RGRPSH308 Provide first aid and emergency care for horses or other equines

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)
Part 1, Vital signs and what the readings mean	Short answer. Normal at rest: temperature 37.5 to 38.5 degrees C, pulse 28 to 44 beats per minute, respiration 8 to 16 breaths per minute. Hydration: pinch a fold of skin on the shoulder — it should flatten in about a second; gums moist and salmon pink; capillary refill under two seconds. Shock: pale or muddy gums, slow refill, a fast weak pulse, cold ears and legs, rapid shallow breathing, a dull manner, trembling. Accept a learner who reads the three vital signs TOGETHER rather than one at a time.
Part 2, Assessing the problem	Short answer. Threat to life: heavy bleeding that will not stop, a horse that cannot breathe, signs of shock, a horse cast or trapped, a suspected broken bone, a deep wound to a joint or the belly — and the vet is called FIRST. Plan of action, in order: make the scene safe; call for help; do the one thing that matters most; take and record the vital signs; keep the horse calm and warm. Quarantine: when an infectious disease is suspected — isolate the horse where it stands, stop other horses and people moving past, use separate gear and boots, and tell the supervisor first.
Part 3, Applying basic first aid	A bandage goes over padding, never straight onto the leg, wrapped firm and even — too tight cuts off circulation and can damage a tendon, too loose slips down and becomes a hazard. To STOP BLEEDING: firm pressure straight over the pad, kept there and not lifted to look. Clean a wound with clean water or the wash the supervisor provides, working from the middle outwards; do not scrub or use strong chemicals. Control swelling with cold (about twenty minutes at a time, never ice straight on skin), even compression over padding, and rest.
Part 4, Hoof and leg problems	Short answer. Three from: hoof abscess, bruised sole, thrush, cracks in the hoof wall, tendon or ligament strain, over-reach or heel wounds. HOOF ABSCESS is the one that causes sudden severe lameness, with heat in the hoof and a strong digital pulse. Feet and legs: heat compared left with right, swelling, soreness, foreign bodies, and the digital pulse. A poultice goes on under direction — most often for an abscess — and a warm one is tested on your own wrist first.
Part 5, Health, fitness and the industry rules	Short answer. Treatments only under trainer or veterinary instruction because the wrong dose, route or horse can kill, and because the industry rules on prohibited substances and withholding periods apply. The four notifiable or reportable diseases are Strangles, tetanus, equine influenza and Hendra virus — HENDRA is the zoonosis, it passes from horses to people and can kill them. Animal welfare law requires food, clean water, shelter, and treatment for injury or disease without delay.

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	What is the difference between first aid and veterinary treatment for a horse? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE1, KE5	Correct: C. C — First aid steadies the horse and eases pain and distress, then the vet treats it.
Q2	You find an injured horse. What do your duty of care and referral responsibilities mean you must do? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE1, KE5	Correct: B. B — Duty of care means working within your training and getting the horse the right help quickly.
Q3	Which of these are the normal resting ranges for a horse's temperature, pulse and respiration? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE3	Correct: D. D — These are the normal resting ranges for an adult horse.
Q4	Describe how you measure a horse's temperature, pulse and respiration, and one thing you do with each reading.	KE3	Short answer — at least 4 of: Temperature: taken with a thermometer in the rectum. \| Pulse: felt under the jaw, or at the girth with a stethoscope, and counted over time. \| Respiration: counted by watching the flank or nostrils rise and fall. \| Record each reading. \| Compare each reading to the horse's own baseline (its normal). \| Report anything outside the normal range. \| Keep yourself safe and the horse calm and restrained while you measure.
Q5	A skin-pinch test is slow to flatten, and the gum is slow to turn pink again. What does this suggest? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE3	Correct: A. A — A slow skin-pinch and slow capillary refill are warning signs of dehydration or shock.
Q6	Which of these are signs that a horse may be going into shock? (select all that apply — options in the workbook)	KE3	Correct: A, B, C (all of these ticked, and no others). A — Poor gum colour and slow refill show that circulation is failing. B — The body pulls blood to the core, so the pulse races and the extremities go cold. C — Fast breathing and dullness are common signs of shock.
