Equine yard manager

An equine yard manager

Description

Equine yard managers are responsible for the day to day running of the yard including managing staff, care of the horses, all aspects of health and safety and dealing with clients and owners.

The duties of an equine yard manager include, but are not limited to:

  • Interviewing potential employees to ensure they are a good fit for the position
  • Providing training to new employees on proper safety procedures, work ethics, and communication skills
  • Conducting risk assessments to identify potential hazards or problems within the workplace environment
  • Coordinating with insurance companies to ensure compliance with federal regulations
  • Monitoring employee performance to ensure standards are met in accordance with company policies and procedures
  • Training staff on proper animal care techniques, including feeding and cleaning procedures
  • Reviewing reports from veterinarians to monitor the health of animals in the care of the facility
  • Overseeing the daily operations of the stable, including hiring and terminating staff members as needed
  • Maintaining records of feed purchases and supplies used by each horse to track inventory levels and costs

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to equine yard manager:

riding school manager
equine stable manager
stable manager
equine yard managers
horse stable manager
horse yard manager
barn manager

Working conditions

Equine yard managers work in all types of weather conditions, often outdoors. They may work early morning hours, evenings, weekends, and holidays. They may work long hours, and overtime is often required.

Equine yard managers must be able to lift 50 pounds or more and must have the stamina to work long hours on their feet. They must be able to work in dusty and dirty conditions and around animals. They must have the ability to handle large animals calmly and safely.

Minimum qualifications

A high school diploma is often the minimum requirement for equine yard manager positions. Some managers may choose to pursue a bachelorโ€™s degree in animal science, equine science, animal husbandry or another closely related field. These programs typically include courses in animal nutrition, animal behavior, animal physiology and animal health.

Equine yard managers typically receive on-the-job training after being hired. This training may include learning about the facilityโ€™s policies and procedures, the equipment and the animals. Training may also include shadowing a current stable manager for a period of time.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Equine yard manager is a Skill level 2 occupation.

Equine yard manager career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to equine yard manager.

mixed farmer
farrier
poultry sexer
farm milk controller
cattle pedicure

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of equine yard manager. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of equine yard manager with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

biology technician
zoology technician
freight inspector
grants administrator
botanical technician

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of equine yard manager.

  • Project management principles: Different elements and phases of project management.
  • Animal welfare legislation: The legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.
  • Agricultural business management: Understand business principles behind agricultural production and the marketing of its products.
  • Biology: Tissues, cells, and functions of plant and animal organisms and their interdependencies and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Livestock species: Livestock species and relevant genetics.
  • Customer relationship management: The customer-oriented management approach and basic principles of successful customer relations that focus on interactions with customers such as technical support, customer services, after-sales support and direct communication with the customer.
  • Biosecurity: Be aware of the general principles of the concept of bio-security and in particular, the disease prevention rules to be implemented in case of epidemics endangering public health.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of equine yard manager.

  • Control livestock disease: Control the spread of disease and parasites in herds, by using vaccination and medication, and by separating sick animals.
  • Manage agricultural staff: Recruit and manage staff. This includes defining the job needs of the organisation, defining the criteria and process for recruitment. Develop the competences of the staff according current and future needs of the company and individuals. Ensure health and safety of the staff, including the implementation of all relevant health and safety procedures and relations with regular follow-up procedures.
  • Maintain the farm: Maintain farm facilities such as fences, water supplies, and outdoor buildings.
  • Keep task records: Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.
  • Supervise hygiene procedures in agricultural settings: Ensure that hygiene procedures in agricultural settings are followed, taking into account the regulations of specific areas of action e.q. livestock, plants, local farm products, etc.
  • Breed stock: Breed and raise livestock such as cattle, poultry, and honeybees. Use recognised breeding practices to strive for continuous improvement in the livestock.
  • Manage livestock: Manage production programmes, birth plans, sales, feed purchase orders, materials, equipment, housing, location and stock management. Manage the destruction of relevant animals in humane manner and in accordance with national legislation. Follow businesses requirements and integration into qualitative research and knowledge transfer.
  • Work independently in agriculture: Perform tasks individually in livestock and animal production services by taking decisions without help. Handle tasks and tackle with issues or problems without any outside assistance.
  • Select livestock: Tag, sort and separate animals by purpose and destination taking into account the condition of the animal and relevant legislation

