ACMEQU311 Prepare horses for presentation at an event

1. MODEL ANSWERS — LEARNER GUIDE SELF-CHECK QUESTIONS

Use these to mark the watch-and-answer activities. Accept answers of equivalent meaning.

Video	Model answer (minimum acceptable)
Video 1, Bathe a horse (Equine Helper)	Wash from the feet up, so the horse feels the water arrive rather than getting a shock: wet the legs and work up the body, leave the head until last, shampoo with the lie of the coat, rinse until the water runs clear, scrape down and back with a sweat scraper, towel the legs, face and long hair, then walk or rug the horse to finish drying. Sponge the head and ears with a damp sponge rather than the hose, and never spray water into an ear. Any three signs of: head up and tense or swinging away; ears pinned back; tail swishing; fidgeting, pawing or shifting weight; trying to move away or pulling back against the tie; tightness around the eye and muzzle, showing the white of the eye. What you do: stop, give the horse a moment to settle, take the pressure off, and move to a part of the body it does not mind.
Video 2, Groom a horse (BHS)	Order: pick out hooves, then body brush front to back, then mane and tail. Get the coat to shine by removing loose hair and laying the coat flat with a body brush and cloth. Watch for cuts, heat, swelling, or signs of illness while you groom.
Video 3, Tidy and trim up a horse (Nags To Riches)	Any four of: bridle path, a clipped strip behind the ears so the headpiece lies flat; wither, the end of the mane tidied so it does not stick up under the saddle; jaw line, the long hair under the jaw taken back to a clean line; muzzle, long whiskers where the standard and the welfare code allow; outside of the ear, the edge only; legs, the long hair down the back of the leg and around the fetlock for breeds shown trimmed; feathers, left on for breeds shown with feather. For the ear: squeeze the ear closed and trim the outline only, and never clip inside, because the hair inside keeps dirt and insects out. Introduce the clippers first — let the horse hear them, then feel them switched off against its shoulder. If it will not settle, stop and report it.
Video 4, Braid a horse's mane (Riding Warehouse)	Divide the mane into even sections from poll to wither with clips or bands, checking they are even first. Keep each plait an even thickness, loose at the base to avoid pinching but neat down the length. Secure by sewing or with bands; keep the needle controlled and never leave it where the horse can reach it.
Video 5, Do a tail plait (Smart Grooming)	It starts at the top of the dock and runs down the centre, taking a small section of hair in from each side as it goes, which is what keeps it anchored to the tail. Past the end of the dock it carries on as a plain plait, is secured with a small band or with thread, and the skirt of the tail is left loose below it. Any three of: only work on a horse whose temperament you know well, and never one that has kicked before; check what else is going on in the yard first; speak first and approach at the shoulder, keeping a hand on the horse as you move round; secure the horse with a quick-release knot or have it held; be ready before you start so your time behind the horse is short; keep reading the horse while you work; keep a clear way out and step forward alongside it, never backwards behind it.
Video 6, Remove plaits without cutting the mane (Country and Stable)	Cut or unpick the thread and the bands only, and never the mane. Needles: count them in and count them out, and know how many you started with; never hold one in your mouth and never park one in the mane or in your clothing; keep them in a container, not loose in a pocket; if you drop one, stop and find it before the horse moves; never leave a needle where the horse can reach it. Scissors stay closed and pointed down when you are not cutting, and never come near the eye.

2. WRITTEN ASSESSMENT (TASK 1) — BENCHMARK ANSWERS

The benchmark is the minimum acceptable response; accept answers of equivalent meaning. Task 1 is Satisfactory only when every question is correct — no partial credit. For a multiple-choice question, mark it correct only if every correct option is ticked and no incorrect option is ticked. Attempt 1 is the full written paper; attempt 2 re-tests only the questions answered incorrectly; attempt 3 is oral after gap training (see Re-assessment at the front of this guide).