Q7	A horse is showing signs of shock. What is the right response? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE3	Correct: B. B — Calm, warmth and rest support the horse while the vet is called for urgent help.
Q8	How do you recognise signs of common illness or injury in a horse, and what do you do when you notice them?	KE3	Short answer — at least 4 of: Look for changes from the horse's normal (its baseline). \| Signs include dullness, going off feed, or a raised temperature. \| Signs include lameness, or heat or swelling in a limb. \| Signs include wounds, colic signs, or abnormal breathing. \| Observe and identify the sign. \| Report it according to workplace policy, and to the vet or supervisor. \| Record what you found.
Q9	Describe how to handle and restrain an injured or frightened horse safely and ethically.	KE2	Short answer — at least 5 of: Make sure the site is safe before you approach. \| Approach calmly from the safe zone at the shoulder, and speak to the horse. \| Use a controlled lead or headcollar. \| Restrain only as much as needed, using safe methods. \| Quarantine or isolate the horse where required. \| Plan an escape path and never corner or crowd the horse. \| Keep yourself and others out of the kick and strike zones.
Q10	You need to clean a wound before dressing it. What is the right way? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE3	Correct: D. D — Flushing and a clean dressing keep the wound clean and protected.
Q11	Describe how you apply a bandage to a horse's leg for a wound or swelling, and how you control swelling.	KE3	Short answer — at least 4 of: Use a clean dressing over the wound. \| Apply even, firm but not tight pressure over suitable padding. \| Work in the correct direction and keep the tension even. \| Check the circulation so the bandage is not too tight. \| For bleeding, apply direct pressure first. \| Control swelling with cold therapy, support bandaging and rest. \| Monitor the limb and re-check the bandage.
Q12	While you wait for the vet, how do you nurse a horse to reduce shock, distress and pain, and what do you monitor and record?	KE3	Short answer — at least 4 of: Keep the horse calm, warm and still. \| Reduce noise and stress around it. \| Support it and stay with it while you wait for the vet. \| Monitor its behaviour at intervals. \| Monitor its vital signs (TPR) at intervals. \| Record your observations. \| Record any treatment you gave, so the vet has an accurate picture.
Q13	You are checking a horse's feet and legs. What should you do? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE3	Correct: C. C — This finds injuries and checks the hooves and shoes at the same time.
Q14	When would you apply a poultice to a horse? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE3	Correct: A. A — That is what a poultice is for, applied in line with first aid practice.
Q15	What do the industry rules say about prohibited substances? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE4	Correct: D. D — Prohibited substances are banned under the industry rules.
Q16	Under the industry rules, how must medicines and treatments be given to a horse? Alternative and complementary treatments count too.	KE4	Correct: C. C — The rules cover prohibited substances and alternative treatments; all treatments must be given under supervision, follow directions and withholding periods, and be recorded.
Q17	Which of these are notifiable or infectious equine diseases you must report? (select all that apply — options in the workbook)	KE4	Correct: A, B, C, D (all four ticked, and not E). A — Strangles is highly contagious and spreads on hands, gear and boots. B — equine influenza is notifiable in Australia. C — Hendra virus is notifiable and is a zoonosis, so it can kill people. D — tetanus is not contagious between horses, but a suspected case must be reported straight away because it is usually fatal and needs a vet immediately. E is the distractor: a bruised sole is neither infectious nor reportable in this sense.
Q18	You think a horse may have an infectious disease. What should you do? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE4	Correct: B. B — Isolation, hygiene, self-protection and reporting stop the disease spreading.
Q19	Why do you check a horse before and after work? (multiple choice — options in the workbook)	KE1, KE3	Correct: A. A — Checking before and after work finds problems early so they can be treated.
Q20	Why do teamwork, animal welfare and accurate records matter in equine first aid?	KE5	Short answer — at least 3 of: Clear teamwork and reporting get the horse the right help quickly. \| Good communication means everyone knows what has happened and what is needed. \| Animal welfare and duty of care guide safe, ethical treatment of the horse. \| Accurate records of vital signs, observations and treatments give the vet the information they need. \| Records protect the horse, by supporting the right treatment. \| Records protect the workplace, as proof of what was done.
