• Introduction Are you a detail-oriented, autonomous individual who takes pride in your work? Are you looking for a long-term situation with reasonable hours, competitive pay, riding responsibilities, little to no overnight travel, and an employer who appreciates your contribution and respects your opinion? Would you enjoy running a private facility while providing complete excellent care for 3-5 show horses/prospects? • Job Description Private H/J facility in Middletown, NY has a long-term, full-time, permanent position available. Facility owner is a 40-year old adult who works full time and seeks to hire a manager to care for 3-5 show hunters "soup to nuts" and assist with riding. Horses will include approximately 1-2 hunters/eq mounts shown by adult owner, 1-3 investment/professional hunters to be shown by a professional trainer. Although is it not a requirement of the job, the qualified barn manager will have the opportunity to school investment horses over fences at home and show green horses while on the road (all expenses paid). If desired, we can arrange to have nice "project" or green horses completely turned over to the qualified barn manager to bring along. Position entails providing full care for 3-5 show horses/prospects. Daily responsibilities include feeding, turnout, mucking, grooming and keeping the barn, arenas and paddocks neat and tidy. Other responsibilities would include, ordering feed, bedding and supplies, scheduling and supervising, and if needed, shipping horses to various appointments (veterinary, dental, farrier, chiropractor, etc.) The position also requires routine health maintenance (icing, wrapping, worming, IM, IV shots, etc.), administering medications and minor injury care. The barn manager will also be asked to instruct, monitor and supervise the part time employee who will cover for the barn manager on his/her days off and while s/he is at shows. The barn manager will also coordinate weekly training appointments for the horses. Training appointments may occur at our farm or they may take place at the trainer’s farm which is located about 15-20 minutes way. Barn manager will also be asked to help exercise horses via riding or lunging on days horses are not ridden by the trainer or the owner. Barn manager will also be asked to ship horses to shows, prep horses for shows, arrange for braiding appointments (at A shows) and act as a show groom. Generally speaking, we do not travel more than 75 minutes to attend shows. Candidate will earn extra fees for grooming at shows. The barn manager may be asked to accompany the owner on horse shopping trips. In the last year, owner made three over-night trips and three day trips to try horses. Owner pays all travel expenses, including meals, airfare and lodging and barn manager earns an additional fee for each night spent “on the road” horse shopping. Barn manager may be asked to assist in the sale of 1-3 horses per year. Candidate would be responsible for fielding telephone inquiries, scheduling appointments and prepping and showing the horse to potential buyers. Should a potential buyer vet a horse, barn manager will be asked to ship horse to, and be present during vetting appointment. • Experience Required or Desired Experience as a hunter/jumper show groom or hunter/jumper show barn manager or equivalent is required. Prior experience at a top hunter show barn would be highly desirable. A solid hunter, equitation or dressage riding background is required. Promising applicants may be asked to submit a short, 5-10 minute video riding on the flat. Organization skills and the desire to run a small barn "soup to nuts" are key. The ability to recognize and address early signs of lameness or muscle soreness is indispensable. Ability to recognize early signs of equine distress, such as colic, dehydration, etc., and take appropriate action is invaluable. Body clipping skills would be very helpful.Experience trailering horses is highly desirable. Experience operating a tractor (raking arenas and emptying manure spreader) is highly desirable. • Facility Private facility on 29 acres includes 84’ x 214’ indoor arena, 140’ x 250’ outdoor arena, seven one-acre turnout paddocks with automatic waterers and six sacrifice paddocks with auto waterers. Currently, we have seven stalls, a tack room, a grooming stall and storage areas set up in the indoor arena. We have a signed contract, a building permit and the funding to begin construction of a new barn. Construction on the barn is scheduled to commence on 10/16/06. This facility will include 8 stalls, 2 wash/grooming stalls, tack room, utility room and a large lounge/office space. Once the barn is complete, the horses will be moved into the new barn and the existing stalls, tack room, etc. located in the indoor arena will be removed.Below are some design sketches of our new barn: • Hours During non-show days, barn manager will generally be asked to work from approximately 8:00AM to 5:00PM (with a one hour lunch) five days a week and 12:30PM to 8:30PM one day a week. Mondays will be off. Candidates will be asked to accommodate important appointments such as veterinary calls, farrier visits and other necessary appointments if they fall outside the hours outlined above, although this is uncommon. Night check duties to be shared between the barn manager and the part time employee as the barn manager sees fit. • Salary Since we are a private facility and all the horses are owned by us, quality, reliable help is a key concern and we understand we need to be competitive in order to attract high quality people. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience. In addition to a salary, the candidate will be paid show grooming fees ($40 per horse, per day), have the opportunity to earn braiding fees (if desired) and the opportunity to earn overnight fees while accompanying owner on horse shopping trips (if desired). A 2002 Ford F-450 dually is available for farm business. However, we will reimburse you for any farm-related mileage you put on your personal vehicle at the IRS standard mileage rate which is currently 44.5 cents per mile. If you come to work for us, we will help you with your moving expenses and we will offer assistance with your initial rent security deposit. • Benefits Stall possible. One week paid vacation first year. Two weeks paid vacation per year thereafter. Willing to provide the paid holidays that are important to you. Willing to be flexible and allow for some paid personal days if needed. Qualified candidates will have the opportunity to show (if desired), with all expenses paid. If you wish to further your riding skills, we will be happy do what we can to provide a horse for you to lesson on with our trainer. • Housing In 2007, we expect to be able to offer the barn manager a room in an apartment on the second floor of our new barn. This apartment will have two bedrooms, a laundry room, a full bath and over 1200 square feet of living space. Please see the fourth barn sketch for a floorplan of the proposed apartment in the new barn. We will provide the barn manager with either off-site housing, or a housing allowance (barn manager's choice) until the apartment in the barn is completed. The second bedroom in the apartment will be retained by the owner and may be offered to another staff member at a future date. • • • • I hope the above information has been helpful and I hope one point is clear. Our barn is small, but we are very focused on providing high quality care and the well-being of our horses is always put first and foremost. We would love to tell you more about the position if you think our barn and your employment goals might be a good fit. Thank you for your time, Sheffield Farms 130 Shaw Road Middletown, NY 10941 www.sheffieldfarms.com Phone: 845-361-4171