Equestrian Program Instructor

• Adaptive & Therapeutic Riding Kostopulos Dream Foundation/Camp Kostopulos Salt Lake City, UT Job Details Part-time $22
• $25 an hour 1 hour ago Qualifications Behavior management CPR Certification Horse care Teamwork Experience working with individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders Patients with cognitive disabilities Outdoor work experience Experience working with individuals with cognitive disabilities Animal grooming Learning styles adaptability Driver's License First Aid Certification Working with students Instructional adaptability Safety hazards Safety-focused fitness instruction Teaching students with autism spectrum disorder Experience working with individuals with physical disabilities Training Risk & issue management Experience working with individuals with intellectual disabilities Disability services experience Teaching Safety protocol implementation Full Job Description Equestrian Program Instructor•Adaptive & Therapeutic Riding Kostopulos Dream Foundation | Camp Kostopulos (Camp K) Salt Lake City, Utah•Emigration Canyon Reports to: Chief Operating Officer / Program Manager Turn a Love of Horses Into Meaningful Work Do you love horses, enjoy teaching, and want your work to make a difference?

Camp Kostopulos (Camp K) is looking for an experienced, compassionate, and energetic Equestrian Program Instructor to join our team. Camp K provides recreational and therapeutic recreation opportunities for children, teens, and adults of all abilities. Our Equestrian Program creates opportunities for participants to develop riding and horsemanship skills while building confidence, independence, communication, physical abilities, and meaningful connections with horses. As an Equestrian Program Instructor, you'll combine horsemanship, teaching, adaptive recreation, and participant support in a unique and rewarding environment. This is a hands-on position. You'll teach riding lessons, support riders with a variety of abilities, care for our horses, assist with Camp K programs and special events, and help maintain a safe, welcoming barn environment. If you're happiest around horses and enjoy helping people discover what they're capable of, we'd love to meet you. What You'll Do Teach & Inspire Riders Plan and deliver safe, engaging, and individualized riding lessons for participants of varying ages, experience levels, and abilities. Provide adaptive and therapeutic riding experiences appropriate to each participant's strengths, needs, and goals. Teach riding, horsemanship, grooming, horse care, barn safety, and other equine-related skills. Adapt instruction, equipment, communication, and activities to help each rider participate as independently and successfully as possible. Establish appropriate goals and objectives for participants and monitor their progress. Complete required participant evaluations, progress notes, report cards, and other program documentation. Celebrate accomplishments—whether that's learning a new riding skill, gaining confidence around a horse, improving balance, or becoming more independent in the barn. Support Riders of All Abilities Create a welcoming environment where every participant is treated with dignity, patience, respect, and encouragement. Work with individuals with intellectual, developmental, cognitive, and physical disabilities. Become familiar with individual participant needs, abilities, communication styles, goals, and safety considerations. Provide appropriate verbal, visual, and physical assistance during riding and horsemanship activities. Collaborate with families, caregivers, staff, and other members of the Camp K team to provide a positive participant experience. Encourage independence while providing the level of support necessary for each individual to participate safely. Care for Our Horses Our horses are valued members of the Camp K team, and their health and well-being are essential to everything we do.

Responsibilities may include:

Feeding and watering. Turnout and bringing horses in. Grooming and general horse care. Mucking stalls and maintaining clean barn areas. Schooling and exercising horses as assigned. Preparing horses for lessons and programs. Monitoring horse health, behavior, soundness, and overall well-being. Administering supplements or medications as assigned and appropriately authorized. Maintaining tack and equestrian equipment. Communicating concerns about horse health, behavior, veterinary needs, feed, hay, supplies, or equipment to program leadership promptly. The Equestrian Program Instructor is expected to recognize that excellent participant programming begins with excellent horse care. Support Camp K Programs The Equestrian Program is an important part of the larger Camp K experience. You'll help provide equine activities for: Scheduled riding programs and lessons. Summer Camp. Camp K participants and program groups. Special events. Community programs. Visiting and rental groups. Other equine-related experiences as assigned. Depending on programming, that might mean teaching a regular rider one day and introducing a group of first-time campers to horses the next. Safety & Risk Management Safety—for our riders, horses, staff, volunteers, families, and visitors—is a top priority.

