Barn Manager

We’re looking for someone really great to join our team as Barn Manager / Assistant to the Trainer. You must be able to effectively manage both horses and people. As the Barn Manager, your top priority will be the proper care and maintenance of the horses and team members in the barn. You are essentially the right-hand man or woman to the trainer and barn owners.

Responsibilities include:

  • Setting the overall schedule of the staff/team to ensure coverage 7 days a week (including working when a team member calls in sick)

  • Recruiting, interviewing, hiring and training of new team members (including negotiating compensation); transitioning out team members not carrying their weight when needed

  • Overseeing the day-to-day and/or ongoing tasks that need to be completed:

    • Feeding, supplements, and the horses’ nutritional needs and any medications

    • Bringing in and turning out horses; monitoring and making changes to paddock assignments as needed

    • Cleaning stalls, as well as barn cleaning and maintenance

    • Scheduling vet, farrier, and specialist appointments

    • Ordering of supplies, grain, hay, shavings, etc. (and managing to budget)

    • Communicating and coordinating changes in barn operations with owners, trainers, and team members

    • Making sure the arenas are watered and groomed on a regular basis

    • Managing/coordinating the upkeep of the facility (including scheduling and managing the grounds crew and/or repair and maintenance contractors); and managing contractors to budget

    • Planning the weekly and monthly tasks such as cleaning water buckets, grain buckets, and sheds, maintaining pastures/paddocks and jump fields, etc.

    • Keeping track of special requests for invoicing purposes; saying “no” when special requests are not in the best interest of the farm as a whole

    • Coordinating with and supporting the head trainer, as needed; this includes helping to exercise horses as needed while still ensuring the daily tasks are getting done

    • Scheduling and promoting quarterly clinics with outside trainers and up to 3 schooling derbies per year

To see more details about what is involved, click here for one of our old Southern Cross Equestrian to-do lists.

In essence, the barn manager will be responsible for the overall operations of the farm so that the owners can be completely hands-off and enjoy time with their horses and their families. After 15 years of “doing the work” in our spare time, it’s time for us to focus on what’s left of our professional careers, our competitive goals, and our aging parents.

Please note, that in addition to overseeing the operations, the barn manager will be expected to help execute the work as well. This is a hands-on role so the ideal candidate will not be afraid to get dirty or be above grabbing a muck bucket and cleaning stalls.

We’re a small program in terms of the number of stalls/horses (22 stalls) but a large operation in terms of the facility (three arenas and 80 acres that need maintenance). So, the ideal candidate must have experience with horses and a working knowledge of training barn environments.

What Success Looks Like

The operations run so smoothly that the only reason the owners spend time at the barn is when they want to, not because they have to. The goal is the transition the owners from “barn owners” to “land owners.”

What We Think Makes a Great Barn Manager

  • Strong organizational skills: With so many moving pieces and components involved with being a barn manager, the right person must be able to wear many hats and juggle a lot of balls. There are things that must be done daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually to keep things running smoothly. It’s the barn manager’s job to stay on top of everything.

  • Extensive horse knowledge: Since he or she is often the one overseeing each horse’s daily care and feeding, it’s important for the barn manager to have a solid understanding of equine nutrition, basic equine medical treatments, and all elements of daily horse care.

  • Great interpersonal skills: The barn manager will interact with both employees and clients on a daily basis, and therefore needs to be an effective communicator with the ability to listen and work with others, and to deal with any conflict or problems should they arise. The attitude of the barn manager often really sets the tone for the barn environment – either positively or negatively. And you must feel comfortable saying “no” when needed, but doing so in a way that is compassionate and respectful.

  • Dedication: Commitment to the job and to the health of the horses is the top priority. Should a problem or emergency situation arise after hours, your availability will be required until resolved.

  • Reliability: Running a barn is a rain-or-shine, in-sickness-and-in-health kind of job. The barn manager is responsible for making sure someone is on staff to care for the horses 7 days a week.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS (PREFERRED BUT NOT REQUIRED)

As the training program grows there will be opportunities to help the owners with project horses. As a result, experience in basic training skills (ground work, lunging, walk-trot-canter, exercise riding, etc). is a plus. Experience in eventing a plus plus.

The barn manager will be accountable to the barn owners, with a very strong dotted line reporting structure to the trainer who will be overseeing the training program. Pay is based on experience. Monthly pay + performance bonuses. All team members, including the Barn Manager, are 1099 contract employees. References will be required.

Please email resume, salary expectations and a brief summary of why you’re the right person for the job to michelle@southerncrosseventing.com. Or complete the form below.