Equestrian Attendant

POSITION OBJECTIVE Responsible for the full care, training, and conditioning of SRS resort horses and guest horses; feeding, cleaning stalls/paddocks and for keeping the Equestrian Center facility and grounds neat, and orderly. Instruct lessons to a variety of skill levels, ages and disciplines. Facilitate pony rides and guide trail rides. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
• Greets equestrian members, guests and co-workers with positive, friendly, and respectful customer service in accordance with the standards of excellence of Salamander Resort & Spa, Offer tours of the equestrian center, answers phone within two rings, and provides administrative support as needed.
• Competent rider with a minimum of 5 years' experience working with and riding horses.
• Performs daily feeding of horses according to individual maintenance plans, and accurate hay/grain/supplement preparation.
• Performs grooming, trimming, clipping, mane pulling, bathing, sheath and udder cleaning, and tacking services as required by the Equestrian Director and/or Equestrian Manager.
• Monitors that appropriate measures are taken to ensure the safety of all riders and horses.
• Responsible for informing the Equestrian Director/Equestrian Manager in a timely manner of current inventory in order to maintain adequate levels of supplies.
• Cleaning of stalls on an hourly basis (adding shavings as needed) and usage of PDZ on urine spots daily, turning out and bringing in horses, checking horses for cuts or lameness (knowledge of first aid a plus), and blanketing. Clean wash stalls as needed.
• Daily washing of horse laundry. Monitors timely cleaning of horse blankets and fly masks.
• Drives a small utility terrain vehicle (UTV) and tractor, utilize UTV/Tractor attachments such as an arena groomer and other related equipment. Drag arena as needed.
• Performs cleaning; washing down the barns and wash stalls, daily cleaning of wash stall and aisle way drains, and daily cleaning of water buckets and troughs.
• Responsible for the maintenance of pastures by picking manure and fallen branches up at least three times per week. Observe condition of fence lines and holes in the ground, and report broken fences and holes to management.
• Performs other miscellaneous duties as assigned. Other Duties and Responsibilities:
• Ability to drive a horse trailer is a plus.
• Assist with Vet and Farrier.
• Assist with unloading hay and shaving deliveries.
• Assist with Clinics, equestrian center special events, taking students to horseshows, taking members off property to trail rides, hunter paces, fox hunting, etc.
• Assist in other departments and performs additional related duties as required.
• Understands and follows policies and procedures of the department and Salamander Resort & Spa overall. EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Excellent customer service experience
• Must have a strong background, knowledge and experience in working with horses. (Minimum of five years.)
• Computer skills a plus.
• Knowledge of correct, classical riding and teaching, and high quality horsemanship standards, or open willingness to learn.
• Experienced with operating equipment such as a blower, small utility terrain vehicle (UTV), Tractor, and utilize UTV/Tractor attachments such as an arena groomer and other related equipment. REQUIREMENTS The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk' use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch; talk and hear. The employee must be able to lift and move up to 100 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical Demands:
• Standing, stooping, bending, pushing and pulling with both arms.
• Ability to independently lift up to 50 to 100 pounds on a frequent basis. (Water buckets, hay bales, full muck tubs, etc.)
• Able to ride horses of various sizes and temperaments for several hours a day, and willing to ride in various types of saddles.
• Hand and body usage to effectively work with horses safely and handle equipment and tack.
• Vision must be correctable to read and write.
• Hearing must be sufficient to understand conversation in a noisy environment and voice projection must be loud enough for teaching lessons and to be heard in the Stable by guests and co-workers.
• Must be physically fit to accomplish strenuous job related duties in various weather conditions. Certifications, Licenses, Registrations:
• Valid Driver's License Required
• First-aid and CPR Certifications; Helpful, Not Required
• Any other equine related certifications helpful. (Ex. ARIA, BHS, or CHA certification) WORK ENVIRONMENT
• Must be able to work effectively in a stressful environment, communicate with others, effectively deal with customers and accept constructive criticism from supervisors.
• Must be able to change activity frequently and cope with interruptions.
• Motivated self-starter, work independently with little or no supervision, and work well with the team.
• All tasks must be performed in an efficient and productive manner.
• Reliable, responsible and trustworthy.
• Arrive to work on-time (5 minutes early); and be able to work in all weather conditions, year round.
• Dress Code - Must be neat and clean with professional apparel. Professional apparel consists of polo shirts, uniform shirts, SRS ball caps, riding tights or breeches, khaki pants or shorts, paddock boots, tall boots, or work shoes/boots. Tank tops are not permitted. Tongue piercings must be removed and tattoos must be completely covered.
• Able to work flexible hours/days, including all holidays and all weekends. The Resort and Stables are open on all holidays. May require overnight stays at hotel due to inclement weather and/or business demands.
• Reliable transportation. Inclement weather and roads are not an option to miss work. The horses depend on us for their care.
• Employees are required to park as far as possible from the Stables.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and behave as a professional at all times. (Do not discuss your personal business or problems, or confidential company business with the guests or in guest areas.)
• NO DRAMA!
• Eating and drinking is not permitted in front of guests.
• No smoking/chewing/ or chewing of gum on property during your shift.
• Demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills with correct use of grammar and no swearing.
• Exhibit behavior that demonstrates patience with horses and a sense of enjoyment in working with horses and people. Requires knowledge of horse culture.
• Open to learning and adding to your horsemanship skills and knowledge and willing to take lessons from the Equestrian Director/Manager and/or qualified equestrian center staff with a positive and receptive attitude.
• Demonstrate a very high standard of cleanliness in the performance of cleaning responsibilities....