Equine Care Assistant

Inspiring Vet Care; Newbury; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 6.6 weeks

Birthday off

Enhanced family-friendly policies

Healthcare plan

Cycle to Work

Pension scheme

Discounted veterinary care

Job summary

Inspiring Vet Care at Donnington Grove is seeking an Equine Care Assistant to join our team on a full-time permanent basis. You will work in a busy equine environment, focusing on welfare and teamwork, with 40 hours per week and shifts 7.30am–7pm, 1 in 5 weekends.

You will assist with procedures, horse handling, and daily care, ensuring high standards of biosecurity and patient comfort while collaborating with colleagues and clients.

Qualifications

• Extensive hands-on experience with horses.
• Excellent horse handling skills.
• Strong commitment to equine welfare and teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Restrain horses for standing surgical procedures and imaging prep.
• Assist with CT, MRI and Scintigraphy and lameness workups.
• Maintain high biosecurity and prep clinical areas for use.
• Support Yard Assistant with daily horse care including grooming and mucking out.
• Coordinate admission and discharge of horses.

Skills

Horse handling

Teamwork

Communication

Organisational skills

Proactive learner

Animal welfare

Job description

At inspiring vet care, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the UK’s number one vet care provider, we’re trusted with the care of over 2 million animals, delivering our purpose of healthier animals and happier owners.

We are seeking an enthusiastic, team‑orientated Equine Care Assistant to join our team at Donnington Grove on a full‑time permanent basis.

How You’ll Make a Difference

The ideal candidate will have extensive hands‑on experience working with various types of horses and possess a strong commitment to equine welfare and teamwork. It is essential for all applicants to have excellent horse handling skills and used to handling a variety of horses including thoroughbreds.

Working Pattern

• 40 hour week. Shifts range from 7.30am to 7pm 1 in 5 weekend 8am to 5pm.

Key Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include restraining horses for standing surgical procedures, image acquisition including CT, MRI and Scintigraphy, as well as presenting horses for lameness investigations including trotting up, lunging and restraining for invasive procedures. Other aspects of the role include maintaining extremely high levels of biosecurity within the hospital and ensure all clinical areas are prepared ready for use. You will also assist the Yard Assistant team in the daily care of horses, which encompasses tasks such as grooming, mucking out, maintaining yard cleanliness, and coordinating the admission and discharge of horses.

You Might Be a Great Fit If...

You are a reliable and motivated individual who enjoys working as part of a team and is keen to develop within a veterinary environment. You’ll bring:

• A caring, professional approach with a genuine interest in animal welfare
• Good communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and clients
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage tasks effectively in a busy environment
• A proactive attitude to learning, with openness to feedback and development
• Experience of working with animals in either a clinical or non-clinical setting would be advantageous

How We’ll Support You

At inspiring vet care, we’re committed to supporting your ongoing development and wellbeing. When you join us, you’ll benefit from:

• Structured development opportunities, including access to VCA development programmes and apprenticeships
• Clear career pathways with progression opportunities into Student Veterinary Nurse roles and beyond
• Supportive, collaborative teams focused on delivering high‑quality patient and client care
• A values‑led culture focused on care, community and continuous improvement

What We Offer Our Team

• 6.6 weeks' annual leave plus your birthday off
• Increasing holiday allowance based on length of service
• Enhanced family‑friendly policies, including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Employee wellbeing initiatives including Healthcare Cash Plan and Cycle to Work salary sacrifice schemes, subject to eligibility criteria
• Learning and development opportunities via the inspiring vet care Academy
• Pension scheme
• Discounted veterinary care
• Voluntary benefits including Green Cars salary sacrifice scheme and access to discounts and cashback with hundreds of participating retailers

We’re committed to supporting our people through career development opportunities, wellbeing initiatives and access to world‑class learning resources.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take the next step in your career, inspiring vet care offers the support, opportunity and community to help you grow.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analysing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgement. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Up to £26,528.31 per annum