We're not just a dude ranch. We're a Return to What Matters.

Current Job Openings

Trail Wrangler

$15.16 / hour + tips

Red Feather Lakes

Summer Seasonal | Start asap through End September (Potentially October) | Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

This isn't a job ad. It's a calling.

People are burnt out, overstimulated, and disconnected – from nature, from each other, from themselves. Kids are growing up without ever knowing what it feels like to sit around a campfire and actually talk. Adults are running so hard they've forgotten what they're running toward. Families are in the same house but not in the same room.

We're doing something about it.

Sundance Trail Guest Ranch exists to help people remember who they are, reconnect with what matters, and reimagine life. We do that at 8,000 feet in the Colorado Rockies, surrounded by Roosevelt National Forest – through horses, mountains, campfires, and the kind of real human connection that most people haven't felt in years. We call it The Great Reconnection. From numb, digital, disconnected living – to embodied, connected, adventurous lives.

The horses are at the heart of everything we do. And we treat them like it.

Here's what we believe: there are two kinds of dopamine in the world right now. Digital dopamine – the hit you get from a scroll, a like, a notification. And IRL dopamine – the hit you get from a summit, a campfire, a horse under you, a sunrise that stops you in your tracks. One keeps you coming back for more. The other fills you up.

We exist to give people the real thing. And we're looking for people who want to be part of delivering it.

This is not a summer job. This is a summer that will change you – and through you, change every guest who walks through these gates. You'll leave with more than a paycheck and stories. You'll leave with life skills, career clarity, leadership development, and a version of yourself you didn't know was in there. We coach. We stretch. We invest in every person on this team – because that's who we are, not because it's a perk.

YOUR MISSION (IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT)

You're confident leading groups on trail through Roosevelt National Forest at 8,000+ feet. You match horses to riders, read terrain, manage group dynamics, and keep everyone safe while making it feel effortless. You join guests for meals, tell stories at campfires, and pick up every piece of hay twine you see.

• Strong riding skills and confidence leading trail rides in mountain terrain

• Solid horse handling – catching, grooming, saddling, basic equine first aid

• Genuine hospitality instinct – you actually enjoy being around people

• The self-awareness to manage your energy across long, full days

• Current First Aid & CPR certification

• To pass all appropriate background checks and complete the Mandatory reporter training.

THE CREW YOU'RE JOINING

STR is a small ranch. 24 guests max — but every single child in that group is a season-defining relationship for you. Every single person on this team matters. There's nowhere to hide. And there's no one who's "just" anything.

You report to our Barn Manager / Head Wrangler and you partner closely with the Lead Wrangler / 2IC, the Trail Wranglers, the Head of Hospitality, and the rest of the team. The kids' program is everyone's win — and it lives or dies on you.

We run on five pillars: Nature. Presence. Play. Challenge. Connection.

Most ranches have rules. We have principles. Rules tell people what to do. Principles tell people who to be — and then trust them to figure out the what. We run on 7, each with its own STRism:

01 — Flow First. "If it kills the vibe, kill it." You read a kid's energy faster than anyone on the ranch. You match the challenge to the skill. You protect their flow like it's sacred — because it is.

02 — Unreasonable Hospitality — To All. "One more thing. Mediocrity dies at the gate." The handwritten certificate at the closing campfire. The horseshoe with the kid's name on it. The braid you put in her horse's mane on the last morning. The "one more thing" lives in your program more than anywhere else on the ranch.

03 — How You Do One Thing Is How You Do Everything. "The tone you set is the standard you get." A kids' tack room that's tidy says we care. A whiteboard with every kid's name spelled right says we care.

04 — Own The Experience. "Ride for the brand." You're not running a program. You're an owner of every kid's week. You see the problem, you solve it. You bring solutions, not problems.

05 — Be The Ripple. "Be a better human. Be the ripple. Leave it better than you found it." The kid who goes home and is kinder to her little brother because of how you taught her — that's us. The ripple starts with the kids.

06 — Clear Is Kind. "Unclear is unkind. And bitching will not be tolerated." You say the thing — to teammates, to parents, to kids when they need it. Directly, warmly, and early.

07 — Cowboy Up. "Heels down, eyes up." The Tuesday campout when you've barely slept. The Friday afternoon when the parents are emotional and the kids are wild. The standard doesn't drop. Not because someone's checking. Because that's who we decided to be.

