Horse Rider/Exerciser jobs in California

Department: Horse Department

Position: Horse Associate

Reports to: Director of Horse Department

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Location: Ojai, California

To Apply: Submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@thacher.org with the subject line “Horse Associate”

Overview

Thacher seeks an experienced and enthusiastic person to join a dynamic team in the School’s Horse Program, a signature component of a Thacher education for over 130 years. The Horse Associates work in close partnership with the director to oversee a complex organization that each year includes a dozen instructors, over 100 students, and about 120 horses.

About Thacher

Founded in 1889, Thacher is a highly competitive co-educational boarding school serving 260 students from 22 states and 9 countries. The faculty and students live and work closely together on a beautiful 427-acre campus nestled in the foothills of the Ojai Valley, approximately 85 miles north of Los Angeles. The campus borders the Los Padres National Forest, providing immediate access to tens of thousands of acres of wilderness. Honor, fairness, kindness and truth are the cornerstones of school life. Together, we commit to the belief that demands in the classroom, when combined with those of horses and mountains, of athletics and the arts, create an atmosphere that allows adolescents to reach their full potential.

Horse Program

Throughout the School’s 130-year history, the horse program has played an integral role in the Thacher experience. The program is not an appendage of the academic program, but rather is deeply integrated into the educational mission of the school. Thus, every member of the Horse Program at Thacher is first and foremost an educator. While riders make tremendous progress in horsemanship, the School understands that the real power of the program lies in the personal development and shared experience of the students it serves.

The central focus of the program is to instruct students in the Western riding tradition. 9th graders are paired with a horse the first week of school and required to ride for the entire school year. Through this experience, students are learning a new language, one where a nuanced approach, the just-right application of pressure, and forward thinking are essential as they learn to communicate and work together with their horse.

While excellent instruction is crucial, the Horse Program at Thacher is about so much more than learning to ride. Students learn tenacity, self-confidence, humility, patience, and much more as they face the challenge of a new riding technique or a stubborn horse and take full responsibility for the animal’s care. Students are confronted with real work and real responsibility—day in and day out, rain or shine, they are expected to muck their horses’ stalls before class in the morning, learn and hone riding skills in the afternoon, and feed their horses every evening. Most have never ridden before.

Horse packing is another central element of the riding program. Every 9th grader takes off for a weekend horse packing trip during his or her first year. On these trips, students learn the proper knots, techniques, and safety protocols for packing a horse or burro during an overnight trail ride in the Los Padres National Forest behind the School. The program also offers longer horse packing trips to other areas as part of the camping trips that bookend each academic year.

The Horse Program’s work is supported by ample, functional facilities, including a nine-building barn complex, a large gymkhana field, several arenas, a pack station, and an extensive trail network.

To learn more about the Horse Program, potential candidates are encouraged to explore the School’s website,

Duties and Responsibilities

While it is not practical to list all of the tasks that will emerge in this position, the following list represents many of the key areas of responsibility for a Horse Associate.

• Assist with the daily chores including but not limited to: Mucking, feeding, catching, grooming, facility maintenance, etc.
• Organize daily lessons for your riding group.
• Partner with colleagues in horse program to manage daily logistics
• Provide instruction and support to student riders in the afternoon and management of your individual riding group(8-10 students
• Engage enthusiastically with the school community by supporting all school programs.
• Horse Training and development

Working at Thacher

All of the adults working on campus—faculty and staff alike—play critical roles in shaping the experiences of the students entrusted to us and thus hold one another to the highest levels of integrity and performance. In return, employees of the School enjoy the many tangible and intangible benefits of fulfilling an important mission in the company of exceptionally talented and motivated colleagues and charges.

Thacher seeks to attract talented leaders who are committed to excellence in their field and energetic engagement in the boarding school community. The School recognizes that diversity in backgrounds and perspectives strengthens our community. We seek to attract and nurture a staff that reflects and supports our commitment to a diverse, inclusive, and multicultural community.

Qualifications

The School welcomes interest from all potential candidates. For this position, we anticipate that the successful candidate will have the following qualifications and capabilities:

• Exceptional horsemanship skills and experience riding western. This is a riding job and candidates will be required to ride multiple horses on a daily basis, instruct horseback, and lead pack trips horseback.
• Successful experience teaching horsemanship to others
• Self starter and flexibility to adapt
• Experience with backcountry camping and horsepacking
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Familiar with technology and management of complex systems
• Strong work ethic and willing to work long and irregular hours, most weekends and holidays during the school year.
• Cultural competency and a growth mindset around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to ride all levels of horses, ranging from young colts to tune-ups on older horses
• Experience with animal husbandry and horse health is a must
• Shoeing experience a plus
• Ability to operate large equipment
• Ability to work well with others and alone
• Self motivated
• Ability to lift 50 pounds
• Able to do required amounts of walking, bending, stooping, squatting, riding and reaching.

Other Requirements

A current (or ability to obtain) California driver license with a satisfactory motor vehicle record and ability to transport students in school-owned vehicles. A criminal background check must be successfully completed before employment can begin.

Physical Requirements

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. As prescribed by law, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Salary Range and Benefits

The salary range is $45,000- $80,000. Final salary is based on experience relevant to the role and internal equity. Thacher offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 403(b) match, healthcare coverage, and a broad range of other benefits (meals when school is in session, professional development, and tuition remission for children of qualified full time employees).

Application Process

If you are interested in applying, please send a resume or work history to . Materials will be accepted from June 1st until the position is filled. The School hopes to arrange phone interviews with semifinalists in early July, and we hope to appoint the next horse associate by the end of that month. Official duties for this position will begin immediately upon hire.

Schedule

This is a full-time, exempt hourly position. Work hours are generally five days a week Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 8:00 am to 5:30 pm while on Thacher campus.

About The Thacher School

Founded in 1889, The Thacher School is a coeducational boarding high school (grades 9-12) located 85 miles northwest of Los Angeles, California. For more information about Thacher visit www.thacher.org. Thacher School does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, religion, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or national or""ancestral origin in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other School-administered programs, or in the administration of its hiring and employment practices. The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. For more information about working at Thacher visit www.thacher.org/careers.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $45,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Experience:

• Riding: 1 year (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Ojai, CA 93023 (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Ojai, CA 93023: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person