Equine Assistant 1 - Part Time

Maple Lake Academy•Spanish Fork, UT

7d•$18 - $22•Onsite

About The Position

Maple Lake Academy is seeking a part-time Equine Assistant to join their team. This role involves teaching equine and riding skills to 2-3 students at a time, who are adolescents (boys 13-18) on the autistic spectrum. The position requires caring for animals, performing barn and arena chores, and facilitating riding classes. The focus is on providing clients with opportunities to learn horsemanship in a spirit of compassion and friendship. The ideal candidate will have solid equine experience, good discernment, common sense, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask. They must be self-motivated, able to take initiative, understand basic barn and facility upkeep, and be willing to take feedback and be flexible. Experience riding horses, saddling, and bridling is mandatory. The hiring process includes a two-part interview: a face-to-face discussion of experience and a hands-on skills assessment.

Requirements

Experience teaching riding skills
Solid equine experience
Good discernment and common sense pertaining to horsemanship and all related skills
Quick decision making is crucial with strong emphasis on safety
Attentive to detail
Ability to multitask
Self-motivated
Ability to take initiative
Understand basic upkeep of barn and equine facility
Able to take feedback
Willing to be flexible
Experience riding horses
Knowledge of how to saddle and bridle a horse
HS Diploma or GED
Basic knowledge of a horse (signs of colic, what the behavior of a horse is communicating etc.)
Experience in all aspects of equine care and management (you might be required to give oral, intramuscular and intravenous medications, clean, treat and wrap wounds)
Experience coupling, uncoupling and towing a horse trailer is necessary
Age 21+
Must be able to lift up to 75 lbs. bales of hay (most bales weight between 50-60 lbs. however, some could be heavier)
Must be able to lift saddles and other objects found around the barn such as hay forks and tractor implements
Must be able to be "on your feet" for most of each day
Ability to pass a background check upon hire
Current valid Driver’s License with an acceptable driving record (no more than 3 moving violations within the last 5 years)

Nice To Haves

5+ years riding a variety of horses preferred
Skill in both English and Western preferred
Previous experience supporting adolescents and/or autism spectrum clients is preferred

Responsibilities

Assist on teaching 10-15 hours of classes each week (varies by season)
Teach equestrian skills to youth who are non-neurotypical
Help, condition and train about 13 school horses
Help pull stacks, place on pallets and move approximately 50 bales of hay to staging areas weekly
Pull large tarps over high stacks of hay and help check the tie downs weekly and after windy weather
Coach students and staff on proper feeding, watering and mucking techniques
Perform necessary medical and other equine management services
Water and groom arena riding areas as needed
Communicate with the Equine Lead about broken tack issues which need to be addressed immediately and also any pending maintenance items (like doors, fans, gates, etc.)
Learn to drive a small tractor with hay forks to move pallets of hay
Learn to drive a TR-3 to drag the riding arena and aisleways, and a front end loader to push up manure piles and clean corrals
Attend and complete all required training and maintain an up-to-date training record and certifications required by Maple lake Academy
Good communication skills both written and verbal
Ability to plan and prioritize work
Other duties as assigned
Caring for animals in a shared experience with co-workers
Barn and arena chores caring for animals
Setting up feeding chores
Moving hay
Cleaning stalls
Giving required animal medications
Caring for arena
Assisting students with feeding and care
Care of the horses (feeding, riding, helping to track health records)