding the digestive system of horses, balancing forage and concentrates, and recognising signs of poor nutrition or obesity.
    • →Health monitoring and first aid: taking and recording vital signs (temperature, pulse, respiration), recognising lameness, colic, and other common ailments, and knowing when to call a vet.
    • →Safe handling and restraint: using correct techniques for leading, tying up, and handling horses in confined spaces to minimise risk to both horse and handler.
    • →Grooming and tack care: performing daily grooming to maintain coat health and detect injuries, and cleaning and checking tack for safety and fit.

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • To be able to assist with riding activity for riders with special requirements, Be able to work safely, Know how to assist with riding activity for riders with special requirements, Know relevant health and safety legislation

    Assessment Criteria

    Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

    • Award credit for demonstrating correct selection and fitting of adaptive equipment (e.g., special reins, mounting blocks, handlebars) based on rider's specific needs.
    • Award credit for effectively communicating with the rider, instructor, and support team using appropriate methods (verbal, non-verbal, visual aids) to ensure safe participation.
    • Award credit for consistently applying risk assessment procedures before, during, and after the riding activity, including checking the environment, horse, and rider equipment.
    • Award credit for maintaining the correct positioning and balance support for the rider during mounting, riding, and dismounting, according to the rider's individual support plan.
    • Award credit for identifying and responding appropriately to signs of rider discomfort, anxiety, or medical issues during the session.

    Assessment Guidance

    Guidance for achieving higher grades

    • 💡In practical assessments, always verbalise your actions, especially safety checks and communication with the rider and team, to demonstrate your rationale clearly.
    • 💡Familiarise yourself with key legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act and Equality Act, and be prepared to link them to specific riding centre policies.
    • 💡Keep a reflective journal of your experiences assisting riders with special requirements to provide evidence of your learning and decision-making processes.
    • 💡During written assignments, use case studies to illustrate how you would adapt your assistance for different types of disabilities, showing a holistic understanding.
    • 💡When answering questions about health checks, always mention the normal ranges for temperature (37.5–38.5°C), pulse (28–44 bpm), and respiration (8–16 breaths per minute). Examiners look for precise figures.
    • 💡In practical assessments, demonstrate your awareness of health and safety by explaining why you are doing each step—e.g., 'I am tying the horse with a quick-release knot so it can be freed quickly in an emergency.' This shows understanding, not just rote action.
    • 💡For written assignments on feeding, include the importance of weighing feed and hay to ensure correct rations. Vague terms like 'a scoop' are not acceptable; use kilograms or percentages of body weight.

    Common Mistakes

    Common errors to avoid in your coursework

    • Failing to adjust the level of assistance based on the rider's changing needs during the session, either providing too much or too little support.
    • Overlooking the horse's suitability and behaviour when selecting it for a rider with special requirements, leading to potential safety risks.
    • Incorrectly fitting adaptive equipment, which can cause discomfort or compromise rider safety.
    • Neglecting to review the rider's support plan or not communicating effectively with the instructor, leading to inconsistent assistance.
    • Misconception: Horses should be fed large meals twice a day like dogs. Correction: Horses are trickle feeders and need constant access to forage; large grain meals can cause colic or laminitis. Feed little and often, with the majority of diet as hay or grass.
    • Misconception: A horse that lies down is always sick. Correction: Horses lie down for short periods to rest or sleep, especially at night. However, prolonged lying down, rolling, or getting up and down repeatedly can indicate pain or colic.
    • Misconception: All horses need the same type of bedding. Correction: Bedding choice depends on the horse's health (e.g., respiratory issues require dust-free options like shavings or paper), cost, and management system. Straw is traditional but can be dusty and less absorbent.

    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 work experience or a Level 1 qualification in horse care.
    • •Functional skills in English and maths at Level 1, as the diploma requires recording data (e.g., feed amounts, health records) and understanding written instructions.
    • •A current tetanus vaccination and a willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    • To be able to assist with riding activity for riders with special requirements, Be able to work safely, Know how to assist with riding activity for riders with special requirements, Know relevant health and safety legislation

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