THE NUMBERS

• $15.16 hour + tips

• Seasonal position — start by asap run through end of September (Potentially October)

• On-site lodging and meals provided (per IRC §119)

• Full access to ranch amenities on days off — horses, trails, the whole place

• Real coaching and professional development from leadership obsessed with helping you grow

---

YOUR LEADERS

You'll be working alongside owners who don't just run a business — they're building a movement. With backgrounds in leadership development, organizational culture, and high-performance team design, they're obsessed with helping every person on this ranch become the best version of themselves.

This isn't lip service. This is weekly development, real life and career coaching, honest feedback, and the kind of mentorship most camp staff never get.

You won't just grow as a wrangler. You'll grow as a human.

---

HOW TO APPLY

Send the following to jade@sundancetrail.com:

1. Your resume

2. Three references (one peer, one boss, one horseperson who can vouch for your work in the saddle)

3. A short note — why this role, why now, why a ranch

4. 2 short videos — Tacking a horse and riding. The phone camera is fine. Not polished. Real.




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Head of Housekeeping (Year-Round)

$18.00 - $20.00 / hour + tips

Red Feather Lakes

The cabin tells the truth before the host does.

The first thing a guest does when they walk into a cabin at the end of a long travel day is look around. What they see tells them whether we mean what we say. Your work is the answer to that question.

As Head of Housekeeping, you don't just clean to that standard — you own it, teach it, and hold it across every cabin on this ranch.

What You'll Actually Do

Own the Standard

Set and hold the cleanliness standard across every cabin, lodge room, and shared space.

Turn Cabins & Rooms

Lead turnovers between stays — beds, bathrooms, surfaces, floors — hands-on, alongside the team.

Daily Refresh

Run the daily refresh rhythm during multi-night stays — amenities, tidy, fresh towels.

Train & Lead

Train and guide seasonal housekeeping crew so the standard survives busy weeks.

Restock & Order

Own supplies, inventory, and ordering — nothing runs out mid-season.

Flag Issues Fast

Spot maintenance issues and get them fixed before the next guest arrives.

Dishes & Kitchen Reset

Jump on dishes after meals and help reset the kitchen — same standard as the cabins.

Who You Are

1. You take pride in a room someone else will sleep in

2. You move quickly without cutting corners

3. You can work alone for hours and still be friendly when guests cross your path

4. You don't mind altitude, stairs, or a full physical shift

5. You're reliable — we can count on you being where you said you'd be

6. You've led cleaning or housekeeping work before — or you've been the one others copied

7. You're happy to jump between cabins and the kitchen — whatever the day needs

The Basics

• $18–$20/hr + tip pool shared across the team

• Year-round, full-time, live-in. On-site housing included plus three meals a day — the same food guests eat. Reports to the Ranch Manager. Start: ASAP.

How to apply:

Email jade@sundancetrail.com with:

• Short note. Tell us why this place, why this role

• Your background. A CV, LinkedIn, or a fair description of what you've done







Read more

Housekeeper

$15.16 / hour + tips

Red Feather Lakes

The cabin tells the truth before the host does.

The first thing a guest does when they walk into a cabin at the end of a long travel day is look around. What they see tells them whether we mean what we say. Your work is the answer to that question.

We're 138 acres at 8,000 ft, with Roosevelt National Forest as the back fence. Fort Collins is 45 minutes down the road. We bought this ranch to run it for a long time, and we're building a team that feels the same way about the work.

What You'll Actually Do

Turn Cabins & Rooms

Turn cabins and lodge rooms between stays — beds, bathrooms, surfaces, floors.

Daily Refresh

During multi-night stays — top up amenities, light tidy, fresh towels.

Eyes on Detail

Notice the details guests notice — and the ones they don't.

Restock & Order

Restock supplies and keep the housekeeping cupboard ordered.

Flag Issues Fast

Spot maintenance issues quickly so we fix them before the next guest arrives.

Dishes & Kitchen Reset

Jump on dishes after meals and help reset the kitchen — same standard as the cabins: clean, dry, ready for the next round.

