Barn Assistant

About the role

Easterseals is currently seeking a part-time Barn Assistant to assist in the educational and social development of students through various barn activities.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the educational and social development of students by leading a variety of individual and group barn activities according to student’s functional level under the direction of the Barn Manager.
• Follow the guidelines established for the care, exercising, grooming, and maintenance of the horses, goats, pigs, rabbits, and other animals.
• Clean stalls/crates/cages, add shavings, clean water and feed buckets, sweep aisle, and dump muck buckets.
• Clean and maintain tack. Tack and untack horses.
• Maintain a safe and supportive environment for students with emotional or behavior concerns, assisting them in developing appropriate social skills while participating in barn activities.
• Confers with Riding Instructors on a regular basis for the purpose of assisting in evaluating students’ progress.

Qualifications

• Horse handling experience required including, but not limited to, tacking/untacking, leading, and safely working around horses.
• Able to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Comfortable in a barn setting, supporting horseback riding & small animal activities.
• Experience with children and young adults with various levels of behavioral, physical and learning disabilities preferred.
• Knowledge of the basic principles and techniques of therapeutic equine recreation: the types of equipment used, safety practices and procedures, a variety of individual and group barn activities, care/grooming/maintenance of a variety of animals.

Benefits

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, proof of negative TB, and required immunizations including Covid-19, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, and Hepatitis B.

Why join Easterseals Massachusetts?

ESMA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that children and adults with disabilities have equal opportunities to live, learn, work, and play. Join our team to make an immediate and powerful impact in the lives of the clients we serve!