Q21	You are checking a shod horse's feet. What do you look for on the shoe itself?	KE3	Short answer — at least 3 of: is the shoe still on and tight, or does it move or clink; are any nails risen, missing or sticking out; is the shoe worn thin or worn unevenly on one side; does it still FIT the foot, since the hoof grows past the shoe over a few weeks and the wall overhangs it; is the shoe twisted, sprung away from the hoof or shifted across the foot. Must also say: report it and keep the horse in until the farrier has seen it, and do not remove a shoe unless trained and told to.
Q22	What is a zoonosis, and which disease in this unit is one?	KE4	Short answer. A zoonosis is a disease that can pass from animals to people. In this unit it is HENDRA VIRUS, carried by flying foxes, which can pass from horses to people and kill them. Handling: do not handle a horse with an unexplained fever and neurological signs before talking to a vet; isolate the horse; use separate gear; wash hands and change clothes and boots before going near another horse; report immediately and do not wait to be sure.
Q23	How does a horse get tetanus, and why check its vaccination status?	KE4	Short answer. Tetanus is caused by bacteria that live in soil entering a WOUND, often a puncture wound in the foot — it is not caught from another horse. Signs are muscle stiffness, a rigid stance and the third eyelid flicking across. It is usually fatal and it is preventable by vaccination, which is why you check the horse's vaccination status whenever it has a wound, and tell the vet if it is not covered or you do not know.

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
Inspect the incident site and assess risks before going near the horse ◆ [PE1 safety check]	Stops at the edge of the scene and looks before stepping in. Says what happened and whether it is still happening. Names what is on the ground — wire, glass, machinery, a wet or uneven surface. Points out the escape path before entering. Says who else is at risk and whether help is needed first. PPE on before the first step in.	Goes straight to the injured horse and looks at the wound first. Recites hazards from the guide without looking at this scene. Ends up between the horse and a wall, a fence or a corner. Puts PPE on after entering. Says the site is safe without saying what makes it safe.
Measure and record vital signs — temperature, pulse and respiration. T ____ P ____ R ____	Thermometer in the rectum, standing to the side. Pulse under the jaw or at the girth. Respiration counted by watching the flank. Writes T, P and R with the time each was taken. States the normal resting ranges — temperature 37.5 to 38.5 degrees C, pulse 28 to 44 beats per minute, respiration 8 to 16 breaths per minute. For a reading outside those, says what it can mean and that it is reported and re-taken, and reads the three together rather than one at a time.	Stands directly behind the horse. Records a number with no time against it. Writes a figure that was not taken from this horse. Cannot state the normal resting range for one or more of the three. Reads one sign on its own and calls the horse normal. Records an out-of-range reading and moves on without reporting it or taking a second set.
Observe and report hydration level and capillary refill. Skin-pinch ____ Refill ____ sec	Pinches a fold of skin at the point of the shoulder and lets go, and says it should flatten in about a second. Lifts the lip, presses a thumb on the gum until the spot goes white, releases and counts the seconds. Records both figures. States that refill under two seconds is normal and that gums should be moist and salmon pink. Reports a tented pinch, a slow refill or pale, tacky, brick red or muddy gums as an early sign of shock.	Pinches the neck or the barrel instead of the point of the shoulder. Does not press hard enough to blanch the gum. Estimates the refill instead of counting it. Leaves the seconds box blank or writes 'normal'. Finds a tented pinch and a slow refill and does not connect them to shock or report them.
Observe, identify and report signs of common illness and of common injury [PE1 recognise]	Looks at the whole horse first, then the detail. Names the signs actually present — off its feed, dull, standing apart, lameness, heat or swelling in a limb, a wound, colic signs, coughing or nasal discharge, an eye that is closed, weeping or cloudy. For a wound says where, how big, how deep, how much bleeding and whether anything is in it. For lameness says which leg and whether the horse takes weight. Compares the limb with its pair. Reports what was seen, when, and what the horse was doing.	Reports 'it looks sick' with no detail. Names a disease — 'it has a virus', 'that's laminitis'. Describes a wound without saying where it is or whether anything is embedded. Checks one leg and not its pair. Leaves out the time the sign was first seen. Treats an eye problem as something to watch.