Who You Are

• You take pride in a room someone else will sleep in

• You move quickly without cutting corners

• You can work alone for hours and still be friendly when guests cross your path

• You don't mind altitude, stairs, or a full physical shift

• You're reliable — we can count on you being where you said you'd be

• You're happy to jump between cabins and the kitchen — whatever the day needs

  
  

The Basics

• $15.16/hr + tip pool shared across the team.

• 3 Meals a Day. Live-in option includes on-site housing and all meals.

TWO OPTIONS

OPTION A 

Local Hire

40 hours across Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Great for candidates already in the area.

OPTION B

Live-In

Full-time, on-site housing included plus three meals a day — the same food guests eat. Reports to Head of Hospitality. Start: ASAP.

How to Apply

Email jade@sundancetrail.com with:

• Short note. Tell us why this place, why this role.

• Your background. A CV, LinkedIn, or a fair description of what you've done.




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Assistant Cook

$15.16 - $25.00 / hour + tips

Red Feather Lakes

The first plate sets the tone for the whole day.

A guest who rode in from Denver yesterday wakes up at 8,000 ft, walks into breakfast, and decides — right there — what kind of place this is. That first plate is the answer.

Two ways into the kitchen. Pick the one that fits.

OPTION A

Assistant Cook — Live-In

• Full-time, on-site housing + 3 meals a day included

• Second-in-command to the Head Chef across all service

• Right for: a developing chef who wants the kitchen and the mountain

Pay: $18–$25/hr depending on experience

OPTION B

Breakfast Cook — Local

• Mon–Sat mornings, breakfast service for guests

• You own the first impression of the day

• Local hire — live near the ranch and drive in

• Right for: a strong cook who doesn't want a 14-hour day

Pay: $15.16–$25/hr depending on experience

Who You Are — Either Way

Whether you're stepping into the Assistant Cook role or owning breakfast service, we're looking for the same core person.

You Can Cook Breakfast Like It Matters

Because to the guest who just rode in from Denver, it does.

Clean, Organized, On Time

The basics — done right, every single service.

You Like a Small Team

Close quarters, real relationships, shared purpose.

Pressure Without Drama

You handle the heat without making the rest of the kitchen feel it.

Hungry to Learn — or Teach

Either direction works. Just bring the appetite.

