Sweat, sunburns, worn boots, & very tired or very spirited horses.

5:50 AM:

Wake up with 5 minutes to spare before starting to saddle 40-60 horses. Shovel down some oatmeal and granola and count on a better breakfast later with guests.

6:00 AM:

Mumble good mornings to the co-workers while you can’t stop thinking about the dream you just woke up from laying on the beach with a cool ocean breeze. Figure out who is going to run-in the herd (the only actual wrangling part of the job). It’s your turn to run in the herd.

6:10 AM:

Grab the saddle, still half asleep, which feels extra heavy after a long week of work. Saddle up the trusty old run in horse who is also half asleep. Put your left foot in the stirrup and hop, hop, hop, your up in the saddle with a few joints cracking here and there.

6:45 AM:

The herd of 80 horses decided they didn’t want to come in today for trail rides. They avoided you like your run-in pony has the plague. They wouldn’t stop grazing and you had to chase them with a bull whip in your left hand yelling “Heyyyyy Upppp!” over and over again until the entire ranch has woken up. Guests complain later in the morning about a dying deer screeching in the field. Finally the herd runs in 30 minutes later while the rest of the wrangler team stands waiting and a bit irritated.

7:00 AM:

The dust settled from the run-in and the catch pen is chaotic with horses fighting for grain. Who is the lucky wrangler who gets to go into the catch pen with 80 horses and start catching? Today I am the saddler as it’s my strong suit!

7:15 AM:

15 minutes into saddling the 40 horse string for the breakfast ride, you see the new buckskin gelding Taco running loose outside of the pen taunting his friends with his freedom. You try to catch him, but he is too smart. He doesn’t want to go on the trails today. We are running out of time to saddle so you abandon Taco and let him have his 10 minutes of freedom.

7:30 AM:

All the duded horses are saddled and tied next to each other eating their morning grain. They are relaxed and ready for a day of work. The few new horses in the back of the pen are still scared, have no friends, and are fighting their way in the herd. They get the day off. Taco however, becomes your guide horse! Hopefully he isn’t as much of a smart ass when you ride him then when he is free.

8:00 AM:

32 guests show up on time for the 40 person breakfast ride. Start loading guests on to their assigned horse. Listen to tired and hungover guests complain their horse is slow, fast, mean, nice, old, hurt, etc. etc. etc…Agreeing with all the guests to get them to shut up and ride to the bacon that awaits you at breakfast camp. Adjust every persons stirrups until they fit their leg meticulously for the wild wild walking only ride.

8:10 AM:

Jump on Taco while making last minute training before getting on the new beast with eye contact, pets, and sniffs to prove you are his leader. Start leading the group out into the woods toward Breakfast camp where the bacon awakes, but first….The junior wrangler yells up to you as you are leaving the barn “Don’t forget to pack the bacon!!!!”. Reminding you to bring back as much bacon as possible on the horse, hoping the mountain lion doesn’t smell it before you get home.

11:00 AM:

Get back to the barn with 10 pieces of bacon packed away and a lazy guide horse who is tired from rushing the entire way home. Tie Taco up to let him know he isn’t done just yet! We have a 12 hour work day, boy. Give him a little treat because he was a good boy.

12:00 PM:

Finish watering the grass you’ve been tending to the past hour to avoid any other type of work. The grass is now dying from over-watering. Head to lunch and hope you don’t have to wait in line behind guests who show up late for the buffet.

1:00 PM

While in a food coma from over-stuffing your face with all the amazing BBQ guest lunch, prep the horses for another afternoon ride. Get informed you are guiding a 250lb, 5’5″ man who wants to gallop (rolls eyes intensely). Find the biggest guest horse we have, load the man up and get out on the trail. Trot the horses 5 steps and ask the man how it felt. When he says the gallop felt great and he feels like a natural, give a big thumbs up and conclude his horse is exhausted from galloping.

3:00 PM

Ask if you can train Taco in the arena, get denied, then ask if you can water the grass. Try to find new areas to water to avoid completely killing your grass patch. Untack Taco and give him extra love and treats because you realize he is your chosen steed for the summer who no other wrangler likes. Let Taco out into the catch pen to battle it out with the old herd vs. the new herd and hope he doesn’t get picked on too much.

4:00 PM

The best part of the day! The herd knows what time it is as they anxiously run circles around the catch pen like an overcrowded shark tank. Put the ropes up across the road, have wranglers on either side to prevent ‘run outs’ (Taco), and ensure the pasture gates lead them to the right field. Open the gates! The herd goes wild galloping out towards the green pasture fields in absolute heaven. The afternoon light lights up the horses mains and tails flowing in the wind. Their hoof beats on the dirt pound like thunder and you can feel it in your heart. Shed a little tear when you see Taco run by with his 2 b*tches because he is perfect.

5:00 PM

Immediately clock out, take off boots and pants, go down to the lake and jump in. Crack a cold one, feel all your sore body parts form the another hard days work start to relax.

Head to guest dinner for some elk steaks with a huckleberry glaze, wild mushrooms, and potato side.

12:00 AM

Realize you stayed up way too late and have to wake up in 5 hours to do it all over again.