#	Question	Maps to	Benchmark answer (minimum acceptable)
Q1	Your trainer will tell you which two events to use. For each event, say who runs it, what happens on the day, and how the horse must be turned out.	KE1, KE2	A satisfactory answer names TWO different events or standards, identifies the association or authority that publishes each one, and for each describes the entry and turnout procedure and the presentation standard expected. Reward any two genuinely different standards. Acceptable answers include, but are not limited to, a breed show, a dressage or eventing competition, a commercial sale, or a Pony Club or agricultural show class. Do NOT mark down a correct answer because it names events other than the examples above.
Q2	What grooming is required for at least two breed standards?	KE2	A satisfactory answer names TWO different breed or discipline standards and, for each, describes the required treatment of the mane, the tail, trimming, feather, and products. Reward any two genuinely different standards. Acceptable answers include, but are not limited to, a plaited and trimmed riding type against a native or heavy breed shown with a full mane and feather. Do NOT mark down a correct answer because it names breeds other than these.
Q3	Describe the horse gear and fitting for two breed standards or events.	KE3	A satisfactory answer names the gear required for TWO different standards or events and describes how each item is fitted and checked — that it is clean, sound, the right size, and correctly adjusted. Acceptable answers include, but are not limited to, show gear such as a show bridle and browband against working or in-hand gear. Do NOT mark down a correct answer because it names gear other than the examples above.
Q4	How should you position yourself and handle the horse when washing and grooming? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE5	Correct: B. Secure the horse, work from the shoulder, stay clear of the kick and strike zones, take care around the head, ears and legs, and watch the body language throughout.
Q5	How do you use grooming tools and products safely, and look after them? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE7	Correct: D. Manufacturer instructions and pre-operational checks, noisy tools introduced calmly, products suited to the coat and welfare, then clean, maintain and store.
Q6	Which of these are signs that a horse has had enough during washing or grooming? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE9	Correct: A, B, D. Distress shows as a raised or tense head, pinned ears, a swishing tail, fidgeting, or trying to move away or pull back. Stop, settle the horse, reduce the pressure, and get help and report it if it is unsafe or the horse seems unwell.
Q7	What are the biosecurity and health risks at an event, and how do you reduce them? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE10, KE11	Correct: B. Many horses mixing spreads infectious disease, so do not share gear, keep clean and disinfect, follow the venue rules, only take a healthy horse, and health-check before the event.
Q8	How do you handle and remove grooming and washing waste, and what environmental and legal requirements apply to where the water goes?	KE8	Sweep up hair, clippings and manure and bin them rather than hosing them into the drain, because hair blocks the sediment trap. Keep wash water in the bay — never wash a horse on a driveway, lawn or yard where water runs to a stormwater drain. Use the least product possible and choose low-phosphorus products where there is a choice, because wash water is high in nutrients and nutrient-rich water feeds algal blooms and damages waterways. Do not tip leftover product or dirty water on the ground, and dispose of empty containers as the label directs. Report a blocked or overflowing drain or a full sediment trap. Environmental and legal requirements: wash-water discharge is regulated, and the bund height, floor grade, roofing trigger and permitted discharge point are set by the local government and water authority for the area, so they differ from place to place; a bay normally cannot be built or altered without local authority approval. Accept any answer that covers containment, not hosing waste to stormwater, minimising product, and knowing that a local rule exists and how to find the one that applies at their own site.
Q9	Which statement about mane and tail styles is correct? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE12	Correct: C. Rosette or sewn plaits, or hogged for some breeds; tails plaited or braided; the style chosen to the breed standard and the event, and the plaits even and neat.
Q10	What does trimming to a breed or competition standard involve? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE13	Correct: A. Mane and tail thickness and length, tail length set and a false tail if allowed, hogging where required, and the bridle path, wither, jaw line, muzzle, outside of the ears, legs and feathers.
Q11	How do you use scissors, clippers, blades and needles safely around a horse? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE5	Correct: B. Safe position with the horse secured and calm; blades never toward yourself, the eyes or major vessels; noise introduced slowly; sharps controlled; stop if the horse becomes unsafe.
Q12	When may you use makeup, hoof dressings and quarter marks, and what for? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE14	Correct: C. Only where the standard allows and used kindly — makeup for features and stains, hoof dressings for a finished look, quarter marks to enhance the shape.
Q13	Which of these would make you suspect a horse has something infectious, so it must not travel to a venue? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE11	Correct: D. A temperature, snotty nose, cough, eye discharge or unusual lethargy suggests infection. The horse must not travel to a venue where other horses are, and must be reported.
Q14	Which of these should you wear or use when washing, grooming, trimming and plaiting? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE6	Correct: A, B, C. Sturdy boots and gloves for all tasks; eye protection and a mask where there is dust, water spray or product; and care with electrical tools near water.
Q15	How do you plan the turnout so the horse is ready on time? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE1	Correct: A. Confirm the event timings, work backward through wash, dry, groom, trim, plait, products and gear, allow drying and settling time, and prepare tools and gear in advance.
Q16	Why does safe, low-stress handling matter especially for a valuable event horse? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE5	Correct: C. Event horses are often valuable and must stay calm, sound and unmarked. Low-stress handling keeps the horse settled and safe, protects it during clipping and plaiting, and gives a better turnout.
Q17	Name three hazards you would expect when washing, grooming or coat trimming a horse. For each one, say how likely it is, how bad it could be, and what you would do to control it.	KE4	Accept ANY three genuine hazards with a plausible control — there is no fixed list. For each hazard the student must give all three parts: how likely it is, how bad it could be, and the control. Examples of acceptable hazards: a wet, slippery wash-bay floor; being kicked or crushed while working at the hindquarters; clipper cords in water; scissors, blades or needles near the horse or the handler; a horse pulling back against a tie; product in the eyes; dust and hair when grooming; zoonotic skin infection from shared brushes. Controls must reduce the risk, not just describe it — non-slip footing, a quick-release knot or a handler at the head, introducing clippers before use, keeping cords out of the wet, counting needles in and out, PPE, or stopping and reporting. Mark satisfactory if three hazards each carry a likelihood, a consequence and a workable control.

3. PRACTICAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT (TASK 2) — OBSERVATION DECISION RULES

Use these while observing the practical skills in the Student Practical Skills Assessment Workbook. Every row below matches a row in that grid, in the same order. Tick the row only when everything under Satisfactory looks like is present. These criteria apply to whoever observes the skill — the assessor directly, or a supervisor or trainer providing third-party evidence. The judgement stays with the assessor, but the person observing must be working to the same criteria, or the third-party report is not evidence of the same thing. The Third-Party Report Form carries these same rows and the same wording.

Skill (as it appears in the practical grid)	Satisfactory looks like	Not yet satisfactory
Confirmed the event, horse, presentation requirements, standards and competition rules, including the trimming requirements and the plaiting style and number of plaits, and planned the tasks	Names the event, the class and the horse. Shows the written standard — breed standard, rulebook or schedule — and points to what it says about trimming, the plaiting style and the number of plaits. Takes anything it does not answer to the supervisor. Has a written plan worked back from the time the horse must be ready.	Works from memory or from what was done at the last show. Cannot show where the standard is written down. Leaves the number of plaits to be settled once plaiting has started. Plans forward from now instead of back from the ready time.
Checked the horse was fit for the event and responded to any abnormalities	Checks the horse before starting work on it. Looks at the eye, appetite, and soundness on all four legs, and feels for heat, swelling, cuts or rubs where the gear will sit. Names anything found and reports it to the supervisor before going any further. Says that a horse with a temperature, a snotty nose or a cough does not travel.	Starts washing without looking the horse over. Runs a hand down one side only. Finds a rub where the girth sits and carries on. Notices something and reports it after the horse is turned out.
Identified at least three hazards and assessed and controlled the risks across the tasks ◆	Names three hazards actually present today — wet concrete in the wash bay, a clipper cord across the floor, a needle put down loose. For each, says how likely and how serious it is, and names the control used. Takes anything they cannot fix themselves to the supervisor before starting.	Recites hazards from the guide without looking at the bay. Names hazards but no controls. Gives the same three for washing, trimming and plaiting alike. The assessor has to point one out.
Selected and correctly fitted PPE for handling, washing, grooming, trimming and plaiting ◆	Boots with a heel and gloves for every task. Non-slip footwear and waterproof clothing for washing. Eye protection where there is dust or loose hair. Hair tied back, rings and dangling jewellery off before plaiting. Gloves and eye protection for products. All of it on and checked before the task starts.	Changes task without changing PPE. Washes in smooth-soled boots. Puts eye protection on after the clippers are already running. Plaits with rings on or hair loose. Opens a product without reading the label.
Selected, checked, cleaned, fitted, used and maintained the horse gear and equipment	Selects the gear the class allows. Checks each item for damage before it goes on. Cleans it before it goes near a turned-out horse. Fits and adjusts it to the horse, the same on both sides. Cleans it and puts it away afterwards.	Brings out the horse's working gear because that is what was on the rack. Fits gear without looking at the stitching or the billets. Adjusts one side only. Leaves dirty gear on the rail at the end of the day.
Prepared the event grooming tools, equipment and products, selected to the competition or breed standard	Lays out the grooming kit, wash-bay gear, trimming tools, plaiting kit and products before the horse comes in. Checks the products against the standard confirmed with the supervisor. Reads the manufacturer instructions for anything not used before, and does a pre-use check on powered tools — cord, plug, blades, oil — and runs them briefly away from the horse.	Fetches tools one at a time with the horse tied and waiting. Picks a coat product without checking whether the class permits it. Plugs in the clippers without looking at the cord. Starts with blunt or dirty blades.
Measured and calculated to the presentation standard — mixed the grooming product to the dilution rate on the label, measured the tail to the required length, and counted the plaits set against the number the standard requires. Product ____ mL to ____ L water Tail length ____ cm Plaits required ____ Plaits set ____	Reads the dilution rate off the label and measures to it — the stated millilitres of product into the stated litres of water, in a marked container, not poured by eye. Measures the tail with a tape to the point the confirmed standard sets, and records it in centimetres. Counts the plaits actually in the mane and records that number, and it matches the number the standard requires.	Squeezes shampoo straight into the bucket and guesses the water. Mixes stronger than the label to save rinsing. Judges the tail length by eye or against a hand. Copies the required number into the plaits-set box without counting the neck. Records figures that do not match the horse in front of them.
Secured and washed the horse safely with care around head and ears, then scraped, dried and removed it safely	Sets the bay up first, hose off the floor and a way out clear. Secures the horse to a quick-release point or has it held. Works from the shoulder with a hand on the horse. Wets from the feet up and leaves the head until last, sponging the face and ears rather than hosing them. Rinses until the water runs clear, scrapes down and back, towels and dries, then leads out calmly.	Hoses the head, or sprays water into an ear. Starts at the head or shoulder and the horse jumps. Wraps the lead or the hose around a hand. Leaves shampoo in the coat. Leads a wet horse out over a hose lying across the floor.
Groomed to the presentation standard: removed loose hair, laid the coat flat and detangled mane and tail	Curry combs thoroughly, brushes the loose hair away, then goes over the coat again. Finishes with the body brush in the direction of the coat and a cloth over the whole horse. Detangles mane and tail from the bottom up, a small section at a time. No loose hair lifts off the coat on a hand at the end.	One pass with a body brush and calls it finished. Loose hair still comes away on a glove. Combs the tail from the top down and pulls hair out. Reaches for a sheen spray instead of finishing with the cloth. Puts conditioner in the mane on a day they are plaiting.
