Section E Tacking Up for Cross Country and Paddock Management

Question 1

Describe the modern thinking on types of bit / noseband / breastplates for cross country

Answer 1

Most people wear breastplates for cross country as there are more ondulations. People should have at least 2 fingers space between the nose and noseband. People tend to bit more strongly for cross country.

Question 2

In what conditions would you choose to wear studs?

Answer 2

Wet, muddy, hard ground when you are having to ride on grass

Question 3

For which types of activities do you think studs might be useful?

Answer 3

Activities on grass where there might be an opportunity for the horse to slip

Question 4

How many stud holes do you like to use and on which feet?

Answer 4

I put 1 stud in each for because it allows the horses foot to pivot more

Question 5

What is a risk assessment?

Answer 5

An assessment of the risks involved with doing something and how you could prevent them

Question 6

What would you put in a risk assessment for the yard at home or where you work?

Question 7

Can you suggest how some yard risk assessments may differ?

Answer 7

Dependent on size, type of horses that stay their, age of people at the yard, whether or not the owner or manager stays on site, type of turnout

Question 8

Do you think it is important for yards to have a risk assessment, why?

Question 9

Tell me how you cope with a colleague on your yard who had a nasty bite on the arm.

Question 10

What would you do if someone got kicked in the stomach whilst grooming?

Question 11

A young horse treads on someone’s foot, they are obviously in pain, what is the sensible action to take?

Question 12

The wind blows a door onto a friend’s head, they look dazed and are not themselves, how do you deal with them?

Question 13

What should be recorded of these incidents, and where would that record be kept?

Question 14

Do you think Health and Safety legislation is a good thing? Please explain why?

Question 15

How might Health and Safety legislation affect your yard, or a yard that you have worked in?

Question 16

What do the letters COSHH stand for?

Question 17

What is the purpose of COSHH?

Question 18

Which substances do you have in your yard that could come under the COSHH umbrella?

Question 19

What is RIDDOR?

Question 20

What must be reported under RIDDOR and who is responsible for making this report?

Question 21

How do you dispose of the muck heap in your yard?

Question 22

Where might you position a muck heap?

Question 23

What is ‘run off,’ and what must be avoided?

Question 24

Please outline the pasture routine where you keep your horse?

Question 25

What are the good points in this routine, is there anything you would like to change?

Question 26

If you must start using pasture that is horse sick, how would you begin to make improvements?

Question 27

When is using fertilizer appropriate? What might you use?

Question 28

What are your thoughts on cross grazing / track systems / individual paddocks?

Question 29

How would you deal with very wet ground?

Question 30

Why is it necessary to understand H & S and COSHH involvement when using fertilizers and sprays?

Question 31

What precautions should you take if spraying weeds around your yard?

Question 32

Please name two precautions you may take when fertilizer is applied to your land.

Question 33

If you store even a small amount of fertiliser, what precautions should you take?

Question 34

What precautions will you take with your horses after applying fertilizer or lime?

Question 35

Please name a few poisonous plants that are common around your home.

Question 36

Can you describe two of the plants you named?

Question 37

How should you deal with these plants if you find them on or around your pasture?

Question 38

What season is the most hazardous for poisonous plants?

Question 39

Which plants do you consider the most dangerous, how would I recognise them?

Question 40

If you suspected that your horse had digested a poisonous plant, what action would you take?

Question 41

Please outline how you diminish worm infestation, first within an individual horse, then within a group.

Question 42

What are the advantages of Faecal Egg Counts?

Question 43

What should all owners do to avoid resistance to wormers

Question 44

What precautions should you take for yourself when worming?

Question 45

Describe briefly what effect the ingredients of wormers can have on the environment?

Question 46

What animals may be at risk due to wormer use?

Question 47

How should you dispose of empty worming syringes?