Job description Animal Care staff member  - Equines

Maternity cover contract of at least 8 months starting beginning of December 2020. As a guide this position will suit someone with a minimum BHS stage 2 (Foundation groom) or above, or someone with experience of running a small yard who may not have formal qualifications but who does have proven experience.

Full time hours (40 per week), 9am – 5pm, 5 days a week on a rota with alternate weekends worked.

32 days holiday pro rata including Bank Holidays.

Pension

Salary  - minimum wage rate applies

You will have responsibility for the equines  - mostly ponies (currently 10) and barn cats. You will also need to learn, and be involved with, the other animals on site in order to help out when needed or in an emergency.

You will be part of a small team of 5 established staff.

Typical Duties

Feed barn cats and do litter trays and bedding areas.

Feed and medicate horses.

Muck out horses in overnight.

Poo pick fields of those out daily.

Ensure water troughs are clean.

Order weekly feed and bedding supplies as needed. (liaise with Manager)

Keep up to date with routine vet appointments, vaccinations, teeth. Do worm counts or worm as needed (liaise with Manager). Be happy to liaise with the vet.

Keep up to date with farrier appointments.

Keep muck trailer tidy and stacked.

Keep feed and bedding areas clean and tidy.

Apply any vet treatments such as poultices, bandages etc as required.

Move electric fence and rotate grazing as needed.

Any other jobs associated with the horses and if needed with the other animals.

Horse Knowledge

Be confident handling a variety of well behaved and different sized horses. 

Be able to muck out efficiently.

Be able to groom and pick out feet.

Be confident holding a horse for the vet.

Be able to recognise if a horse is off colour or ill and know what to do about it.

Take responsibility for calling the vet, if needed, in the absence of the Manager or other staff, and be prepared to wait after hours or return later if needed (these are things shared out amongst us all - teamwork!)

The Person

The person we are looking for needs to have substantial equine experience.

They need to be able to join a small team but take responsibility for their own area (help and guidance will be given initially and on hand subsequently if needed from Manager or other long standing staff).

Be confident in communicating with the Manager and other staff and be welcoming to volunteers who are giving up their time to help.

Be confident in supervising and guiding the volunteers assigned to their area (all horse volunteers have experience working with horses and many have been attending for a significant time).

Be good at time management and organising their day. Recognise that sometimes the plan for the day can alter at short notice because of the animals and be able to deal with this.

Be willing and able to learn about the other animals on site and be able to help with some tasks and cover in an emergency.

Other information

Please apply with CV and covering letter to Sarah Diggle on [email protected]

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed at the beginning of November.

All applications will be acknowledged.

This is a maternity cover contract with guaranteed work for at least 8 months.