Wrangler
Company: Knightsbridge Capital Corporation
Location: Bonner
Posted on: April 1, 2026
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Job Description:
We Inspire People to Be More Alive About Paws Up Montana: Paws
Up Montana, America’s premier luxury ranch resort, is more than a
workplace—it’s a chance to be part of something extraordinary. The
ranch is located outside of Missoula, Montana and offers those
interested (and qualified) the opportunity to hone their own
horsemanship skills as well as teach guests, from beginners to
advanced riders, how to advance theirs, all while becoming part of
a family/community and while experiencing all the fun that Montana
has to offer. Position: Wranglers to join our ranch team for
2026/2027 guest ranch season. The position’s core duty is to safely
lead guest trail rides and (for those Wranglers that show an
aptitude for the job and its expectations) cattle drives. Wranglers
must feel comfortable and confident riding at a walk, trot and lope
on horses they are not initially familiar with, and in what many
would consider a high stress environment (you are responsible for
the safety of each rider and horse on your rides). Riders of all
disciplines are welcome to apply! The Fine Print The busiest season
is May-August so new Wranglers must be able to start no later than
May 15th and stay through at least August 10th. Longer contracts
are also available, starting as early as March 2026 and going
through the Fall, and even into 2027, for the right people. Housing
is available, and is disccussed at the end of the interview
process. Wranglers may bring 1 personal horse to use as their work
horse for the season (so long as it meets certain criteria). No
pets of any kind are allowed in our seasonal staff housing or at
work. What We Offer: Career Development and Advancement
Opportunities Employee Assistance Program (5 free counseling
sessions) Referral Bonus Program (Get paid $250 to recruit) Carpool
Reimbursement ($5-$20/Day) Employee Discounts on Merchandise (30%
on select items in our retail store) Employee lunch provided
Primary Functions and Responsibilities Who you are as a human being
matters most. Applicants for this position must: · Be honest and
open ·Be hard working and disciplined · Have problem solving
abilities · Know how to hold themselves accountable · Be punctual
and consistent · Have a positive, “can do” attitude and a willing,
outgoing personality · Have a desire to grow themselves as humans
and horsemen, and love to learn ·Be humble, patient and empathetic
·Be accepting of others, are judgement free and have a sense of
humor (our core group of returning wrangler staff are all pretty
quirky and have a silly side) ·And have a deep understanding of and
ability to RIDE FOR THE BRAND. This is not a “nose-to-tail”
operation, though our horses will happily just walk straight down
the trail if asked; we take novice riders (in addition to very
advanced riders from all disciplines) out on trail rides and our
aim for any guest who is interested and willing is to challenge the
way they think about, and interact with, their horses and each
other, through our use of our horsemanship. This means that you
must be comfortable with multitasking while on the trail:
minding/working your horse, talking with and instructing guests,
and being vigilant for potential issues that may arise while riding
in all gaits across all types of terrain. Daily Duties Include
Leading guest trail rides on project horses. Instruct guests on
basic horsemanship, assisting guests onto horses, guiding them on
rides and conversing about the horses, The Resort and the history
of the area to provide an exemplary guest experience Prepare horses
for trail rides and horse related activities, such as grooming,
saddling, bridling, feeding, doctoring and tack repair Working
horses in the pre-season, using the ranch’s horsemanship techniques
General ranch chores Assist in daily herd health management and
identify injuries or soundness issues prior to selecting horses for
activities; assist in basic veterinary care as needed. Focus on the
safety of guests, self, co-workers and livestock while executing
daily job duties Assist with dispatching rides and assigning horses
as needed Participate in and follow all health and safety
standards, regulations, and policies Converse with the guests at a
high level, being aware of their needs and fulfill special guest
requests as instructed by management or the guest directly Ensure
confidentiality of guests throughout their stay Other duties as
assigned Horsemanship Information This position is first and
foremost a guest service position, thus people skills are a must
(the great majority of your time will be spent taking guests out on
trail rides and (for some Wranglers) cattle drives). That being
said, candidates for this position must also be interested in
learning and working at the basics of Vaquero/Natural Horsemanship,
chiefly the lineage of the Dorrance brothers, Ray Hunt and Buck
Brannaman. In this program, those basics are defined as: Feel,
Timing and Balance. We use these tenants, and a focus on
biomechanics, to create a softness and willingness of response to
aids. Wranglers can expect to work at: Their feel Their seat and
leg aids Lateral flexion Independent movement of the front and hind
quarters Keeping horse within the rider’s rectangle Vertical
flexion/soft feel Prompt responses to seat, leg and rein cues
Setting boundaries Familiarization to flag, tarp, rope, etc. There
is nothing quick about these practices so if you are looking for
training exercises that will “fix a problem” or make a certain kind
of horse to fit into a certain kind of performance discipline, this
may not be the program for you. We believe in focusing on the
growth and development of the mind and body of the horse, to create
a well-rounded animal that is quiet, willing and freed up.
Wranglers are expected to groundwork their horses at the beginning
of each day, using the program approved checklist and, if time
allows, put a first ride on them in the arena using the riding
checklist. All wrangler horses are destined for the guest string,
so all wrangler horses are projects, however the level of project
horse given to each wrangler is determined by the individual's
interest in, and dedication to, learning and executing our
horsemanship methods, as well as his/her abilities and comfort
level, amongst other things. *In addition to a resume, each
candidate will be expected to submit the following videos upon
request once their applications is received and reviewed:
Introduction to you: who you are, where you’re from, why you’re
interested in the position and any other talking points you may
have Saddling and bridling only (skip everything else) Pretending
the camera is a group of novice guests, show and tell them how to
mount, and then once on your horse, how to turn, stop, steer, etc.
and any pertinent information you would feel you want to give our
guests before they get on their horse. Walk trot and lope both
directions Explain 1 thing that you are working on with your horse
and why, and then show how you are working on it, while talking
through what you’re doing and why. Supportive Functions and
Responsibilities Display hospitality and professionalism to our
guests and team members at all times, take pride in representing
Paws Up Montana professionally with our guests and assure that all
transactions with guests are handled in a legal, ethical, and
confidential manner. Maintain a favorable working relationship with
all Resort team members to foster and promote a positive working
environment. Maintain a clean and neat appearance at all times.
Perform work in a safe and high-quality manner. Educational,
Experience, Licensure Required Horseback riding experience is a
must, whether English or Western (riding videos will be requested
during the interview process) Valid State Driver’s License with two
years of driving experience Paws Up Montana provides equal
employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for
employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type
without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin,
disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other
characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This
policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including
recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff,
recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and
training.
Keywords: Knightsbridge Capital Corporation, Missoula , Wrangler, Hospitality & Tourism , Bonner, Montana