Position Detail - Stable Assistant

Position Type: Staff Part-time

Hours per week: 24   

Weeks per year: 52

Work Schedule: Sunday through Tuesday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday 2:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Equestrian Center management reserves the right to change schedule for organizational efficiency. 

Salary: $16.00 per hour (with Benefits)

Department Summary & Job Purpose:

The position entails tending to the horses residing at Mount Holyoke College's stables and ensuring that the facility and equipment are kept in good condition. Moreover, it entails fostering a congenial atmosphere for new students, boarders, potential students, and the community. The timetable for this job varies depending on the season.

Core Job Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Ensuring that horses have access to clean hay and fresh water is crucial. 
• Proper horse nutrition is ensured by diligently adhering to grain cards and meticulously tracking supplement levels. Whenever supplements are running low, reminders are immediately sent out to either the boarders or the stable manager. 
• Efficiently managing horse turnout and expertly implementing rotational turnout schedules. 
• The daily task involves cleaning 12-13 stalls, with the possibility of needing to do more cleaning on occasion. The stable management is dedicated to reducing the need for extra cleaning. 
• To maintain stability, it is necessary to perform tasks such as sweeping, cobwebbing, cleaning wash stalls and outside tubs, mucking paddocks, and disposing of trash and hay. 
• Responsibilities encompass routine upkeep of the facility, seasonal duties such as arena grooming and paddock preparation, and ad hoc tasks like sanitizing knee walls and ensuring readiness for boarders' arrival. 
• As a stable assistant, you will be assigned a group of school horses for which you will be responsible for their care and maintenance. This includes providing basic first aid after consulting with the Stable Manager or Director. If any first aid training is required, it will be provided. You are expected to know the average temperature of a horse, any usual lumps, bumps, or swellings, their normal behavior, drinking habits, and turn-out preferences. 

Qualifications: 

Essential qualifications for this position include practical knowledge of horse handling, husbandry, and general farm work. The perfect candidate should possess the ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team. A basic understanding of computers and horse rehabilitation care is preferred, or at least the willingness to acquire such knowledge. Our company is looking for a dedicated employee who can commit to a long-term employment arrangement.

Preferred Qualifications:

Our ideal candidates should possess a minimum of 5 years of experience in a professional equine facility that has at least 30 stalls. Though prior experience working with Warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, and various breeds used in jumping and/or dressage is preferred, it is not compulsory. However, candidates with experience in a school horse/lesson environment will be given additional preference. A level-headed approach to horsemanship is essential. While familiarity with farm machinery is a plus, it is not a prerequisite. This job does not necessitate any riding experience or riding, but knowledge of lunging is an added bonus.

License/Certifications:

Compliance Requirements: 

Physical Demands: 

This role entails standing throughout the entirety of an 8-hour workday and lifting a 55lb hay bale overhead. Additionally, you should possess the physical capability to squat and lift a fully loaded 10-yard wheelbarrow and push it up an incline to be emptied.

Working Conditions: 

This position entails working in various weather conditions, such as rain and snow, and enduring extreme temperatures that are common in New England. The job also involves navigating through uneven and non-improved surfaces, as well as dealing with the known hazards of working with large animals in different environments and temperaments, often in tight spaces.  

Background Checks:

Mount Holyoke College is committed to providing a safe and secure environment, supported by qualified employees that will allow all of its students, faculty, staff and those associated with them to successfully carry out the mission of the college. As a condition of employment, the College will conduct appropriate background checks for all new hires. Mount Holyoke has designated the Office of Human Resources as the office responsible for ensuring that background checks (CORI, SORI, Credit History, & Driver Credential) are completed and utilized in the hiring process and Five College Office of Compliance and Risk Management as the office responsible for facilitating background checks as articulated in this policy.

Special Instructions for Applicants: 

Apply online; application materials must include:

1. A cover letter summarizing interests and qualifications
2. A complete resume or curriculum vitae
3. Contact information for 3 professional references

Mount Holyoke College is a women’s college that is gender diverse. The College is committed to providing equal access and opportunity in employment and education to all employees and students. In compliance with state and federal law, Mount Holyoke College does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, genetic information, sex, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, ancestry, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected status under federal, state or local law. The College does not discriminate on the basis of gender in the recruitment and admission of students to its graduate program.

Mount Holyoke College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.