Identified and actioned signs of illness, injury or abnormal behaviour during grooming	Looks at the horse as they groom, hardest where the gear will sit. Names what they find — heat, swelling, a cut, a rub, scurf, a bald patch, or a flinch where the horse did not flinch before. Stops, keeps that brush off other horses if a skin problem is suspected, and reports to the supervisor before going on.	Grooms without looking at what is under the brush. Sees a rub and works around it. Carries the same brush to the next horse after finding a crusty patch. Leaves the report until the end of the day.
Trimmed to the breed or competition standard, using tools and blades with safe handling and positioning	Works to the trim confirmed with the supervisor. Horse secured and settled before a blade comes out. Introduces the clippers at the shoulder, switched off then switched on, before going near the head. Never points a blade or a scissor tip at an eye or at themselves. Trims the outside edge of the ear only. Feels the blades for heat as they go, and keeps cords out of the wet.	Starts cutting without confirming what the class wants. Switches the clippers on beside the head with no introduction. Clips inside the ear. Works with the scissor points toward the horse's face. Carries on while the horse throws its head. Leaves a hot blade against the skin.
Plaited the mane and tail to even thickness and the required style, with safe use of scissors and needles, and laid the hair flat	Divides the mane into even sections with straight partings, poll to wither. Each plait an even thickness the whole way down and left loose at the base. Rolls and secures in the style confirmed. Counts the needles in and out and keeps them in a container. Scissors closed and pointed down between cuts. Sets everything out before going behind for the tail, moves round with a hand on the horse, and steps forward alongside it if it moves. Lays the hair flat to finish.	Sections by eye and the partings wander. Plaits get thinner towards the wither. Holds a needle in the mouth or parks one in the mane. Walks straight up behind the horse to start the tail. Steps backwards away from the tail when the horse shifts. Leaves the mane fluffy and unlaid.
Applied grooming products to highlight the coat and features	Checks the class allows the product first. Sheen over the body but never where the saddle, girth or reins sit. A little oil or gel wiped around the eyes and muzzle, not shiny wet. Detangler through the tail. Used sparingly, on a dry, clean coat.	Sprays sheen across the saddle and girth area. Puts product on before the horse is dry. Over-sprays until the coat is greasy. Uses makeup or quarter marks in a class that prohibits them.
Dressed the hooves to the event requirements	Picks out and cleans the hooves first. Applies the dressing the event requires to the wall of the hoof only, off the coronet, off the hair above it and off the sole. Does it last, on a clean surface, and lets it dry.	Dresses over caked dirt. Dressing up onto the coronet and the hair. Dresses the hooves early and then walks the horse through bedding. Oils the hooves for a class that requires them plain.
Fitted the event gear, presented the horse to the handler, rider or driver, and did a final check and wipe over	Fits the gear the class requires, done up even on both sides. Walks right around the horse and looks at it from a few metres back. Checks the plaits and the forelock are still in, wipes over with a clean cloth, and checks the hooves are clean. Hands the horse over to the handler, rider or driver and tells them how it has been and anything that had to be changed.	Checks the gear from one side only. Hands over without walking round the horse. Skips the wipe over. Says nothing about the rub found earlier or the product that had to be swapped. Leaves the horse tied for the rider to collect.
Cleaned, stored and maintained the grooming, trimming and plaiting tools and PPE	Brushes washed and dried bristles-down, clipper blades brushed out and oiled, scissors and blades stored closed and out of a horse's reach, buckets and sponges washed and kept to the one horse, PPE cleaned and anything broken reported.	Leaves the kit to do later. Puts wet brushes away. Leaves scissors on the stable ledge. Carries the same sponge to the next horse.
Used safe and low-stress handling and positioning throughout ◆	Steady voice, unhurried movement. Works from the shoulder with an escape path open. Keeps a hand on the horse so they know what it is about to do. Stops and gives the horse a moment when it tenses, then changes whatever caused it.	Rushes to make the ready time. Works in the corner of the wash bay with no way out. Carries on through pinned ears, a swishing tail or the horse pulling back. Ties the horse shorter instead of finding what upset it.
Performed a minor trim of horse hair using at least two of scissors, small trimming clippers, razors, thinning combs or blades	Uses at least two of scissors, small trimming clippers, razors, thinning combs or blades. Names each tool and what it is for. Handles each one safely — points down, away from the eye, horse secured — and finishes the area to the standard confirmed.	Uses one tool for the whole trim. Cannot say what the thinning comb is for. Picks a tool that does not suit the area. Leaves a blunt cut line where a comb or thinning blade was needed.
Demonstrated horse mane and/or tail techniques to even out the thickness and length of manes and/or tails	Evens the mane or tail by pulling or with thinning blades, not by cutting it straight across. Takes a few hairs at a time from underneath, the longest ones first. Works the length as well as the thickness, and stops before the horse has had enough.	Cuts across with scissors and leaves a blunt line. Takes a big handful at once. Thins the middle and leaves the ends. Evens the thickness but leaves the length ragged. Keeps pulling while the horse is fidgeting.
Selected and applied shampoos, other grooming products and/or makeup according to coat type and presentation requirements	Names the coat in front of them and picks to it — plain water for a dusty horse, a general shampoo for a dirty coat, a whitening shampoo for a grey or for white markings. Dilutes to the label rate. Checks the class allows any makeup and matches it to the coat colour. Does not put a product on broken skin, a rash or a wound without checking first.	Uses the same shampoo for every horse and every coat. Reaches for a whitening product on a bay because it was on the shelf. Puts shampoo on neat. Applies makeup in a class that prohibits it. Washes over a rash or a wound without asking.
Checked the horse for signs of ill health and injury	Works over the whole horse, both sides. Says what a horse fit to go looks like — bright and alert, eating and drinking, sound on all four legs. Names anything found: heat, swelling, a cut, a rub, discharge, a cough or unusual lethargy. Reports it to the supervisor.	Checks the near side only. Calls the horse fine without touching its legs. Sees a snotty nose and says it can still travel. Finds something and does not report it.