How to Apply

• Send an email to jade@sundancetrail.com

• With a short note on why this place, why this role

• A CV, LinkedIn, or a fair description of what you've done

Read more
Barn Team
Children's Wrangler
up to $15.16 / hour + tips
Red Feather Lakes
Summer Seasonal | Start asap through End September (October potentially) | Red Feather Lakes, Colorado
This isn't a job ad. It's a calling.
Something is broken in the way kids are growing up right now. They have screens before they have shoelaces. They've never been bored long enough to get curious. They've never built anything with their hands that they didn't see on YouTube first. They've never had a 1,000-pound animal trust them — and they've never been trusted with one. Their parents are exhausted, overstimulated, and terrified they're getting it wrong.
We're doing something about it.
Sundance Trail Ranch exists to help families remember who they are, reconnect with what matters, and reimagine life. We do that at 8,000 feet in the Colorado Rockies, on 138 acres surrounded by 800,000+ acres of Roosevelt National Forest — through horses, mountains, campfires, and the kind of real human connection most families haven't felt in years. We call it The Great Reconnection.
And the kids are at the heart of it.
Here's what we believe: a kid who learns to catch a horse, brush him, saddle him, and ride him for the first time isn't just learning to ride. She's learning that she can do hard things. She's learning her body. She's learning to slow down. She's learning that when you ask gently and listen carefully, big animals — and big people — will trust you. That changes a kid. We've watched it happen every week, every season, for years.
We exist to give kids the real thing — and to give their parents back the version of their kid they remember from before screens took over. We're looking for the wrangler who's going to deliver it.
This isn't a babysitting job. This isn't a riding instructor job. This is the most magical, most demanding, most undersold role on the ranch.
If you just felt something reading that — keep going. If you're “just” looking for a summer gig — this isn't it.
---
YOUR MISSION (IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT)
To turn nervous nine-year-olds into beaming little cowboys and cowgirls by the end of the week.
As Children's Wrangler, you ARE the kids' program. You're the reason a family books STR over every other ranch in Colorado. You're the person whose name a kid will still remember twenty years from now.
You'll run our children's riding program. You'll lead arena lessons, take kids on trail, teach them to catch and groom and saddle. You'll build birdhouses. You'll run campfire cookouts. You'll tell stories that send them to bed too excited to sleep. You'll sleep in the tipi on Tuesday nights and wake up to the sound of giggles before sunrise.
You'll also be the parents' lifeline. The mom who hasn't had a kid-free meal in three years will come to dinner the first night, see her child in your hands, and exhale for the first time in months. That's the gift. That's the work.
Every guest at STR travels through an arc we call the 5 R's: Recover & Rejuvenate, Remember & Reconnect, and Reimagine Life. For families with kids, you are the engine of that arc.
That's your mission. And it's sacred work.
---
HOW WE TEACH KIDS
Our philosophy is short, opinionated, and non-negotiable. Read it carefully. If you nod along, keep going. If you wince, this isn't your program.
01 — Every kid is a "yes." The shy one. The wild one. The screen-addicted one. The one who's "scared of horses." The one whose parents warned us they're "going through a phase." We don't write any of them off. We find the door in.
02 — Patience is not optional. A kid will ask the same question seven times. A kid will cry because she dropped her hat. A kid will tell you a 14-minute story about her hamster while you're trying to tack up. You meet all of it with warmth. Every time.
03 — Safety first. Always. Without exception. Helmets on. Horses checked. Riders matched to mounts based on weight and skill, not preference. You never trade a kid's safety for a cute moment. Ever.
04 — Confidence beats competence. A kid who finishes the week believing she can do hard things matters more than a kid who finishes the week with perfect equitation. We're not building riders. We're building humans.
05 — Read the kid, not the curriculum. One kid needs to ride more. One kid needs to brush a horse for an hour. One kid needs to sit on the fence and watch. You meet each kid where they are, not where the schedule says they should be.
06 — Parents matter too. Every conversation with a parent is a chance to make them feel seen, informed, and confident in your hands. You communicate clearly, warmly, and without ego. You celebrate their kid's wins. You handle the hard moments without drama.
07 — Mediocrity dies at the gate. This is the most magical role on the ranch — and the most demanding. The standard doesn't drop on Friday afternoon, on rainy days, or when you're tired. The kids deserve your best every single time.
---
WHAT YOU'LL ACTUALLY DO
Run the children's riding program. Arena lessons in the morning. Trail rides on horseback when the kids are ready. You build the week — assess each kid Sunday, plan the arc, and deliver the moments that turn nervous into proud.
Catch, brush, saddle, ride. You teach the whole rhythm. Not just the riding. The relationship.
Wednesday and Friday lunch transport. You take the kids' lunch out to where the action is.
Birdhouses, scavenger hunts, lake afternoons, campfire cookouts. You build the program around horses, but the program is bigger than horses. You're running an immersive, week-long experience. Bring your creativity.
Communicate with parents. Sunday intake conversations. Daily check-ins at the dinner table. Friday celebration of every win. You translate the week back to the parents in a way that makes them proud and informed.
Ranch chores like everyone else. Wash dishes once a week. Pitch in at meals. Pick up hay twine. Be a wrangler first, kids' wrangler second. There's no back-of-house at STR.
---
WHO YOU ARE
You'll need:
• Confident, experienced rider comfortable teaching kids of all ages and abilities — beginners through intermediate

• Background in summer camp, youth development, teaching, coaching, or children's programming — ideal but not essential. The right character matters more than the resume.

• Patience that doesn't run out. Energy that doesn't quit. Creativity on tap.

• The instinct to read a kid — when to push, when to back off, when to sit on the fence and just talk

• Communication that wins parents over — warm, clear, ego-free, confident

• Solid horse handling — catching, grooming, saddling, basic equine first aid, riding well enough to teach without thinking about it

• Current First Aid / CPR / AED (or willingness to certify before your first day with kids)

• DRA Wrangler Safety Certification (or willingness to certify on-site)

