Hillview Equine is seeking an experienced and motivated equine professional to join our small, hands-on team in Scone, NSW. This is a varied full-time role across our performance horse, breeding, foaling, spelling and agistment operation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

General Horse Care & Management • Feeding, rugging, paddock movements and daily horse care
• Monitoring health, soundness and wellbeing
• Medications, treatments, bandaging, poulticing and basic first aid
• Assisting vets, farriers and other professionals
• Maintaining clean, organised stables, yards, tack and feed areas

Performance Horses & Competitions • Preparing horses for the daily riding schedule
• Tacking/untacking, grooming, washing and post-exercise care
• Cleaning and maintaining tack and equipment
• Clipping, trimming and competition-standard plaiting
• Preparing and packing horses, tack, feeds and equipment for competitions
• Travelling to competitions/clinics and assisting as a groom
• Tacking, washing and caring for horses throughout competition days
• Lunging, groundwork and exercising suitable horses depending on experience

Breeding & Foaling • Daily broodmare and foal management
• Assisting with reproductive vet work, scanning and breeding procedures
• Monitoring mares approaching foaling and assisting with foal watch/foaling
• Newborn foal and post-foaling mare care
• Handling and early education of foals
• Administering treatments and maintaining breeding/foaling records

For the right applicant, there is the opportunity to bring one horse to Hillview, with agistment included as part of the package, plus access to our facilities and regular coaching. We strongly support staff wanting to develop their riding, with opportunities for additional training and to bring their horse to competitions, clinics and training days with the Hillview team, including travelling with us where suitable.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum 2–3 years practical professional horse experience** preferred
• Confident handling a range of horses including fit performance horses, Thoroughbreds, broodmares, foals and youngstock
• Strong knowledge of horse husbandry and ability to recognise changes in health, soundness or behaviour
• Confident administering routine medications and treatments under direction
• Basic horse first aid, bandaging and poulticing skills
• Confident tacking up and handling horses safely from the ground
• Ability to work independently, prioritise tasks and use initiative
• High attention to detail and strong standards of cleanliness and organisation
• Reliable, punctual and able to communicate clearly
• Physically fit and capable of performing a hands-on equine role in all weather conditions
• Comfortable working within a small team and closely with the business owners
• Flexibility to work rostered weekends and occasional additional hours for competitions, foaling, veterinary emergencies and breeding requirements
• Current driver's licence required; confidence towing a horse float would be highly regarded
• Own reliable transport if not living on-site
• Must have the right to work in Australia
• Current references from previous equine employers or industry professionals
• Formal equine qualifications are highly regarded but practical experience, horsemanship and attitude are equally important
• Riding ability is advantageous but not essential
• Competition grooming, clipping, plaiting, breeding, foaling and reproductive experience are all highly regarded
• Must be comfortable working around dogs, children and the day-to-day environment of a family-run equestrian property

ON-SITE ACCOMMODATION

On-site accommodation is available as part of the employment package. A private, fully furnished two-bedroom cabin is located on the Hillview Equine property in Scone, providing the convenience of living on-site while maintaining your own private space.

The modern cabin (built 2023) includes an open-plan kitchen/living area, bathroom, private deck and parking, and is fully equipped with furniture, linen, kitchenware, appliances, Smart TV, Wi-Fi and washing machine. Utilities and fortnightly professional cleaning are included.

For the right applicant, the package may also include agistment for one horse, access to Hillview’s equestrian facilities, regular coaching and opportunities to attend competitions and training days with the Hillview team.

THE POSITION & PACKAGE

This is a full-time, 38-hour-per-week position with a roster generally structured as either 10 days on/4 days off or 5 days on/2 days off. Some weekend work is required, as expected in an equine role, with rostered time off provided.

We genuinely value our staff and aim to keep normal working days as close to 8 hours as possible, with appropriate lunch breaks. Horses don’t always run to a timetable, so there will occasionally be longer days associated with competitions, foaling, breeding, vets, farriers or emergencies. Additional hours are paid as overtime where applicable or managed through TOIL, with longer days balanced by shorter days, half-days or additional time off within the fortnight.

The position is paid an annual salary, paid fortnightly, in accordance with the applicable Miscellaneous Award, with remuneration dependent on experience and qualifications. Annual leave, personal/sick leave and an end-of-season bonus are included