You will:

Follow and consistently implement Camp K Equestrian Program policies and safety procedures. Conduct riding and ground activities using sound horsemanship and appropriate risk-management practices. Evaluate horses, riders, equipment, and environmental conditions before and during activities. Ensure participants are appropriately matched with horses, equipment, activities, and support. Maintain safe and organized riding, barn, tack, and horse-care areas. Identify potential hazards and communicate concerns promptly. Respond calmly and appropriately to participant, horse, staff, weather, or environmental emergencies. Participate in required safety training and emergency procedures. Report incidents, injuries, horse-health concerns, and other significant issues according to Camp K procedures. Communication & Teamwork Serve as an active and dependable member of the Camp K Equestrian and Programs Teams. Create a positive, nurturing, professional, and fun environment for participants, families, staff, and volunteers. Communicate clearly, respectfully, and professionally with riders, families, caregivers, coworkers, and leadership. Promptly communicate lesson cancellations, scheduling concerns, participant issues, horse-health concerns, and other important information. Help maintain accurate lesson schedules and program records. Be willing to jump in and help with barn, program, and organizational needs. Participate in required meetings, trainings, and professional development. Maintain current knowledge of best practices in adaptive/therapeutic riding, horsemanship, equine welfare, disability inclusion, and risk management. Perform additional duties as assigned. Required Qualifications Must be at least 21 years of age . Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record. Ability to successfully complete required background screening. Previous experience teaching horseback riding lessons. Strong knowledge and practical experience in horsemanship, including riding, grooming, handling, feeding, and general equine health and welfare. Ability to successfully complete Camp K's riding and horsemanship evaluation. Previous experience working with individuals with intellectual, developmental, cognitive, and/or physical disabilities. Ability to safely adapt riding instruction for participants with different abilities and learning styles. Strong understanding of equestrian safety and risk-management practices. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated responsibility, dependability, integrity, maturity, and sound judgment. Ability to work independently while also contributing positively to a team. Ability to remain calm, flexible, creative, and adaptable when working with both people and horses. Current First Aid/CPR certification or ability to obtain and maintain required certification. Ability to perform the physical responsibilities associated with horse care and adaptive riding, including prolonged standing and walking, working outdoors, bending, reaching, assisting riders, and consistently lifting and carrying equipment weighing approximately 50 pounds or more. Willingness and ability to work in varying weather and barn conditions. Preferred Qualifications Experience with adaptive or therapeutic riding programs. Experience teaching riders with disabilities. Knowledge of disabilities and support needs that may include autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, developmental disabilities, spina bifida, and other physical or cognitive disabilities. Experience working in an inclusive recreation, therapeutic recreation, camp, education, or disability-services environment. Experience working with adaptive riding equipment. Knowledge of equine behavior, conditioning, and appropriate horse selection for adaptive riding programs. PATH Intl. certification or related adaptive/therapeutic riding credential is strongly preferred. Experience working with volunteers or training side walkers and horse leaders is a plus. Who We're Looking For You may be a great fit for Camp K if you: Genuinely love both horses and people . Believe riders of all abilities deserve opportunities to learn, grow, and experience the joy of horses. Are patient enough to let someone learn at their own pace. Know when to provide support—and when to step back and encourage independence. Understand that mucking stalls and filling water buckets are just as much a part of the job as teaching lessons. Put horse welfare and participant safety ahead of convenience. Can recognize when a horse is telling you something isn't right. Enjoy finding creative ways to teach a skill when the traditional approach doesn't work. Communicate well with participants, families, coworkers, and volunteers. Are dependable—because both participants and horses are counting on you. Can take your responsibilities seriously without taking all the fun out of the experience. Why Camp K? At Camp K, a riding lesson can be about much more than learning to ride. For one participant, success may be independently grooming a horse. For another, it may be improving balance or coordination. Someone else may be developing communication skills, overcoming fear, building confidence, or simply experiencing the incredible connection that can develop between a person and a horse. Those moments matter. As an Equestrian Program Instructor, you'll have the opportunity to combine your knowledge of horses with meaningful work that creates opportunities for people of all abilities. You'll work in a unique outdoor environment alongside people who care deeply about our participants, our horses, and Camp K's mission. Join the Camp K Team If you're an experienced horse person, a strong instructor, and someone who believes recreation and horses can open a world of possibilities, we want to hear from you. Apply today and help Camp K create safe, meaningful, and unforgettable equestrian experiences for riders of all abilities. Kostopulos Dream Foundation is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for participants, families, employees, volunteers, and members of our community.

Job Type:

Part-time Pay:

$22.00

• $25.

00 per hour

Work Location:

In person