• A clean background check. Working with kids isn't optional on this one — we run them on every Children's Wrangler.
---
WHO ACTUALLY ENDS UP HERE
We hire across every stage of life. School teachers on summer break. Recreation therapists. Camp counselors who've levelled up. Equestrian coaches. Young horsewomen with summer-camp backgrounds. Empty-nesters who raised great kids and miss having little ones around. Twenty-somethings who are great with kids and great in the saddle.
Age isn't the filter here. Character is.
If you've got the patience, the heart, the horsemanship, and the actual love for kids — we've got a seat for you. The right human is the right human, full stop.
---
THE CREW YOU'RE JOINING
STR is a small ranch. 24 guests max — but every single child in that group is a season-defining relationship for you. Every single person on this team matters. There's nowhere to hide. And there's no one who's "just" anything.
You report to our Barn Manager / Head Wrangler and you partner closely with the Lead Wrangler / 2IC, the Trail Wranglers, the Head of Hospitality, and the rest of the team. The kids' program is everyone's win — and it lives or dies on you.
We run on five pillars: Nature. Presence. Play. Challenge. Connection.
Most ranches have rules. We have principles. Rules tell people what to do. Principles tell people who to be — and then trust them to figure out the what. We run on 7, each with its own STRism:
01 — Flow First. "If it kills the vibe, kill it." You read a kid's energy faster than anyone on the ranch. You match the challenge to the skill. You protect their flow like it's sacred — because it is.
02 — Unreasonable Hospitality — To All. "One more thing. Mediocrity dies at the gate." The handwritten certificate at the closing campfire. The horseshoe with the kid's name on it. The braid you put in her horse's mane on the last morning. The "one more thing" lives in your program more than anywhere else on the ranch.
03 — How You Do One Thing Is How You Do Everything. "The tone you set is the standard you get." A kids' tack room that's tidy says we care. A whiteboard with every kid's name spelled right says we care.
04 — Own The Experience. "Ride for the brand." You're not running a program. You're an owner of every kid's week. You see the problem, you solve it. You bring solutions, not problems.
05 — Be The Ripple. "Be a better human. Be the ripple. Leave it better than you found it." The kid who goes home and is kinder to her little brother because of how you taught her — that's us. The ripple starts with the kids.
06 — Clear Is Kind. "Unclear is unkind. And bitching will not be tolerated." You say the thing — to teammates, to parents, to kids when they need it. Directly, warmly, and early.
07 — Cowboy Up. "Heels down, eyes up." The Tuesday campout when you've barely slept. The Friday afternoon when the parents are emotional and the kids are wild. The standard doesn't drop. Not because someone's checking. Because that's who we decided to be.
And above all of it — three obsessions that will make us legendary:
Obsession 1: Make every kid feel like the only kid. Not one of 8. The only one. Obsession 2: Build a kids' program they can't find anywhere else. Not better. A different category entirely. Obsession 3: Send them home changed. Not just entertained. Genuinely, measurably different.
Our identity lives in the dichotomy: Wild + Warm. Authentic + Elevated. Western + World-Class. Restorative + High-Performing. Human + Disciplined.
If that dichotomy excites you — you'll thrive here. If it confuses you — this probably isn't the place.
---
REAL TALK — THIS ISN'T FOR EVERYONE
Let's be direct, because clear is kind.
Every person on this ranch is either energizing or draining the culture. There is no neutral. We build for energizers. If you bring the energy, we'll match it tenfold.
This is the hardest job on the ranch and the most rewarding. Kids' programs eat people alive who aren't built for it. You're "on" from the moment the first kid finds you in the morning until the moment the last one goes to bed. You eat with them. You ride with them. You laugh with them. You handle their meltdowns. You celebrate their wins. You sleep in the tipi on Tuesdays.
This is not a 9–5. Long days. Variable hours. Some weeks have eight kids, some have two. Both require everything you've got.
This is a tobacco-free, drug-free environment. No smoking. No chewing. No marijuana. No exceptions. Random drug screening applies to all staff.
Background check is mandatory. Kids first. Always.
You'll wear western. Boots, hat with stampede strings, western shirts, jeans. No baseball caps. No t-shirts in guest areas. You're part of the show.
You'll live on-ranch. Bunkhouse-style housing — guys and gals in separate buildings, shared rooms, shared bathrooms, family-style meals. Rustic. Real. Part of the deal. Staff-only indoor and outdoor chillout zones for when you finally clock off.
You get first pick of horses for the kids' program. Because what you're doing matters that much.
If you just read that list and thought "Hell yes" — you're our kind of human. If you thought "That sounds like a lot" — it is. And it's worth every second.
---
THE NUMBERS
• $15.16 hour + tips