Observe, identify and report signs of shock	Checks the gums, the pulse and the ears and legs rather than reciting. Names the signs found — pale, white or muddy gums, refill slower than two seconds, a fast weak pulse, cold ears, legs and feet, rapid shallow breathing, a dull unresponsive manner, trembling. Says shock is an emergency, that the vet is called, and keeps recording the TPR while waiting.	Lists the signs from memory without touching or looking at the horse. Calls a quiet horse shocked with nothing else to support it. Finds the signs and waits to see whether it improves. Walks the horse about or offers it feed. Reports the shock but not the readings behind it.
Assess the threat to life of the illness or injury and build it into a plan of action	Says whether life is at risk and why, using the threat-to-life list — heavy bleeding that will not stop, a horse that cannot breathe, signs of shock, a horse cast or trapped, a suspected broken bone, a deep wound to a joint or the belly. If any of those, the vet is called first and everything else waits. Says the plan out loud in order: make the scene safe, call for help, do the one thing that matters most, take and record the vital signs, keep the horse calm and warm.	Starts treating before saying what the plan is. Keeps the plan in their head, so nobody else can join it. Puts the vet call at the end. Treats a deep joint wound as a wound to dress. Recites the five steps with no reference to the horse in front of them.
Calm, restrain and/or quarantine the horse using safe and ethical handling ◆ [PE2b]	Speaks before approaching. Comes to the shoulder where the horse can see them, moves slowly, does not crowd the head. Restrains only as much as the job needs, headcollar and lead held by a second person first. Says why that restraint suits this horse. Where infection is suspected, isolates the horse where it stands, stops other horses and people moving past, uses separate gear and boots, and tells the supervisor before anything else.	Approaches silently or head-on. Reaches for a twitch first. Leaves a twitch on after the horse has settled, or keeps it on while the horse escalates. Corners or crowds a frightened horse. Walks a horse suspected of infection past other horses to reach an isolation box. Keeps handling after the horse has escalated.
Use restraint and safe handling to prevent further injury while first aid is given ◆	Has the horse held before touching the sore place. Keeps the handler on the same side as themselves so neither is pushed into the horse. Says where they will stand and keeps an escape path open. Squats to work on a low wound, never kneels or sits. Stops and lets the horse settle when it moves.	Starts work with nobody holding the horse. Puts the handler on the opposite side. Kneels or sits beside the leg. Keeps hold and keeps working while the horse pulls away. Works in a corner with no way out.
Follow first aid policy — obligations to the owner, state regulations, stable policy and duty of care	Names the four obligations that apply at once — the owner must be told what happened and what was done and carries the cost of veterinary treatment; state and territory animal welfare law makes it an offence not to provide treatment for injury or disease; the stable first aid policy sets out who may treat what, who calls the vet and what is written down; and duty of care means working inside their own training and authority. Follows the stable policy on this horse, including where it stops them doing something.	Names one obligation and stops. Works around the stable policy because they think they know better. Says the owner will be told at the end of the day. Does something they have not been trained to do because it seemed obvious. Cannot say where their own limit is.
Follow referral and reporting procedures; report irregularities to the nominated person promptly [PE3]	Reports as it happens, not at the end of the shift. Names the nominated person for first aid at this workplace and tells them. Tells the supervisor as well, even where the vet has already been called. Calls the vet for anything on the threat-to-life list. Says what was seen, when, what was done and who was told, and writes it in the workplace format.	Holds the report until the end of the shift or until asked. Cannot say who the nominated person is. Tells one person and assumes it was passed on. Reports verbally where the workplace requires the form. Plays the problem down so it sounds smaller than it is.
Clean a wound and protect it from further contamination or injury	Gloves on and the horse held before the wound is touched. Looks before touching — where it is, how deep, what is in it, whether it is bleeding, whether it is near a joint. Stops serious bleeding first with firm steady pressure on a clean pad and keeps the pad there. Cleans with clean water or the wash the supervisor provides, working from the middle outwards. Pats dry and covers with the dressing directed. Stops and gets help for a wound that is bleeding heavily, is deep, has something embedded, is near a joint, or is on or near the eye.	Touches the wound bare-handed. Lifts the pressure pad again and again to look. Scrubs the wound, or reaches for a strong chemical or neat disinfectant. Wipes from the outside in, dragging dirt back into the wound. Pulls out an embedded object. Cleans and dresses a deep joint wound instead of stopping and calling.
