Groom/Horse Trainer: Burford (Part time)

Groom/Horse Trainer: Burford (Part time)

Contract:  Permanent, part time (three days a week) 

Salary:  £14,040 per annum (FTE £23,400) 

Location:   Burford rehoming centre, OX18 4PF 

Closing date:  Wednesday 16 October 2024   

Interview date:  Thursday 24 October 2024    

Join our team at Blue Cross Burford rehoming centre as a Groom/Horse Trainer! We’re looking for a passionate and experienced individual to care for and train our horses, helping prepare them for rehoming. If you’re dedicated to animal welfare and have solid equine experience, we’d love to hear from you!   

More about the role

As a skilled horse handler and trainer, you will manage and care for horses in our rehoming and temporary crisis care services, ensuring they meet welfare standards and are quickly prepared for new homes. 

Each day, you'll handle and train a variety of horses and ponies, collaborating with the Rehabilitation, Trainer and Behaviour Advisor (RTBA) and the Adoptions Preparation Lead. This includes starting and training unhandled horses and ponies. 

You'll work as part of a team to optimize training and provide excellent customer service, promoting Blue Cross horses and ponies to maximize rehoming opportunities. You'll also collaborate with centre-based volunteers and the Foster Yard Coordinator regarding potential foster horses. 

As the public face of Blue Cross, you'll prioritise customer service in every interaction. Your role is key in helping us achieve our mission and support more pets and horses. 

At our Burford rehoming centre, we provide onsite accommodation for pets in our care 24/7.  Overnight shifts are usually undertaken by team members who live on site. Occasionally, you will be expected to carry out night checks or stay in on site accommodation overnight when the resident team members are either not working or away for a period of time. These duties are organised on a local rota and shared between all members of the team. 

This is a part time role working 22.5 hours over three days on a rota which includes weekends and bank holidays.  

For a more detailed look at the role and its requirements, please see the attached job description. 

About you

You are intuitive with horses, empathetic, and welfare-focused, with experience in a similar environment. Skilled at assessing horse needs, recognising behavioral signs, and knowledgeable about medications like hibiscrub and worming treatments, you understand the importance of quickly finding new homes for horses. 

Self-motivated and forward-thinking, you bring creative, collaborative, and pragmatic solutions for horse care. You quickly assimilate and accurately record information while effectively communicating with clients and stakeholders. 

In an emotionally charged environment, your resilience and emotional intelligence shine, showing empathy and support for clients and colleagues alike. 

Knowledge, skills, and experience  

• Demonstrable experience of having previously worked or volunteered with horses or in a horse welfare environment.  
• BHS stage 3, NVQ3 or equivalent professional experience  
• Experience of handling and training a variety of different types of horses and ponies.  
• Experience of starting and producing a variety of young horses.  
• Knowledge of basic horse veterinary procedures, common horse ailments and injuries.  
• Excellent communication skills.  
• Current full driving licence.  
• The ability to demonstrate, understand and apply our Blue Cross values  

Although not essential, it would be great if you also had: 

• Qualification or similar experience in horse behaviour or animal training.  
• Understanding of safeguarding issues.  
• Practical application behavioural science and learning theory when training horses.  

How to apply  

Please go to our website and complete the online application process before the closing date on Wednesday 16 October 2024 . Please note that internally this role is known as an Adoptions Preparation Handler. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response.  

Blue Cross benefits   

Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today. 

In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.  

Our generous benefits package includes:  

• Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)  
• Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support  
• Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family   
• Free physiotherapy advice and face to face intervention  
• Health cash plan  
• Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme  
• Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution   
• Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.  
• Life assurance   
• 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance   
• Enhanced family friendly policies   
• Recognition scheme   
• Annual volunteer days  
• Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers 

About Blue Cross

Blue Cross is a national charity that has been helping sick, injured and homeless pets since 1897. 

Every month we help thousands of pets and their people by providing veterinary care, expert behaviour advice and find homeless pets loving families. We also offer education for future generations plus pet bereavement support for those who have lost their beloved pet companion. 

We love the ways that pets can make such an amazing difference to the people they live with and we offer lifelong support and advice to help that unique relationship thrive. With your support we can give back to more pets and their families who need our help. 

Pets change lives. We change theirs.
 

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion   

We believe that every pet should enjoy a healthy life in a happy home, and we always seek to recruit the best people who share our values and commitment so we can continue to help and support pet owners across the UK to achieve this. 

At Blue Cross, we want you to feel that you belong, without the need to hide any part of who you are.  

Diversity and inclusion at Blue Cross means creating a workplace where all people, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, nation or country of origin, disability, age, and socioeconomic backgrounds are welcome, respected, supported, and have access to equal opportunities.   

We are working hard to reflect the world we live in and the communities we serve at every level of our organisation. As much as we have made positive advances, we consider diversity and inclusion to be a work in progress – a continual commitment that remains a priority for all of us.

Our values  
Our values define the way we do things. We use them every day to guide us, and to make sure we put people and pets at the heart of everything we do.  
Compassionate: We listen, we are non-judgmental, we are kind and caring to the pets and people we encounter, and we offer support in difficult times  

Courageous: We make brave decisions, embrace change, and encourage innovation, ensuring we always act with integrity – doing the right thing even when no one is looking  

Inclusive: We value all our relationships and work in an open and positive culture where we celebrate our diverse talents and empower you to be you