This isn’t a job ad. It’s a calling.

Something is broken in the world right now. 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 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 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.

If you just felt something reading that — keep going. If you’re just looking for a gig — this isn’t it.

YOUR MISSION (IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT)

To help lead a movement back to what makes us human — nature, presence, play, challenge, connection, and a life fully lived.

As a wrangler at STR, you ARE the ranch in the eyes of every guest. You’re not just leading trail rides. You’re creating moments that families will talk about for the rest of their lives. You’re helping a kid who’s never touched a horse discover something powerful about themselves. You’re helping a burnt-out parent remember what it feels like to laugh so hard their ribs hurt.

Every guest travels through an arc we call the 5 R’s: Recover & Rejuvenate, Remember & Reconnect, and Reimagine Life. You are the person who makes that arc real — ride by ride, conversation by conversation, moment by moment.

That’s your mission. And it’s sacred work.

THREE LEVELS. ONE STANDARD.

All three roles share the same non-negotiables: safety first, hospitality always, ownership mentality, and a work ethic that doesn’t quit. The difference is depth of experience and scope of responsibility.

LEVEL 1: KIDS WRANGLER — The Magic Maker

You’re the one who turns a nervous 9-year-old into a beaming little cowboy by Friday. You run our children’s riding program, lead arena lessons, take kids on trail, build birdhouses, run campfire cookouts, and sleep in the tipi on Tuesday nights.

You’ll need:

– Confident, experienced rider comfortable teaching kids of all ages and abilities
– Background in summer camp, youth development, or children’s programming (ideal but not essential — the right character matters more)
– Patience that doesn’t run out. Energy that doesn’t quit. Creativity on tap.
– The ability to communicate with parents about their child’s progress with warmth and clarity
– Current First Aid & CPR certification (or willingness to obtain before start date)

LEVEL 2: TRAIL WRANGLER — The Backbone of the String

You’re confident leading groups on trail through Roosevelt National Forest at 8,000+ feet. You care for the horses, 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.

You’ll need:

– 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

LEVEL 3: SENIOR WRANGLER / 2IC — The Well-Rounded Horseman (or Horsewoman)

This is for the person who can step in as backup Barn Boss on Gordy’s days off. You’re not just a rider — you’re a horseperson. You think about herd health, feed schedules, saddle fit, and string management. You lead by example and the other wranglers look to you when things get hectic.

You’ll need:

– Everything from Level 2, plus:
– Deep horse management knowledge — nutrition, health assessment, herd dynamics, tack and equipment
– Leadership presence — calm under pressure, clear communicator, sets the pace
– Ability to manage the barn operation: feeding schedules, water troughs, arena maintenance, horse assignments
– Willingness to mentor junior wranglers and hold the standard when no one’s watching

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.

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. You’ll learn to read a guest’s energy, match the challenge to the skill, and protect presence like it’s sacred.

02 — Unreasonable Hospitality — To All. “One more thing. Mediocrity dies at the gate.” Hospitality here means love. Not sentiment. Love as an act, a standard, a way of showing up. To guests. To teammates. To horses. To the land. You find the “one more thing” every shift — the moment nobody asked for, designed for this person, right now.

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 “they don’t care here.” A resort-clean barn says “these people care about everything.” There is no back-of-house at STR. There’s only one standard.

04 — Own The Experience. “Ride for the brand.” You’re not an employee running a program. You’re an owner of the experience. You see a problem, you solve it. You think guest-first in every decision. You bring solutions, not problems.

05 — Be The Ripple. “Be a better human. Be the ripple. Leave it better than you found it.” The guest who leaves STR and is kinder to the person who cut them off in traffic — that’s us. The kid who goes home and teaches their brother to catch people doing things right — that’s us.

06 — Clear Is Kind. “Unclear is unkind. And bitching will not be tolerated.” We say the thing. Directly, warmly, and early. Clarity is the highest form of care we give each other here.

07 — Cowboy Up. “Heels down, eyes up.” Ranch work is hard. Long seasons. Physical demands. Guest expectations that don’t drop because you’re tired. The last day of season gets the same standard as the first. 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 them 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.

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. That’s not a judgment — it’s a design principle. We build for energizers. If you bring the energy, we’ll match it tenfold.

This is hard work. You’ll shovel manure. You’ll wash dishes. You’ll mop the kitchen floor. You’ll do housekeeping. You’ll fix fences. 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. 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. Dormitory housing. Shared spaces. Community living. That’s the deal.

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.

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 coaching, honest feedback, and the kind of mentorship most people pay thousands for.

You won’t just grow as a horseperson. You’ll grow as a human.