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HIRING DECEMBER 2022

Looking for an experienced Hunter/Jumper home groom to care for a maximum of 8 horses (some retired). 


Please read information below. If you are interested, please send a resume or a list of your experiences to FortunaFarmsCO@ gmail.com.

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The horses will not move into the stable until late December or early January, but for the right candidate, we may be willing to hire earlier. 

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References will be required if selected.

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PAY & HOUSING

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Housing:

  • Position includes a brand new furnished 2-bedroom apartment with 2 full bathrooms (worth $2,400 per month - floorplan at bottom of page)

  • Washer and dryer in the apartment, plus all new appliances including a gas stove.

  • All utilities included (up to a maximum amount): heat, air conditioning, water, gas, high-speed wifi, and a cell phone

  • Spouse and up to 2 children are permitted to share apartment with you (sorry, no pets allowed)

  • Located in a good school district (Douglas County) and on the school bus route

  • 5 minutes from the town of Castle Rock & 15 minutes south of Denver (more about location below)

Salary:

  • In addition to full private use of the 2-bedroom apartment, the position pays $40,000 - $50,000 per year depending on experience

  • Includes 10 paid sick or vacation days (vacation days must be planned & approved at least 2 months in advance)

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Job duties include but are not limited to the below:

  • Work is about 40 hours a week and 5.5 days per week (Normal schedule: ~7 hours per day Monday – Friday and half day on Saturday, Sunday entirely off - May change for horse show weeks with advance notice)

  • Groom and tack up horses for riders, 2-5 horses per day

  • Clean tack and wash horse laundry as needed

  • Feed hay 1x per day by filling up the automatic hay feeders (we feed from small square bales and a gator-type UTV can be used)

  • Feed grain and supplements 1x per day

  • Turn horses out daily, weather permitting

  • Clean stalls and runs 1x per day and replace shavings as needed

    • Stalls are 14' x 16' with mats and have runs attached so stalls are easy to clean

    • Manure heap is slightly downhill from the barn and wheelbarrows can be dumped directly down into a dumpster - no pushing heavy wheelbarrows uphill!

    • Automatic waters must be cleaned 2x per week

    • If horses are kept inside due to weather, stalls need to be cleaned 2x day

  • Clean turnouts and pastures 1-2x per week (UTV with trailer can be used)

  • Keep stable clean and tidy (wide vacuum for rubber paver aisle)

  • Blanket, unblanket and change blankets/sheets for horses as needed

  • Care for horses’ medical needs as required

  • Put horses in walker or hand walk horses as needed in bad weather or if injured

  • Night check 4 nights per week

  • Clip horses as needed

  • Help set and move jumps periodically

  • General farm and fence maintenance

  • Occasional show groom help at local horse shows

  • Snow removal around stable as needed in the winter (snowplows, snowblowers and good snow shovels provided)

EXPERIENCE & REQUIREMENTS

  • Candidate characteristics

    • Organized with attention to detail – Someone who can understand which horse wears which tack, which type of blankets should be worn when, which horses go in which turnouts/pastures, etc. and can get it right every time and every day.

    • A genuine liking of horses and a caring personality

    • Ability to think for themself, but also to do things the way instructed – owner is particular about certain things

    • Happy and content working primarily alone – this is sole charge position

    • A morning person – works starts daily at 6:30am

    • Efficient and punctual

    • Hardworking and reliable

    • Strong and capable of lifting 50+ lbs alone

    • Good communication skills, not afraid to ask questions to get something right

    • Valid driver’s license

  • Experience & capabilities

    • At least 1-2 years of experience (ideally 5+ years) working as a hunter, jumper, dressage, or eventing groom with corresponding capabilities. Racehorse experience would be considered. 

    • Ability to recognize horse health issues and perform basic medical care, such as wrapping legs, cleaning wounds, poulticing legs, packing hooves, providing medications and following veterinary instructions

    • Experience grooming at horse shows

    • Able to hitch up a gooseneck trailer and drive a horse to the vet hospital if needed

    • Ideally, but not required, experience driving tractors and handling other farm machinery

  • References Required

    • Two references from previous employers required

    • A reference from a rider at a stable where you are currently employed is acceptable instead of one previous employer reference, if you do not want to inform your current employer you are considering leaving

  • English​

    • Candidate must have at least basic English skills and the ability to communicate with and follow instructions from veterinarians, farriers, and delivery drivers

  • Work Authorization

    • Candidate must have U.S. work authorization. This is not a cash job. It will be paid by regular payroll service with taxes withheld as appropriate

  • Vaccinations​

    • Must be currently vaccinated for Tetanus, Flu & COVID and willing to stay current on vaccinations​

  • Background Check​

    • Must be willing and able to pass a comprehensive background check​

  • No Smoking, Tobacco Use or Drugs​

    • Candidates must be 100% drug and tobacco free (no smoking, no chewing tobacco, no vaping, etc.)​

    • Candidates must be willing to submit to random drug tests periodically if liability insurance requires

MORE ABOUT THE WORK ENVIRONMENT

  • Stable and indoor arena are heated and kept above 40 degrees in the winter for a nice working environment even in the winter

  • Stable has good airflow, fans, overhangs, and vaulted ventilated ceilings for a nice cool working environment in the summer 

  • Stable has been designed for maximum efficiency and functionality (automatic waterers, automatic feeders, etc.)

  • You will be provided with good quality equipment do the job efficiently. Equipment, such as tractor (heated cab w/ AC), wheelbarrows, manure forks, brooms, vacuums, UTV, etc. are all in good working condition and are expected to be treated well

  • Owners live on-site, but work fulltime jobs mostly from home and also have to travel for work

  • Owners are kind and caring, but have high expectations for performance and attention to detail

  • Horses are generally kind and well trained – no stallions

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MORE ABOUT THE LOCATION

  • Fortuna Farms is located on 38 acres, but it is only 5 minutes from the town of Castle Rock

  • Fortuna Farms is 5-10 minutes to everything… grocery stores, restaurants, Home Depot, Starbucks, the outlet mall, I-25, dentists, doctors, schools, etc.

  • Castle Rock is located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains and has beautiful views

  • The weather:

    • The Front Range area of Colorado is known for its sunshine and relatively mild climate.

    • Yes, it snows and can be cold in the winter sometimes, but it can also be 65 in January.

    • When it does snow, it normally melts quickly because the sun comes right back out. It is not bitterly cold like the Northeast or Midwest.

    • The summer highs are generally in the 70s and 80s and occasionally in the 90s.

    • Colorado has extremely low humidity which makes it feel 10 degrees warmer in the winter and 10 degrees cooler in the summer compared to the same temperature in a humid environment.

  • Colorado cost of living and income taxes are relatively low, especially compared to states like California

Apartment Floorplan

Apartment Floorplan
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