Job description

Due to an internal promotion, Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons is seeking to appoint a full time Yard Technician to join our friendly and supportive yard team working within the Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, based in Exning. Working 40 hours per week Monday to Friday, there will be a requirement for bank holiday and weekend working as part of a rota, currently 1 in every 3, which is paid as overtime. Other hours may be required in accordance with business needs and generally will be recompensed as paid overtime.

Our yard technicians are vital to the wellbeing of our inpatients, working alongside our Yard Manager, we are looking for a person who is skilled in horse husbandry and handling, ensuring that our patients have the best care whilst at our hospital.

The key role of our yard technician involves management of hospitalised horses, including attending to their feeding, watering, rugging and any other requirements. This includes cleaning of stables, handling horses, walking horses etc. Applicants should be both confident and competent handling all types, sizes and ages of horses and ponies. Our equine patients range from foals, youngstock, stallions, racehorses, competition and pleasure horses.

The role requires a reliable, highly motivated individual with outstanding attention to detail, looking for a rewarding position within the equine veterinary industry. Please note, this is a physically demanding role that will require work outside in varied weather conditions.

The successful candidate will possess good general knowledge and experience in horse care and stable duties; experience of the equine industry is essential. Previous experience in a racing or stud yard would be beneficial.

The main aspects of this role include (but are not limited to):

· Introducing yourself to owners/clients while admitting horses to the Hospital and Diagnostic Centre. Checking all horses are tagged on arrival and appropriately at all times during their stay.

· General husbandry – Mucking out, feeding, watering

· Mucking out, taking wheelbarrow loads to muck heap.

· Feeding and administering oral medication to horses under the instruction of the Line Manager.

· Paddock maintenance

· Use of Billygoat and other small machinery as required.

· Assisting with intensive care cases in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU).

· All aspects of handling different horses (including foals, breeding stallions, racehorses and pleasure horses) e.g. movement of horses between boxes, trot-up areas and lunging. Holding horses for veterinary inspection /procedures.

· Ensuring horses are clean and tidy before they are discharged. You will be required to groom those cases with which you have been involved, bathing, hot clothing, etc. every day.

· Liaising with the yard manager or vet in charge of the case whilst the horse is resident at Rossdales regarding any concerns you may have to the needs/welfare of that horse.

· You will be required to stable bandage horses after medications and other treatments. This will be at the discretion of the attending vet and if you are asked to do this you will be given appropriate training.

· Responsibility for adhering to Infection Control procedures and ensuring compliance procedures in place.

· Following post discharge Infection Control procedures - steam cleaning stables and ensuring that the stables are maintained in a clean and sterile state.

· Responsible for the general cleanliness and maintenance of the yard areas in which you work and participating in daily and weekly cleaning procedures when appropriate and in conjunction with colleagues. i.e. painting stables and strimming.

· All Rossdales support staff are required to have a flexible approach to their duties and may, at any time, be required to cover absence and illness in closely associated departments across the site, sometimes at short notice including general horse care.

· Any other duties reasonably requested by the Practice.

We offer an excellent benefits package including:

Enhanced holiday

Opportunity to buy and sell holiday

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Enhanced family schemes, including maternity and paternity leave

Employee Discount Scheme

Health Shield

Life Assurance

Workplace Pension Scheme

Employee Activities/Events

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £10.26-£10.50 per hour

Benefits:

• Bereavement leave
• Casual dress
• Company events
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee discount
• Enhanced maternity leave
• Enhanced paternity leave
• Free parking
• Health & wellbeing programme
• Life insurance
• On-site parking
• Private dental insurance
• Private medical insurance
• Sick pay

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Holidays
• Monday to Friday
• Overtime
• Weekend availability

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Newmarket: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Experience:

• Equine: 2 years (required)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 08/08/2023
Reference ID: Yard Tech