Clermont, FL • Full-Time
$16–$20/hr • Weekends & Holidays required + rotating weekdays
Be part of a ranch where calm animals, kind guests, and loving care create unforgettable encounters—every day.
Quick Highlights
Animal Encounters
Visitors
Guide
Mini Donkeys
Fluffy
Cows
Quick Highlights
Animal Encounters
Visitors
Guide
Mini Donkeys
Fluffy
Cows
Position Summary
At Whispering Oaks Miniature Ranch, we breed and raise miniature cows and miniature donkeys with a strong focus on animal welfare, calm handling, and excellent temperaments. We also host guided tours and hands-on petting experiences.
This is a blended role: you’ll host visitor experiences by narrating our wagon tours and facilitating supervised animal encounters—and on non-tour days you’ll help keep our animals fed, cared for, trained/handled consistently,
Schedule: and tour-ready through daily routines and cleanlines.
Key Responsibilities
Visitor Experiences (tour days):
- Welcome guests and deliver a clear safety/kindness briefing.
- Narrate the wagon tour: share the ranch story, guide the experience, and coordinate timing/stops for safety.
- Facilitate supervised petting interactions with cows and donkeys: manage flow, support safe feeding, and keep groups calm and respectful.
- Keep animal areas clean and guest-ready during tours (quick touch-ups, refresh stations).
- Communicate any animal health/behavior/stress concerns to the Ranch Manager.
- Work alongside volunteers during petting experiences by giving simple task direction and flagging issues to the Ranch Manager.
- Assist between tours with shop tidying, resetting tour areas, and light admin checklists.
- Safely operate the tractor with wagons for guided tours (smooth driving, safe speeds, clear stops/starts, guest safety first).
Animal Care, Training & Tour Readiness (non-tour days):
- Provide daily animal care and routine health checks;
- Support ongoing handling and training fundamentals so animals remain calm, mannerly, and safe—prioritizing their welfare and readiness for guest interactions.
- Maintain tour readiness by keeping petting pens and guest areas clean, sanitizing and organizing animal-handling supplies (brushes, halters/leads, buckets, storage bins), and supporting shop reset/staging in preparation for tours.
- Participate in vet visits and support routine health protocols as directed by the Ranch Manager (assist with handling, supplies prep, and basic observation/record notes).
- Feed livestock daily by unloading, moving, and placing large hay bales using ranch equipment; maintain consistent feeding routines as assigned.
- Check water systems/troughs; report issues promptly and fix as assigned.
- Assist with moving/rotating animals and basic handling (as directed).
- Observe animal health/behavior and communicate concerns to the Ranch Manager
Qualifications
- Strong sense of animal welfare and a safety-first mindset.
- Confident and calm around animals.
- Friendly, professional and comfortable speaking to groups and enforcing safety rules kindly.
- Observant and detail-oriented.
- Reliable, punctual, and able to follow systems and protocols.
- Comfortable working outdoors in Florida weather and doing physical work (walking, lifting, carrying, brushing, cleaning pens).
- Strong communication and teamwork
Bonus (Nice to Have, Not Required)
- Previous animal care experience (stable, farm, petting zoo, etc.)
- Tour guiding, teaching, or customer-facing hospitality experience
- Tractor/equipment familiarity
Pay & Benefits
- Competitive hourly pay ($16–$20/hr) based on experience
- Paid time off: 2 weeks paid vacation per year (earned over time)
- Health benefit: health insurance reimbursement available up to $300–$500/month (with proof of coverage; details provided upon hire)
Schedule:
- Saturday, Sunday and Holidays: Morning and Afternoon/Evening shifts available
- 3 rotational weekdays/week: Morning and Afternoon/Evening shifts available
** Shift times may adjust slightly by season, weather, and tour schedule.