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of equine yard manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of equine yard manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Operate agricultural machinery: Operate motorised agricultural equipment including tractors, balers, sprayers, ploughs, mowers, combines, earthmoving equipment, trucks, and irrigation equipment.
  • Train horses: Harness, dress and train horses as per the instructions provided. Take into account the age and breed of the horse and the preparation purposes.
  • Order supplies: Command products from relevant suppliers to get convenient and profitable products to purchase.
  • Prepare equid hooves: Trim and dress horse hooves using the appropriate tools and methods. Comply with the agreed footcare plan.
  • Manage production enterprise: Organise and instruct staff, plan production strategies and programmes including sales. Carry out input purchase orders, materials, equipment and manage stocks etc. Awareness of demands of the businesses customers and adjustments accordingly to plans and strategies. Estimate resources and control budget of enterprise applying business economics, production development and project management principles.
  • Provide care for horses: Provide care for horses includes cleaning, housing, preparing horses and ponies for riding, fixating and leading horses, taking into account the safety regulations for horses and people, specific requirements of horse at hand; using proper methods and equine tools and equipment.
  • Make farrier tools and supplies: Work sections of metal to produce farriery tools and horseshoes to required specifications.
  • Make independent operating decisions: Make immediate operating decisions as necessary without reference to others, taking into account the circumstances and any relevant procedures and legislation. Determine alone which option is the best for a particular situation.
  • Attach horseshoes: Attach the horseshoe safely, securely and in the correct position according to plan. Take all relevant information into account. Finish the hoof according to the specification, trot up the horse to confirm its soundness. Evaluate finished job and welfare of the horse.
  • Negotiate price: Arrange an agreement on price of products or services provided or offered.
  • Present the farm facilities: Perform customer adapted presentations of the farm organization and farm processes taking under consideration the farm sustainability and local environment.
  • Purchase of bloodstock: Executes the purchase of stallions and other bloodstock according to the yeard type and needs.
  • Clean stalls: Clean stalls to remove all soiled bedding to prevent moisture and fumes from building up and to cut down on potential parasite problems.
  • Carry out work related calculations in agriculture: Calculate different kinds of on-site requirements in the agricultural, fishery and forestry sector by taking care of marketing and budgets.
  • Carry out post hoof-trimming activities: Discuss and agree on a husbandry plan (written or verbal), which may contain information on workload, environmental conditions, devices and non-prescription topical applications being used.
  • Maintain pastures: Ensure that animals on pastures or grazing lands have enough feed. Employ pasture-conservation measures such as grazing in rotation.
  • Assess the footcare requirements of the equid: Inspect the horse’s leg, foot and hoof while they are stationary as well as in motion to check for irregularities, interference, peculiarities in gait (how the horse walks) or abnormalities in size and shape of hooves and wear of shoes in discussion with the owner and given purpose and use of horse.
  • Assist animal birth: Assist in animal births, and care for newborn livestock.
  • Teach young horses: Socialise young horses (cleaning, collaring, bridling, raising feet, etc.), taking into account the safety and welfare of the horse and teacher.
  • Analyse animal locomotion: Analyse animal locomotion either by eye or using instrumentation for measuring body movements, body mechanics, and muscle activity.
  • Manage horse events: Plan, arrange and manage different events such as races, auctions, horse shows etc, according to yard type, resources and the purpose of the event.

ISCO group and title

6121 – Livestock and dairy producers


References
  1. Equine yard manager – ESCO
  2. Stable Manager Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – Climb the Ladder
  3. Barn Manager Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – Liveabout
  4. Featured image: Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels
Last updated on October 28, 2022

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