Summer Camp Horsemanship Program Assistant

About

Camp Trinity on the Bar 717 Ranch is an overnight summer camp in Northern California for kids ages 7-16. For over 95 years, we've welcomed children and families to our beautiful 450-acre ranch in the beautiful mountains of Trinity County to experience nature, challenge themselves, form deep friendships, gain a sense of community, and have big fun. Life on the Ranch is rustic and unplugged: we spend our days swimming, hiking, riding, caring for animals, gardening, and making music and art. Campers choose freely from activities that range from horseback riding, gardening, animal care, and maintenance projects, to backpacking trips, crafts, campfires, singing, and much more!

Our Horsemanship Assistant is an integral part of our horsemanship staff and provides daily support to our horsemanship program, which introduces campers to the joys of working with horses. The Horsemanship Assistant is responsible for camper supervision, support for horsemanship staff, and daily horse care and barn management. This position will also have additional camper supervision duties in our general camp program as assigned.

Essential Skills

1. Excellent understanding of basic barn chores including how to catch, groom, tack, and feed horses.
2. Familiarity with various disciplines of riding and handling with the ability to teach basic skills to riders including how to mount, dismount, steer, and maintain safe position in the saddle.
3. Ability to demonstrate patience and sensitivity to the needs of a diverse group of campers.
4. Ability to assess a child’s comfort level around horses and pair them with the appropriate mount. 
5. Ability to make choices that prioritize the safety of campers and horses.
6. Ability to foresee a potentially unsafe or dangerous situation (whether in the barn or on the trail) and avoid or defuse it.
7. Ability to facilitate an educational experience for children
8. Ability to observe and assess camper behavior, enforce safety regulations and emergency procedures, and apply appropriate behavior management techniques.
9. Communication skills and cognitive abilities to give individual instruction, conduct group activities and to give clear and effective verbal presentations and instructions to groups of up to 150 people.
10. Physical ability to assist campers in the event of an emergency (CPR, fire, earthquake, injury, etc.)
11. Ability to follow clear verbal and written instructions.
12. Ability to sustain moderate physical exertion; including hiking in 100+ degree heat; negotiating uneven terrain; carrying a backpack weighing 35 lbs., and possessing physical strength and endurance required to maintain constant supervision of campers.

Responsibilities

1. Set a positive example for campers and fellow staff by working efficiently, acting responsibly and maintaining positivity on a daily basis.
2. Participate in morning chores, AM/PM feeding rotation, catching, grooming, tacking and watering of horses prior to trail rides
3. Lead/Drag on trail rides daily; teach lessons in the ring
4. Help campers mount/dismount
5. Check tack to make sure everything is working properly and fitting appropriately
6. Provide basic first aid and other necessary care to horses outside of program time
7. Helping to plan barn program activities and events for campers

Qualifications

1. Minimum age 19 by June 2026
2. Passion for working with youth and with horses
3. Experience in riding and horsemanship instruction
4. Experience in barn management and horse care
5. Quick learner with strong problem solving skills
6. Accepting of diversity in culture, race, religion, gender identity, and ethnicity
7. Strong communication skills with children, peers, and supervisors
8. Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team
9. Ability to seek and accept supervision and guidance
10. Enthusiasm, good judgment, patience, adaptability and self-control
11. Willing to take alcohol and/or drug tests on request of employer
12. Possession of a valid Driver’s License
13. Ability to complete Lifeguard/CPR and Wilderness First Aid Training
14. Able to be a resident at camp from June 2, 2026 to at least August 9, 2026

Hours & Compensation

1. Full time June 2 - August 18, possibility for pre-season work starting mid-May
2. Starting at $615 per week. View 2026 payscale here: bar717.com/positions-compensation
3. Housing, meals, and laundry service are provided for the duration of our summer camp season for all residential seasonal staff
4. Supportive community of peers and supervisors
5. A rewarding summer spent outside and unplugged in a beautiful place
6. Counselors receive training and professional development on working with youth, leadership, and outdoor skills
7. Lifeguard and Wilderness First Aid training provided on-site or subsidized off-site for counselors

Working at Camp can be one of the most rewarding jobs of your life! We look forward to reading your application!

The Bar 717 Ranch is committed to core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

View the full job description here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_4vp-ev0wSLfHKgTJ4178xiXLPCfFIh6/view?usp=drive_link