• Seasonal position — start by asap run through end of September (October potentially)

• On-site lodging and meals provided (per IRC §119)

• Full access to ranch amenities on days off — horses, trails, the whole place

• Real coaching and professional development from leadership obsessed with helping you grow
---
YOUR LEADERS
You'll be working alongside owners who don't just run a business — they're building a movement. With backgrounds in leadership development, organizational culture, and high-performance team design, they're obsessed with helping every person on this ranch become the best version of themselves.
This isn't lip service. This is weekly development, real life and career coaching, honest feedback, and the kind of mentorship most camp staff never get.
You won't just grow as a wrangler. You'll grow as a human.
---
HOW TO APPLY
Send the following to jade@sundancetrail.com:
1. Your resume

2. Three references (one peer, one boss, one horseperson who can vouch for your work in the saddle)

3. A short note — why this role, why now, why a ranch

4. 2 short videos — Tacking a horse and riding. The phone camera is fine. Not polished. Real.
   
For even more info on us and the role you can read more here: https://gamma.app/docs/Sundance-Trail-Ranch-prphtm46iwnrbzz

Sundance Trail Ranch is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We hire on character, capability, and culture fit — full stop.

Successful applicants will be required to pass a background check before start date.
Read more
Barn Team
Senior Wrangler / 2IC
$15.16 - $16.50 / hour + tips
Red Feather Lakes
Seasonal | Start ASAP through End September (potentially October) | Red Feather Lakes, Colorado
---
This isn't a job ad. It's a calling.
Something is broken in the way people live right now. They sit all day. They scroll all night. They don't know what it feels like to have a 1,000-pound partner trust them with their life. They've forgotten they have bodies. Their kids are growing up without ever feeling the kind of confidence that only comes from telling a horse "easy" and having the horse believe them.
We're doing something about it.
Sundance Trail Ranch exists to help people remember who they are, reconnect with what matters, and reimagine life. We do that at 8,000 feet in the Colorado Rockies, on 138 acres surrounded by 800,000+ acres of Roosevelt National Forest — through horses, mountains, campfires, and the kind of real human connection most people haven't felt in years. We call it The Great Reconnection. From numb, digital, disconnected living — to embodied, connected, adventurous lives.
And the horses are at the heart of it.
Here's what we believe: a horse will tell you the truth about yourself faster than any therapist alive. Kids who've never sat in a saddle will leave here with a kind of confidence they couldn't get from a screen, a sport, or a school. Adults who couldn't sit still for three minutes at home will spend an hour brushing a horse and not realize the time has passed. Families who haven't laughed together in a year will laugh until their ribs hurt because Dad's horse stopped to eat a bush, again.
We exist to give people the real thing. And we're looking for the wrangler who's going to lead the team that delivers it.
This is not a job for someone who's "good with horses." This is a job for a horseperson — someone who reads a herd, mentors a crew, runs a barn when the boss is off, and carries the standard when no one's watching.
If you just felt something reading that — keep going. If you're just looking for a summer gig — this isn't it.
---
YOUR MISSION (IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT)
To run point on the trail program, mentor the wrangler crew, and step in as Barn Boss when our Barn Manager is off.
As Lead Wrangler / 2nd in Command, you're our Barn Boss's right hand. You're the person the rest of the team looks to when things get hectic. You read the herd in the morning and know who needs an easy day. You know which guest is about to get tossed before the horse knows. You set the standard, you hold the line, and you keep the barn running like a Swiss watch — calm, clean, kind, no drama.
Every guest at STR travels through an arc we call the 5 R's: Recover & Rejuvenate, Remember & Reconnect, and Reimagine Life. You make the horse part of that arc real — ride by ride, lesson by lesson, moment by moment.
That's your mission. And it's sacred work.
---
HOW WE RIDE
Our horsemanship philosophy is short, opinionated, and non-negotiable. Read it carefully. If you nod along, keep going. If you wince, this isn't your barn.
01 — Horses are partners, not tools. Every interaction reinforces that. The way we catch them. The way we tack them. The way we cool them out. We don't make horses do things. We ask, and we earn the answer.
02 — Safety hierarchy: Safety > Courtesy > Show > Efficiency. In that order. Always. We never skip a step to save time, and we never trade a guest's safety for a smoother shift.
03 — The herd is a system. You think about feed, water, hooves, teeth, ulcers, soreness, herd dynamics, paddock rotation, and saddle fit. Not just the horse you're riding today.
04 — The horse you're given is the horse you needed. We match horse to rider with care — by weight, skill, temperament, and what the guest needs to learn. We don't put guests on the horse they want. We put them on the horse that will serve them.
05 — Quiet beats loud, every time. The best horse people in the world are the quietest. Voice down. Energy steady. Hands soft. The horses know who's calm before the guests do.
06 — How you do one thing is how you do everything. A clean barn says we care. A tidy tack room says we care. A dropped lead rope says we don't. There is no back-of-house at STR. Every guest can see your barn.
07 — The standard holds when no one's watching. The last ride of the season gets the same standard as the first. Not because the Barn Boss is checking. Because that's who we decided to be.
---
WHAT YOU'LL ACTUALLY DO
Lead trail rides. Confidently, beautifully, safely. Through Roosevelt National Forest, at 8,000+ feet, on the kind of terrain that asks something of both rider and horse. You read the group, set the pace, manage the spread, and deliver an experience guests will be telling their friends about for years.
Mentor the crew. Trail wranglers, kids' wranglers, interns. You teach by example, correct with kindness, and hold standards without lecturing. The wranglers want to ride your shift because you make them better.
Step in as Barn Boss on Barn Boss' days off. Run the morning catch. Assign horses to guests based on the safety match. Run the wrangler shift. Handle the curveballs. Keep the operation moving without missing a beat.
Carry the herd's health. You're paying attention to the horse who looks off, the saddle that's slipping, the feet that need a touch-up, the one who's dropping weight. You bring it to the Barn Boss before he has to ask.
Match horse to rider. This is the safety-critical decision of the day. Every day. You know the herd. You know the rider's weight, skill, and gut. You make the call.
Help guests fall in love with horses. Not just the riding. The catching. The brushing. The leaning into a warm shoulder at sunset. You read which guest needs which moment, and you give it to them.
---
WHO YOU ARE
You'll need:
• Multiple seasons of real working ranch, outfit, or guide experience — not just "I grew up around horses." We need someone who's run rides, managed strings, and held the line under pressure.

