Summary of Purpose:
Oversees and provides daily care, treatment, and technical training while ensuring equine taken into program have adoptable outcomes where possible.
Duties (Essential Functions):
Provide daily care, treatment, and training to animals in care.
- Administer medications and treatments to ill/injured animals under direction from a veterinarian or Equine Operations Lead.
- Train equine care team to administer medications and treatments as appropriate.
- Ensure feeding and medicating information is up to date and posted, that all animals are fed accordingly, and all animals have access to water at all times.
- Assist with the training and handling of horses in relation to current skill level (foal weaning/handling, home herd, green and yellow color-coded horses).
- Provide physical exercise and/or social interactions for equine in care as assigned.
- Handle equines humanely and effectively under stressful situations.
- Schedule and assist with Veterinarian and Farrier service appointments.
- Assist with euthanasia procedures.
- Monitor the health of animals through daily welfare checks to rapidly identify any health issues/injuries and report to a manager.
- Follow and maintain excellent knowledge of organization, cleaning, sanitation, and safety practices to provide a healthy and safe environment for animals and people.
- Maintain inventory of medical supplies and communicate with manager to order when supplies are needed.
- Ensure protocols are followed for equine intake, data collection, medical procedures, training assessments, and adoptions and assist Willow Hope Farm Office Manager with related paperwork.
- Assume Equine Care Specialists duties where needed: provide daily care, cleanliness, comfort, and enrichment to KHS equine, ensuring excellent animal care.
Transport animals as assigned to/from rescue sites, offsite training sites, foster homes, or special events.
- Participate in rescue/field work for Equine CARE team as needed.
- Transport equines to and from Willow Hope Farm as assigned.
- Drive KHS vehicles including tractor and trucks in a safe and courteous manner.
Provide professional, compassionate, stellar customer services to all who visit, call, volunteer, donate or work for KHS.
- Assist in showing equine to potential adopters and other areas of equine program.
- Communicate with Manager on duty unusual activities, significant problems or concerns.
- Support outreach efforts by participating in and representing KHS at events.
Other duties as assigned
Qualifications/Requirements:- Minimum 3 years experience working with equine of unknown health and behavior preferred.
- Ability to load, haul and handle horses for transport.
- Intermediate to advanced knowledge of equine health, medical needs and treatment.
- Exceptional organizational, analytical, interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
- Self-directed with ability to work independently/meet deadlines in a fast paced work environment with little direct supervision
- Ability to communicate respectfully and effectively with people of all backgrounds and personalities.
- Humane attitude towards animals.
- Ability to manage the emotional aspect of end-of-life services and humane euthanasia, and support staff in high-emotion circumstances.
- Accept, support, and represent KHS core values, programs, policies, and procedures.
- Must possess a valid driver's license and clean driving record and be willing to drive KHS vehicles.
- Background Check required
Physical, Psychosocial, and Cognitive Demands/ Working Environment
- Frequent bending, reaching, kneeling, walking, and standing regularly while performing job functions.
- Frequently lifts, carries, or otherwise moves and positions objects weighing up to and exceeding 100 lbs.
- Includes working with equine in a barn setting (indoor/outdoor) in varying weather conditions.
- Potential for exposure to allergens (including but not limited to pet dander, dust, peanut butter), and zoonotic diseases (diseases transferred from animals to humans).
- Exposure to chemicals.
- Exposure to loud noise.
- Exposure to emotional circumstances.
- Fast-paced environment.