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Riding Instructor

Easterseals Massachusetts at The Bridge Center

Schedule: Part Time (3-6 hr/week) Saturday and/or Sunday Availability Required

Easterseals MA is a well-established nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure children and adults with disabilities have equal opportunities to live, learn, work, and play. We are seeking a part-time Riding Instructor to join our team at Equestrian Center at Easterseals Massachusetts in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Riding Instructors will provide traditional English and adaptive horseback riding instruction and equine-assisted activities at the 20-acre Equestrian Center on The Bridge Center campus. Instructors will offer fun and safe lessons while enhancing a participant’s physical, emotional, social, cognitive, behavioral, and educational skills. PATH CTRI and/or ESMHL certification is preferred. 

Responsibilities Include:

I. Lesson Management

• Assess and develop scaffolded goals for new participants (mounted and/or unmounted) 
• Create a lesson plan and adjust throughout the lesson based on participant needs
• Instruct a diverse population of both individual and group lessons on afternoons, evenings, and/or weekends
• Track participant progress through record logs, rider evaluations, and subsequent lesson plans
• Set up and take down lesson obstacles and manipulatives as necessary 

II. Handling

• Groom, tack, untack, warm-up/exercise equines for lessons
• Demonstrate proactive equine behavior management in a lesson setting
• Identify unsoundness in a horse at all gaits
• Address basic training and schooling of horses regularly
• Update horse usage logs in coordination with Equestrian Center Director
• Identify basic tack components and horse diet, health and anatomy

III. Risk Management 

• Fit equipment to equine and participant
• Conduct equipment and participant safety checks before and throughout a lesson
• Respond to emergencies (emergency dismounts, equine first aid)
• Assist and direct volunteer groomers, sidewalkers and leaders as necessary
• Follow all safety protocols, demonstrating and modeling safe work behavior while utilizing proper body mechanics 

IV. Participant, Staff and Volunteer Management

• Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly, respectfully, and collaboratively with Equestrian Center staff and volunteers 
• Manage participant issues during assigned periods within the barn environment
• Implement effective teaching techniques and model appropriate interpersonal communication 
• Manage volunteers, sidewalkers and leaders with clear directions before, during and after a lesson
• Foster participant educational and interpersonal development while evaluating progress towards riding objectives
• Participate actively in Easterseals MA meetings, events and other activities 

V. Riding Theory

• Follow the guidelines established for the ethical care, training and maintenance of equines
• Provide an optimal environment for equine participation in mounted sessions
• Handle and tack an equine safely and appropriately for the situation at hand
• Demonstrate safe and appropriate arena etiquette
• Instruct for a balanced, independent seat whenever possible without training aids 

Qualifications: 

• Massachusetts Riding Instructors License
• PATH TRI License; or working towards
• CPR/AED Certification 
• Experience working in an equine setting in a recognized public or private professional agency
• Knowledge of:
  • the basic principles and techniques of equine-assisted recreation.
  • the types and uses of materials & equipment used in equine activities
  • safety practices and procedures followed in general equine activities
  • principles of growth and development over the life span and interprets the appropriate information needed to identify each participant’s requirements related to age specific needs
  • motivational riding techniques and positive reinforcement 

Preferred Experience: 

• Demonstrated 4+ years instructional experience in a professional equine setting (outside of backyard barns)
• Knowledge and skills regarding age-specific physiological changes and developmental needs
• Established record of adhering to a tight schedule 
• Experience working with children and young adults with disabilities in an equine or other capacity
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Services, Equine Studies or equivalent 

Additional Requirements:

Easterseals Massachusetts conducts extensive background checks and professional references for all potential employees. If selected for hire, candidates must be able to provide a recent physical indicating the ability to perform the essential functions of the job either with or without accommodations and required immunizations.

At Easterseals MA, we champion an environment where every employee feels valued and respected. We welcome everyone’s unique perspectives and strive to dismantle barriers that hinder individuals from reaching their full potential.

We actively engage with our staff, volunteers, partners, and the broader community to promote understanding, empathy, and collaboration. Collectively, we are changing the way the world defines and views disability, making profound and positive differences in people’s lives every day. By beginning with our own workforce, we demonstrate our commitment throughout the commonwealth.

Together, we can create a workplace where everyone thrives by ensuring all feel empowered and valued.

Easterseals Massachusetts is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. We base all employment decisions on each individual’s capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetics, or any other legally protected characteristic.