Apply a bandage to manage bleeding, swelling or a wound	Says which of the three jobs the bandage is doing — stopping bleeding, supporting and reducing swelling, or protecting a dressed wound — and applies it for that job. Padding underneath every time, never straight onto the leg. Firm and even tension, and for swelling from the bottom of the leg upwards. Checks the leg above and below for heat, swelling or rubbing, and takes the bandage off and reapplies it if the tension is uneven.	Bandages straight onto the leg with no padding. Tension tight in one place and loose in another. Uses a support wrap where a pressure bandage is needed to stop bleeding. Bandage slips down and is left. Does not check the leg above and below once it is on.
Control swelling using appropriate techniques and materials. Method: ____________	Writes the method used in the box. Cold hosing or an ice pack over a cloth for about twenty minutes at a time, never ice straight onto skin. Even compression over padding. Rest — keeps the horse still. Says heat, hot packs and liniments make fresh swelling worse in the first day or two and are used only when directed.	Leaves the method box blank or writes 'cold'. Puts ice straight onto the skin. Applies cold for a minute or two, or leaves it on well past twenty minutes. Reaches for a liniment or a hot pack on a fresh swelling. Keeps the horse walking while treating the swelling.
Nurse the horse to reduce the impact of shock, distress and pain	Rugs or blankets the horse to keep it warm. Moves other horses and people away and lowers their voice. Stays with the horse rather than leaving it to fetch things. Offers no feed or water where surgery is possible or the horse cannot swallow properly, and says they would ask the vet. Gives no medicine unless the vet has directed it.	Leaves the horse alone while collecting gear. Offers a feed or a bucket to settle it. Keeps a colicking horse walking. Gives a painkiller from the stable cupboard, masking a sign the vet needs to see. Lets people stand around talking near the horse.
Monitor behaviour and vital signs, and record observations and treatments given	Re-takes the TPR at set intervals — every fifteen or twenty minutes for a horse they are worried about — and writes each set down with the time. Records the behaviour as well: quieter or more restless, weight bearing on all four legs, sweating, droppings passed, drinking. Records every treatment given — what it was, how much, when, and who directed it.	Takes one set of readings and stops. Writes readings with no times, so no trend can be read. Records the numbers and none of the behaviour. Fills the record in from memory after the vet has gone. Leaves out a treatment because someone else gave it.
Inspect feet and legs for injury, soreness or foreign bodies, and identify common injuries and ailments of the hoof, foot and leg [PE2a]	Works down each leg with their hands, comparing left with right — both front, then both hind. Reports heat in one leg of a pair, filled tendons, a puffy joint or a warm lump, and any flinching or snatching away. Feels for the digital pulse at the back of the fetlock. Picks the hoof out and looks at the frog and the grooves either side for a nail, a stone, wire or thrush. Names what was found from the common problems — hoof abscess, bruised sole, thrush, hoof wall crack, tendon or ligament strain, over-reach or heel wound. Reports which leg, how lame, and whether the horse takes weight.	Looks at the legs without using their hands. Checks one leg and not its pair. Does not pick the hoof out. Does not check the digital pulse, or cannot find where it is felt. Records 'a bit lame' with no leg named and nothing about weight bearing. Leaves a horse that will not put a foot down to be looked at tomorrow.
Apply a poultice to the affected area [PE2a]	Cleans the area first, and picks the hoof out if the poultice is going on a foot. Tests a warm poultice on the inside of their own wrist before it goes near the horse. Poultice on, then padding, then a bandage wrapped firm and even. On a foot, covers the whole hoof and adds an outer layer so it does not wear straight through. States how long it stays on — as directed, usually up to about twelve hours — then comes off and what has drawn out is looked at. Checks above and below for heat, swelling or rubbing.	Poultices over a dirty or unpicked foot. Puts a warm poultice on without testing it on their own wrist. No padding between the poultice and the bandage. Leaves a foot poultice with no outer layer, so it wears through. Says they would leave it on until the foot looks better. Applies a poultice nobody directed.
