Horse Wrangler (MVO)

Full Job Description

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource. We expect to fill a few vacancies.

This is a temporary seasonal appointment, defined as employment in a position performing annually recurring work lasting less than six months per year, not to exceed 1,560 hours per service year.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Job Qualifications System for Trades and Labor Occupations will be used in determining your qualifications.

There is no specific length of training or experience required; however, you must be able to demonstrate through experience shown in your resume.

Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement or vacancy questions.

Screen-Out element: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element.

Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified: Ability to do the work of the position without more than normal supervision.

Must have skill and ability to ride horseback and rope horses or other closely related stock.

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume.

No assumptions will be made about your experience.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands: Work related to WH&Bs requires considerable and strenuous physical exertion to handle, ride (e.g., full gallop), rope, maneuver and restrain domesticated horses and WH&Bs up to 1,500 pounds.

Work involves physical exertion and agility while performing duties such as heavy lifting (i.e., hay bales weighing in excess of 100 pounds, unloading and carrying portable panels, steel fence posts, jute, other materials, and equipment), bending, walking, standing, operating of trucks, coupling, and uncoupling of trailers and working with other equipment (e.g., torches for welding).

Work Environment: Working with WH&Bs inherently includes hazards and dangers while riding, chasing, roping, corralling, counting, loading, handling, and caring for them where conditions cannot always be controlled.

Hazards and dangers consist of being kicked, scratched, bitten, falling, or being run over.

Driving vehicles and hauling WH&Bs requires safe operation for long hours on highways, in facilities, off road and in rough road terrain in all weather conditions.

Welding involves exposure to fumes, infrared and ultraviolet radiations, heat, flying sparks and the possibility of eye injury and burns.

Welding also includes work in awkward or cramped positions to get to hard-to-reach places. Proper safety equipment will be worn to minimize risks.

Work is outside in HMAs, corrals, and other areas in all conditions (i.e., dusty, rainy, snowy, humid) and temperatures (i.e., over 100 degrees F, below zero temperatures).

There are risks related to slippery, muddy, frozen, uneven, and rocky ground. May be required to work irregular work schedules, weekends, and holidays. Major Duties:

• Receives Wild Horses and Burros (WHB) from trucks and trailers into the corral system and separates them by gender and mitigate any risks of injury to the animals, themselves, and fellow workers.
• Assists in classifying WHBs to validate information provided by gathering crews with regard to age, sex, health, and overall condition. Identifies and reports any injuries and obvious disease symptoms.
• Rides and handles saddle horses to safely control WHBs on the open range, in corrals and in pen areas for gathers or general care. Controls WHBs unwilling to enter traps or corral systems using ropes from horseback as needed.
• Performs/assists in tasks for the health and well-being of WHBs to include aging, medication administration, freeze branding, gelding, inoculating, de-worming, drawing blood samples, and administer booster vaccinations.
• Routinely trim hooves in hydraulic chutes. Assesses feeding and housing requirements; provides adequate provision of feed and water; and maintains areas in facilities in a clean and safe manner.
• Assists in preparing WHBs for transportation to adoption sites, contract training facilities, long-term holding facilities, and other designated locations and completion of necessary paperwork for transportation logistics.
• Removes, cleans, replaces, and seals parts of the watering systems, water troughs and plumbing systems to include replacing heating elements in troughs and other similar tasks.
• Installs, fabricates, and repairs basic carpentry items like frame structures, doors, wooden posts, wire fences, and assists with new construction related to the facility. Prepares and paints various surfaces.
• Erects and dismantles portable panels used for traps, pens, adoption events, and corral systems. Uses welder to repair and/or fabricate the like.
• Selects and uses common hand and power tools (e.g., hammers, electric drills, saws, wrenches, augers, chain saws, generators, screw drivers) for normal repair and maintenance duties.
• Provides support and assistance in planning and coordinating the safe and humane loading/unloading, and transportation of WHBs between holding facilities, placement events, and other destinations.
• Provides support and assistance to higher-level staff in ensuring WHB activities are compliant with federal laws, regulations, and policies governing the management of WHBs.