• Confident leading rides in mountain terrain at 8,000+ feet — terrain reading, pacing, group management, weather awareness

• Deep horse-management knowledge — nutrition, basic equine first aid, hoof and tack, herd dynamics, soundness assessment

• Leadership presence — calm under pressure, clear communicator, sets the pace without raising your voice

• The ability to match horse to rider — by weight, skill, and temperament — and the judgment to make the call without second-guessing

• DRA Wrangler Safety Certification (or willingness to certify on-site at the start of the season)

• Current First Aid / CPR / AED (or willingness to certify before your first ride out)

• The lived-in standard of "horses are partners, not tools" — visible in how you catch, tack, ride, and put away


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WHO ACTUALLY ENDS UP HERE
We hire across every stage of life. Second-career cowboys who finally said "enough" to the desk. Rodeo queens stepping up into their first wrangler season. Seasoned outfitters between jobs. Empty-nesters who've waited twenty years for this. Twenty-somethings who grew up in the saddle and want a season that means something. Retired ag teachers, ex-military, working students.
Age isn't the filter here. Character is.
If you've got the work ethic, the humility, the heart, and the horse skills — we've got a seat in the saddle. We've seen 22-year-olds out-lead people twice their age. We've seen 60-year-olds bring more energy than the whole bunkhouse combined. The right human is the right human, full stop.