Prompting rule. You may name the task and answer a direct question about workplace procedure. You may not point out a hazard the student has missed, prompt the next step in a sequence, or correct body position before the student has had the chance to. If a prompt of that kind is needed the row is Not Yet Satisfactory — note the prompt in the assessor comments.

Stop the assessment if…	What the assessor does
A blade, scissor tip or running clipper is where the next movement of the horse or the student's hand would cut one of them — at the eye, inside the ear, or with the head loose	Stop. Take the tool out of the student's hand before anything is said.
The horse will not stand for the task — pulling back on the tie, swinging away, or refusing to settle for the clippers — and the student keeps working	Stop. This task is not finished on a horse that will not stand for it. Report it and re-assess later.
A cord, a powered tool or an extension lead is in the water or lying on the wet floor of the wash bay	Stop and isolate the power before anyone moves the horse.
The student is directly behind the horse without setting up first, or steps backwards away from the tail when the horse moves	Stop. Bring the student out to the shoulder, then debrief.
The student works on through clear distress — pinned ears, the white of the eye, pulling back — to get the turnout finished for the ready time	Stop. A ready time is never a reason to carry on. This is a welfare failure, not a technique fault.
A needle is unaccounted for, held in the mouth, or parked in the mane, the rug or a pocket	Stop. Nothing else happens until every needle is found and counted.