Horse Farm Worker

DeKalb County Government; Decatur (GA); On-site; USD 26,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

DeKalb County Government is seeking a dedicated handler to care for horses at the county horse farm and maintain the facility.

This role includes feeding, health monitoring, exercise, grooming, stall cleaning, fence maintenance, and assisting clients with horse handling, under supervision.

Candidates should have a high school diploma or GED and at least one year of experience; several years of horse-handling and barn operations experience are preferred.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED or equivalent.
• One year of work experience in any field, or equivalent combination of education and training.
• Ability to monitor horse health and report concerns.
• Ability to operate farm equipment and perform maintenance tasks.
• Demonstrated dependability and effective communication.

Responsibilities

• Feed and water horses and maintain records.
• Monitor horse health and report concerns to supervisor.
• Exercise horses and manage stalls daily.
• Groom horses and clean hooves, coats, manes and tails.
• Clean stalls and bedding, and clean or launder equipment.
• Maintain fences and repair as needed.
• Assist boarding clients with horse handling.

Skills

Horse handling

Barn operations

Equipment maintenance

Communication

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Tractor operation

Power washing equipment

Fence repair tools

Job description

Job Description

Grade: 6 Salary Range: $19.00 - $23.91 FLSA: Nonexempt

The purpose of this classification is to care for horses housed at the County's horse farm and to perform general maintenance and upkeep of the facility.

Essential Functions

The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

• Feeds and waters horses; feeds and waters horses per established schedules or to specific health recovery or maintenance programs; maintains feeding and watering records; and advises supervisor when supplies are needed.
• Monitors horse health; provides general, day-to-day observation of health; reports emerging concerns or issues to supervisor; and coordinates with supervisor or veterinary staff to provide care as needed.
• Exercises horses; moves horses out of and into stalls each day; provides enrichment or exercise to horses; and ensures an appropriate amount of exercise in a healthy environment.
• Grooms and cleans horses daily or as needed; brushes coat, mane and tail; and cleans hooves and shoes.
• Cleans stalls; cleans and changes bedding per established schedules or as needed; uses power washing equipment to handle difficult cleanups; and cleans or launders equipment.
• Maintains fences; monitors the integrity of fences daily; and uses hand tools to repair damaged fences.
• Provides assistance to boarding clients; and assists clients with moving horses for transport or with other handling as requested.

Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or GED required; one year work experience in any field; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.

Supplemental Information

• At least five years of hands-on horse-handling experience
• At least three years of experience performing barn operations and animal-care duties
• At least three years of experience operating farm equipment and performing related maintenance tasks, including tractor operation, arena grooming, and fence installation and repair
• Demonstrated dependability, punctuality, and effective communication skills
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, remain calm under pressure, and perform responsibilities safely and independently