Equine Care Specialist

Job Details: Job Location: Willow Hope Farm - Simpsonville, KY, Salary Range: Undisclosed, Summary of Purpose:

Provides daily care, cleanliness, comfort, and enrichment to KHS horses, ensuring excellent animal care.

Duties (Essential Functions):

Provide daily care, cleanliness, and enrichment to animals in care and maintain common areas.

Responsible for daily cleaning and sanitation of equine areas and common areas with emphasis on disease control protocols.
Feed and provide daily care for equine of all training/behavior levels in such a manner as to ensure a low stress environment while adhering to safety protocol.
Administer medications or treatments to ill/injured animals under direction from a veterinarian.
Assist in movement of equine as needed.
Responsible for loading and unloading of animals for transport to foster, veterinarian, or rescue partners.
Provide physical exercise and/or social interaction for equine in care as assigned.
Follow and maintain excellent knowledge of organization, cleaning, sanitation, and safety practices to provide a healthy and safe environment for animals and people.
Unpack, sort, and organize donations as needed.
Help maintain inventory of shelter supplies and communicate with appropriate manager to order supplies when needed.
Assist in maintaining a clean and uncluttered environment; clean stalls, sweep, take out trash, clean offices, etc.
Drive KHS vehicles including tractor and trucks in a safe and courteous manner as needed.
Perform routine facility and grounds maintenance as appropriate.

Monitor the behavior and health of animals in care.

Monitor health of animals to rapidly identify any health issues/injuries and report to manager while recording observations in departmental software systems (Petpoint).
Gain and maintain knowledge of animal behavior including animal body language and signals of stress/illness to safely handle equine of all sizes and temperaments.
Monitor behavior health of animals to rapidly identify any behavior issues and report to a manager while recording observations in departmental software systems (Petpoint).

Provide professional, compassionate, stellar customer services to all who visit, call, volunteer, donate or work for KHS.

Communicate any animal health or temperament concerns to management in a timely manner.
Work with and supervise volunteers to provide animals and humans with a safe, clean, organized, and pleasant experience.
Communicate with manager on duty regarding unusual activities, significant problems or concerns.

Other duties as assigned.Qualifications: Qualifications/Requirements:

2+ years of experience working with equine preferred. 
Experience working with equine of unknown health & behavior including feral horses preferred.
Equine training experience preferred.
Ability to load, haul and handle horses of all temperaments for transport. 
Intermediate knowledge of equine health, medical needs and treatment. 
Ability to work independently with little direct supervision.
Great interpersonal skills in person and by phone with clients, staff, and volunteers.
Demonstrated attention to detail, and ability to process paperwork accurately and efficiently.
Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
Humane attitude towards animals.
Ability to manage the emotional aspect of end-of-life services and humane euthanasia, and support staff in high-emotion circumstances.
Accept, support, and represent KHS core values, programs, policies, and procedures.
Basic computer knowledge.
Support the usage of approved AI tools when they can improve efficiency and reduce time spent on routine or administrative tasks while meeting quality, accuracy, confidentiality and professional standards.
Ability to lift or otherwise move large items and animals – up to 50 pounds; full range of motion, including stooping, bending, reaching, etc.
Must possess a valid driver’s license and clean driving record and be willing to drive KHS vehicles.
Background Check required.

Physical, Psychosocial, and Cognitive Demands/ Working Environment

Requires travel, including overnight stays.
Frequent bending, reaching, kneeling, walking, and standing regularly while performing job functions.
Frequently lifts, carries, or otherwise moves and positions objects weighing up to and exceeding 100 lbs.
Includes working with equine in a barn setting (indoor/outdoor) in varying weather conditions.
Potential for exposure to allergens (including but not limited to pet dander, dust, peanut butter), and zoonotic diseases (diseases transferred from animals to humans).
Exposure to chemicals.
Exposure to loud noise.
Exposure to emotional circumstances.
Fast-paced environment.