Equine Research Technician

Based at 4-Square Ranch in River Falls, Wisconsin, this role supports the daily care, welfare, and presentation of the equine research herd. The position works closely under the direction of the Equine Research Manager, Assistant Manager, and Grooming & Husbandry Lead to ensure horses are fed, cared for, and handled to the highest standards. This role also serves as a public-facing team member during tours, customer visits, and VIP engagements.

Responsibilities

• Assist with daily horse care duties including feeding, watering, stall cleaning, bedding, and barn sanitation.
• Safely handle horses of varying ages, temperaments, and research classifications.
• Observe horses daily and communicate any health, behavior, or welfare concerns to the management team.
• Assist with daily feedings, watering, and occasionally cleaning pens of other livestock species at 4-Square Ranch.
• Follow all established animal care, safety, biosecurity, and welfare protocols.
• Support equine research activities as assigned, including animal handling, preparation for study activities, basic data collection support, and recordkeeping.
• Assist with maintaining clean, organized, and research-ready animal environments.
• Adhere to all research and compliance requirements, including IACUC standards.
• Support VIP initiatives and help host on-site engagements.
• Partner cross-functionally to strengthen customer and consumer retail experience, leading to brand loyalty and product sales through the 4-Square experience.
• Act as a proud ambassador for the Purina brand and 4-Square Ranch, consistently upholding our reputation for excellence.
• Maintain a consistently courteous, professional, and composed presence, even in fast-paced or challenging situations.
• Work collaboratively with the Manager, Assistant Manager, and Grooming & Husbandry Lead to support team goals and daily priorities.
• Assist other team members as needed to maintain overall barn cleanliness and operational efficiency.
• Conduct work in alignment with enterprise and R&D team practices and goals.
• Foster a culture that prioritizes Land O’Lakes values and expectations across all R&D and partner functions/departments.
• Engage in professional development, training, and team building as needed to be successful in the role.

Work Environment

• Combination of barn, laboratory, and office settings.
• Physical requirements: work requires constant physical effort and working outdoors in varying conditions; lifting 50-75 lbs; shoveling, sweeping, walking, catching and handling horses; operates farm equipment; work requires normal hearing and vision; exposure to rabies and other zoonotic diseases, animal inflicted injuries.
• Requires irregular hours at times, including weekends or on-call responsibilities, especially during foaling season or animal health emergencies. Weekend and holiday availability on a rotating basis with the team.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Experience handling horses in a professional or farm setting.
• General knowledge of equine care, feeding routines, and barn safety practices.
• General animal husbandry knowledge.
• Physical ability to perform barn work, including lifting up to 50 lbs and working in varying weather conditions.
• Strong attention to detail and willingness to follow established procedures.
• Professional communication skills and comfort interacting with the public.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in an equine research, teaching, or agricultural setting.
• Large-animal veterinary assisting experience.
• Familiarity with foaling and basic equine healthcare.
• Experience handling foals and young horses.
• Experience with handling poultry, cattle, and small ruminants.
• Familiarity with basic livestock healthcare.
• Experience working around visitors, tours, or customer-facing environments.
• Interest in research operations or animal science.
• Basic familiarity with recordkeeping or data collection.

Pay

$18.81 - $28.21 per hour