Riding Instructor

Willow Mist Farm is excited to expand our team and are looking for a passionate riding instructor to join our growing lesson barn, located in Poolesville, MD, 30 min from DC. We are dedicated to fostering a love for horses and riding, providing top-tier care for our equine friends and a supportive, welcoming environment for our riders.

We have a small, boutique barn with an average of 15 lesson horses and a program that provides private, semi-private, and group lessons to children and adults of all ages, mostly beginner and advanced beginner riders.  Our current instructors come from varied backgrounds (English, Western, Hunt Seat, Dressage) and our goal is to help students excel with their horsemanship and embrace a passion in horses through mounted and unmounted instruction. We also offer trail rides to our students on the Montgomery County Epic Trails, which are connected to our farm in the Agriculture Reserve.

It is important that our employees are happy and enjoy what they do. We will work around your available hours, but weekend help is preferred.

Responsibilities:

• Teaching: Provide beginner to intermediate riding lessons focusing on safety, basic riding skills, and horse handling.
• Client Engagement: Foster a friendly, supportive environment for clients, ensuring they feel comfortable and motivated.
• Horse Care: Assist with general horse care duties, including grooming, tacking, and stable management (cleaning up after lessons, tidying/picking stalls from your horses, and blowing the barn isle)
• Safety: Maintain a safe learning environment for both riders and horses, adhering to all safety protocols.
• Option for Training: Work with beginner-level horses to maintain and improve their training.
• Regular communication: with the barn manager and owner to continue the facility’s excellent reputation, to maintain the facility/program, and to help us grow.

Qualifications:

• Experience:  History of teaching horseback riding to children and adults is required, along with experience with handling horses.
• Skills: Strong communication skills, patience, and a passion for teaching and working with horses.
• Physical Ability: Ability to perform physically demanding tasks and handle horses of varying temperaments.
• Non-smoker while on the property
• Background check

• References from past employers or industry professionals and references
• Open communication is a must!

What We Offer:

• Competitive Pay: Based on experience and qualifications.
• Community: A welcoming, supportive environment where your passion for horses and teaching can thrive. Minimal boarders
• Beautiful Farm: peaceful, quiet, very well-maintained
• Opportunity for one boarded horse

How to Apply:

Interested candidates are invited to fill out the google form or send their resume and a brief cover letter to Andrea at [email protected].