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THE CREW YOU'RE JOINING
STR is a small ranch. 24 guests max. That means every single person on this team matters. There's nowhere to hide. And there's no one who's "just" anything.
You report to our Barn Boss / Head Wrangler and you partner with the Head of Hospitality, the Ranch Ambassador, the Brand & Operations Integrator, and the Head Chef. You sit at the table — not in the back of the barn.
We run on five pillars: Nature. Presence. Play. Challenge. Connection.
Most ranches have rules. We have principles. Rules tell people what to do. Principles tell people who to be — and then trust them to figure out the what. We run on 7, each with its own STRism:
01 — Flow First. "If it kills the vibe, kill it." We are a Flow Facility — every experience is engineered to create the conditions for human beings to enter their highest state. A wrangler reads flow before anyone else does.
02 — Unreasonable Hospitality — To All. "One more thing. Mediocrity dies at the gate." The wrangler who notices the kid is scared and walks alongside her horse the whole first ride. The wrangler who pulls a fresh horse out of the paddock for the guest who fell in love with that one. The "one more thing" lives in the barn as much as anywhere.
03 — How You Do One Thing Is How You Do Everything. "The tone you set is the standard you get." A hose left on the ground says we don't care. A resort-clean barn at 4pm says we do.
04 — Own The Experience. "Ride for the brand." You're not running a program. You're an owner of the experience. You see the problem, you solve it. You bring solutions, not problems.
05 — Be The Ripple. "Be a better human. Be the ripple. Leave it better than you found it." The kid who goes home and treats their dog with the same patience you taught them with their horse — that's us.
06 — Clear Is Kind. "Unclear is unkind. And bitching will not be tolerated." We say the thing. Directly, warmly, and early. Especially in a barn.
07 — Cowboy Up. "Heels down, eyes up." Long days. Big seasons. The horses don't care if you're tired. The guests don't care if you're tired. The last ride of the season gets the same standard as the first. Not because the Barn Boss is checking. Because that's who we decided to be.
And above all of it — three obsessions that will make us legendary:
Obsession 1: Make every guest feel like the only guest. Not one of 24. The only one. 
Obsession 2: Build something they can't find anywhere else. Not better. A different category entirely. 
Obsession 3: Send them home changed. Not just rested. Genuinely, measurably different.
Our identity lives in the dichotomy: Wild + Warm. Authentic + Elevated. Western + World-Class. Restorative + High-Performing. Human + Disciplined.
If that dichotomy excites you — you'll thrive here. If it confuses you — this probably isn't the place.
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REAL TALK — THIS ISN'T FOR EVERYONE
Let's be direct, because clear is kind.
Every person on this ranch is either energizing or draining the culture. There is no neutral. We build for energizers. If you bring the energy, we'll match it tenfold.
This is hard work. You'll catch in the dark. You'll shovel manure. You'll fix fences. You'll pick up every piece of hay twine you see, even if it's not yours. You'll wash dishes 2x a week. You'll do it all with a smile because that's who you are, not because someone told you to.
This is not a 9–5. Some days start early. Some nights end late. You'll eat meals with guests. You'll sit at campfires. You'll be "on" more than you're used to.
This is a tobacco-free, drug-free environment. No smoking. No chewing. No marijuana smoking. No exceptions. Random drug screening applies to all staff.
You'll wear western. Boots, hat with stampede strings, western shirts, jeans. No baseball caps. No t-shirts in guest areas. You're part of the show.
You'll live on-ranch. Bunkhouse-style staff housing — guys and gals in separate buildings, shared rooms, shared bathrooms, family-style meals. Rustic. Real. Part of the deal. Staff-only indoor and outdoor chillout zones (the outdoor one has hammocks, mountain views, and stars that'll change how you sleep).
If you just read that list and thought "Hell yes" — you're our kind of human. If you thought "That sounds like a lot" — it is. And it's worth every second.
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THE NUMBERS
• $15.16 - $16.50/hour (dependant on experience) + tips

• Seasonal position — start ASAP, run through end of September, possibly into October depending on bookings and your fit

• On-site lodging and meals provided (per IRC §119)

• Full access to ranch amenities on days off — horses, trails, the whole place

• Real coaching and professional development from leadership obsessed with helping you grow
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YOUR LEADERS
You'll be working alongside owners who don't just run a business — they're building a movement. With backgrounds in leadership development, organizational culture, and high-performance team design, they're obsessed with helping every person on this ranch become the best version of themselves.
This isn't lip service. This is weekly development, real life and career coaching, honest feedback, and the kind of mentorship most wranglers never get.
You won't just grow as a horseperson. You'll grow as a human.
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HOW TO APPLY
Send the following to jade@sundancetrail.com:
1. Your resume

2. Three references (one peer, one boss, one horseperson who can vouch for your work in the saddle)

3. A short note — why this role, why now, why a ranch

4. 2 short videos — Tacking a horse and riding. The phone camera is fine. Not polished. Real.
Sundance Trail Ranch is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We hire on character, capability, and culture fit — full stop.
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