Ranch Hand

Job Description

Job Description

Second Chance Ranch Assistant

Care with purpose and help ranch animals move toward their next chapter.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is seeking part-time, temporary positions for a Second Chance Ranch Assistant to support the daily care, rehabilitation, and placement of horses and other ranch animals at our Second Chance Ranch. This temporary is set to end in January 2027, with a potential to continue on. 

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys hands-on work, is comfortable working outdoors in all seasons, and understands that meaningful animal care requires patience, consistency, teamwork, and attention to detail. You will provide direct animal care, maintain ranch facilities, support veterinary and training needs, assist volunteers, and help create a safe and welcoming environment for animals and people.

• Part-time, temporary opportunity
• 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Occasional schedule flexibility may be needed based on animal care, transport, weather, or operational needs

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is Iowa’s largest nonprofit animal welfare organization, helping animals and the people who love them through sheltering, adoption, veterinary care, animal services, community programs, and pet support resources.

Across multiple locations and programs in the Des Moines metro, the ARL works every day to provide compassionate care, practical support, and trusted resources for animals and families in our community.

The ARL’s Second Chance Ranch provides specialized care, rehabilitation, training, and placement support for horses and other barn animals in need.

Animals may arrive with medical concerns, limited handling experience, behavioral needs, or histories of neglect. Through consistent care, humane handling, enrichment, veterinary support, and positive reinforcement-based training, the Second Chance Ranch team helps animals build the health, confidence, and skills they need to move toward adoption, foster care, transfer, or another appropriate placement.

• Provide daily care for horses and other ranch animals, including feeding, watering, cleaning, turnout, enrichment, grooming, and general monitoring.
• Observe animals for changes in health, behavior, mobility, appetite, or overall condition and promptly communicate concerns.
• Support behavioral rehabilitation and positive reinforcement-based training activities in collaboration with ranch leadership.
• Assist veterinarians with examinations, treatments, procedures, vaccinations, and ongoing medical care.
• Administer medications and treatments as directed and within established protocols.
• Maintain clean, safe, and appropriate housing for animals, including stalls, barns, paddocks, turnouts, and common areas.
• Assist with adoptions, foster placements, transfers, rescues, animal transport, and other placement-related activities.
• Safely load, unload, and transport ranch animals as needed.
• Operate trucks, horse trailers, tractors, and other ranch equipment in support of daily operations.
• Enter and maintain accurate animal, medical, behavioral, training, and placement records.
• Help onboard, train, guide, and support volunteers working at the ranch.
• Provide volunteers with clear direction while promoting safe and humane animal-handling practices.
• Interact professionally and respectfully with adopters, volunteers, donors, visitors, staff, and members of the public.
• Promote the ARL’s mission, programs, events, and services through positive and educational interactions.
• Follow OSHA requirements, biosecurity practices, animal-handling protocols, and established workplace safety procedures.
• Assist with facility upkeep, supply organization, equipment maintenance, and other operational needs.
• Perform additional duties as needed to support animals and ranch operations.

• High school diploma or GED.
• At least one year of professional animal care experience.
• Experience caring for and handling horses is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with livestock or other barn animals is helpful.
• Previous customer service experience is preferred.
• Knowledge of equine care, behavior, body language, feeding, handling, and basic health monitoring.
• Ability to safely operate trucks, horse trailers, tractors, and related ranch equipment.
• Valid driver’s license with a satisfactory driving record.
• Confidence working around large animals with varying levels of training, socialization, and behavior.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, judgment, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to follow instructions, protocols, treatment plans, and established animal-care procedures.
• Ability to remain calm and professional during stressful, unpredictable, or emotionally challenging situations.
• Dependability and willingness to work independently while also contributing to a collaborative team.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate recordkeeping.
• Basic computer skills, including familiarity with Microsoft Office and electronic record systems.
• Ability to perform basic math accurately.
• Commitment to humane care, workplace safety, and the mission of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.

Most importantly, you are willing to do the physical, sometimes messy, and deeply meaningful work required to help animals recover, build trust, and prepare for their next opportunity.

This position requires frequent standing, walking, bending, reaching, climbing, pushing, pulling, and repetitive physical activity. Employees must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds and safely perform animal-care and facility-related tasks.

Work is performed indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions, including heat, cold, rain, snow, wind, mud, and uneven terrain. The position may involve exposure to animal hair, dander, odors, waste, dust, hay, cleaning products, moderate noise, zoonotic diseases, and the risk of bites, kicks, scratches, or other animal-related injuries.

The role requires the safe handling of horses and other large animals, as well as the operation of trucks, trailers, tractors, and ranch equipment. Employees are expected to follow all animal-handling, equipment, biosecurity, and workplace safety procedures.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

At the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, your work will directly support animals who need time, patience, consistency, and specialized care.

As a Second Chance Ranch Assistant, you will see the impact of your work in an animal’s improved health, growing confidence, new skills, and eventual placement. You will join a compassionate team committed to improving the lives of animals and strengthening the bond between people and pets.

If you are hardworking, dependable, comfortable around horses and ranch animals, and ready to make a meaningful difference each day, we encourage you to apply.

Employment with the Animal Rescue League of Iowa is at-will, meaning either the employee or the ARL may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, as permitted by law.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state law. Applicants and employees are encouraged to discuss potential accommodations as needed.