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New Green Certificate Specialty Emphasizes Safety First | |
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Farm Safety Newsletter Summer 2009 | |
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 The long-anticipated Equine Technician specialty of the Green Certificate Program is set to launch in Alberta schools this fall. By enrolling in the specialty, students will get a large, comprehensive manual full of horse husbandry and stable management tasks – and on nearly every page, important safety points.
Almost everything about horses - from handling them to operating and storing the equipment needed to keep them - has the potential to be dangerous. By outlining the safe and proper ways of working around horses, students can first read and learn how to do a task and then they are coached by a trainer while they apply and develop that skill.
In the same format as other Green Certificate specialties, students participating in this program will apprentice with a trainer at their facility of choice. They will receive hands on learning from the trainer that will cover topics such as handling a horse in stressful and emergency situations, operating and maintaining common equipment, understanding horse defense mechanisms, facility maintenance—with safety being central to all tasks.
The program goes beyond the basic safety messages (ie wear protective footwear and don’t coil the lead rope around your hand) and requires students to assess potential hazards to create a plan which will eliminate or significantly reduce them. Among other topics, students are taught to recognize common “flight or fight” triggers in horses, assess facility layout and condition, and properly operate equipment such as tractors, trucks and ATVs.
Successful program training and testing is rewarded with a certificate of completion. Potential employers will know they can expect an applicant who has completed a well-rounded course covering safety and the fundamentals of horse care.
For more information, contact the Green Certificate Program Coordinator or a Regional Coordinator at www.agriculture.alberta.ca/greencertificate. |
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Kenda Lubeck.
This information published to the web on July 30, 2009.
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