Determine damage or irregular condition, and the fit, of shoes	Picks the foot up and checks the shoe itself: still on and tight, or moving or clinking; nails risen, missing or protruding; worn thin or worn unevenly on one side; still fitting the foot, or the wall overhanging a shoe the hoof has grown past; twisted, sprung away from the hoof or shifted across the foot. Reports it, keeps the horse in until the farrier has seen it, and does not remove the shoe.	Looks at the sole only and never at the shoe or the nails. Calls the shoe sound without picking the foot up. Misses an overhanging wall on a shoe the hoof has grown past. Levers or pulls at a loose shoe. Turns the horse out with a loose shoe on.
Carry out pre-activity and post-activity assessment for injury, distress, health and fitness	Before work: checks the horse is sound on all four legs, no heat or swelling, eating and drinking normally, bright and alert, and gear fitting with no rubs. After work: breathing back to normal within a reasonable time, no new heat, swelling or cuts, no lameness, drinking, and not unusually dull or distressed. Writes down what was found both times, so the two can be compared.	Does the after check only, or the before check only. Records 'all good' with nothing listed. Skips the gear and rub check. Finds something after work and does not compare it with the before record. Leaves the before record to be written up later.
Apply pharmaceutical or therapeutic treatments under trainer, veterinary or equine health practitioner instruction and supervision	Does nothing until a trainer, vet or equine health practitioner has directed the treatment and is supervising. Confirms the horse against the record, not the stable door. Reads the label every time — the drug, the dose, the route, the expiry date and the withholding period. Measures the dose accurately and asks when not certain. Gives it the way they were told, topical on the skin or oral into the corner of the mouth with the horse held calmly. Records the horse, treatment, dose, time and who directed it immediately. Sharps into a sharps container.	Gives a treatment on their own initiative, or on another student's say-so. Identifies the horse by the stable door. Does not read the label, or reads it once for a row of horses. Guesses the dose rather than asking. Writes the record up at the end of the day. Puts a used needle in a bin or a feed bag.
Identify and follow industry rules on prohibited substances and alternative treatments	Says that racing and competition bodies publish lists of substances a horse may not have in its system when it competes, and that the withholding time is how long before an event a treatment must stop. Says alternative and complementary treatments — a herbal paste, a supplement, a topical liniment — are covered by the same rules. Checks with the trainer or the vet before giving anything to a horse in work, including something handed over by someone else at the stable. Keeps the packaging and the record.	Treats herbal, natural or 'just a supplement' products as outside the rules. Cannot say what a withholding period is. Gives something another person at the stable handed them, without checking. Throws the packaging away. Records that a treatment was given but not what was in 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
The student walks in on a cast, trapped or panicking horse without stopping to look at the site, or puts themselves between that horse and a wall, fence or corner	Stop and bring the student out of the scene. This is how handlers are hurt in first aid. Debrief before anything else is observed.
The student works on a down or cast horse alone, or takes a position beside a thrashing horse with no escape path	Stop. Clear the student, get a second person, and re-set the task before any further observation.
The student gives a pharmaceutical or therapeutic treatment that no trainer, vet or equine health practitioner has directed, or gives a painkiller to a horse that is waiting on a vet	Stop. This is a scope-of-practice breach, not a technique fault. Do not re-run the task that day.
The horse shows a threat to life — bleeding that will not stop, laboured breathing, shock signs, a suspected fracture, a deep joint or belly wound — and the student keeps giving first aid without calling the vet	Stop and make the call yourself. The horse comes before the assessment. Record the failure and debrief.
A twitch or other restraint is applied by a student who has not been trained in it, is left on after the horse has settled, or is used with more force than the job needs	Stop and have it taken off. This is a welfare failure, not a technique fault.
The student handles a horse with an unexplained fever and neurological signs before a vet has been spoken to, or moves a horse suspected of infectious disease past other horses	Stop, isolate the horse where it stands, and report. Hendra and strangles do not give a second chance.