Horse Loading and Unloading for Transport Training

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate safe and low-stress techniques for loading horses into different types of transport vehicles.
• Apply appropriate safety measures and equipment to prevent injury to horses and handlers during loading and unloading.
• Evaluate horse behaviour and body language to anticipate and manage potential issues during transport.
• Implement correct restraint and tying methods to ensure horse safety while in transit.
• Analyse and comply with relevant animal transport regulations and welfare standards in South Africa.
• Design a loading and unloading plan that accounts for horse temperament, vehicle type, and environmental factors.

Target Audience

This course is designed for horse owners, grooms, stable managers, transporters, and anyone responsible for the handling and movement of horses during transport. It is also suitable for learners in equine studies or animal care who wish to gain a recognised qualification in horse loading and unloading.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment. However, learners should have basic experience with horse handling.

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Learners engage in hands-on practice of loading and unloading horses under supervision. Practical sessions reinforce safe handling techniques, use of equipment, and problem-solving for difficult horses.

Practical Activities

• Equipment Inspection and Preparation — Learners inspect ramps, partitions, and handling aids, and prepare the vehicle or loading facility.
• Loading a Calm Horse — Learners practice loading a cooperative horse using correct positioning and minimal force. (1h)
• Loading a Difficult Horse — Learners simulate handling a reluctant or fearful horse using appropriate techniques and aids. (1h)
• Unloading and Post-Transport Assessment — Learners unload horses safely and perform a post-transport health and behaviour check. (1h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.