Job Details

Position:
Head of Barn

Company:
Teton Valley Ranch camp – Dubois, Wyoming , USA

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Job Description:

Head of Barn

Teton Valley Ranch Camp | Dubois, Wyoming
Seasonal | May 10 to August 31, 2027
$20,000 to $24,000 for the season, plus private housing and meals
Reports to the Operations Director

Overview

At a 30-day camp, good horsemanship shows up quickly. A camper who was nervous around horses on arrival is running poles at the rodeo by the end of the session. A first-year wrangler is leading rides with confidence by July. A well-managed herd finishes August sounder and quieter than it started in May.

The Head of Barn is responsible for all three. We are looking for an experienced horseman or horsewoman to lead our herd, our wrangler crew, and our riding program, and to hold that program to a high standard every day of the season.

About TVRC

Teton Valley Ranch Camp has offered residential wilderness and ranch programs for young people in Wyoming for nearly 90 years. Our ranch outside Dubois covers 2,600 acres in the Wind River country, and our 60-head herd is at the center of camp life.

We serve about 130 campers in each of two 30-day sessions. Horsemanship is one of the core experiences of camp, and our goal is to build one of the strongest youth horse programs in the West.

The Role

The barn program runs from a written guidebook and is built to American Camp Association standards. The structure is in place. What it needs is a leader who will run it to that standard consistently, develop the staff who deliver it, and leave it stronger at the end of the season than it was at the start.

This is a leadership position. You will spend real time in the saddle, but the measure of the job is the condition of the herd, the skill of the wranglers, and the quality of instruction campers receive.

What You Will Be Responsible For

• Herd health and care. Daily care and feeding, farrier and veterinary coordination, doctoring, and monitoring condition across the season. Major decisions such as euthanasia or emergency veterinary transport are made cooperatively with the Executive Director.
• Riding instruction. Western horsemanship for campers ranging from first-time riders to experienced ones, including arena work (barrels, poles, keyhole), trail riding, and light cow work.
• Weekly rodeo. Planning and running the camp rodeo each week.
• Packing and on-ranch pack trips. Teaching packing and co-leading on-ranch pack trips with our Trips department.
• Staff leadership. Recruiting, training, scheduling, and supervising a crew of 6-8 wranglers and a Barn Coordinator. Setting expectations clearly and holding them fairly.
• Safety and records. Tack and equipment condition, barn safety, horse use and health records, and incident documentation.

Off-site pack trips are run by our Trips department with a contracted outfitter. The barn’s role on those trips is limited to setup, equipment transport, and inventory.

Season and Schedule

The season runs May 10 through August 31, 2027, with departure on September 1. The weeks before campers arrive are dedicated to preparing the herd and facilities and training the wrangler crew.

Recruiting and hiring work done remotely during the winter and spring is paid separately at $20 per hour. The season has a firm end date, which leaves room for fall work such as hunting guide and outfitter jobs.

Is This Role a Fit?

This role is likely a good fit if you:

• Have run a string, a barn, or a wrangler crew and are ready to be accountable for an entire program
• Judge a season by the condition of the horses at the end of it
• Teach riding clearly and patiently, and genuinely enjoy working with young people
• Can hold staff to a standard fairly and consistently, including when it is uncomfortable
• Want a defined summer season with a firm end date

It is probably not the right fit if you:

• Are looking for a summer of riding in the mountains with limited responsibility
• Prefer an environment where standards are loose or loosely enforced
• See teaching kids as secondary to the horse work

Qualifications

Required

• Multiple seasons of professional horse experience, including supervising other staff
• Experience teaching Western riding, preferably to young people
• Working knowledge of herd management and equine first aid
• Valid driver’s license and ability to pass a background check
• Current CPR and First Aid, or willingness to certify before the season

Preferred

• Equine doctoring skills
• Experience operating a tractor and hauling a stock trailer
• Wilderness First Responder
• Packing experience
• Prior camp or youth program experience
• CHA certification (Level 3 Instructor or higher, or Equine Facility Manager)

Physical requirements

• Lift at least 70 pounds
• Ride a wide variety of horses daily, including green or difficult ones
• Long days on your feet and in the saddle, outdoors in all weather
• Build and repair wire and rail fence

Reasonable accommodations are available for qualified applicants.

What to Know Before Applying

The ranch is remote, about 30 minutes from Dubois. July days are long, and by late August everyone on staff is tired. A new group of campers arrives at the midsummer session break, so instruction effectively starts over halfway through the season.

This is a demanding, seasonal position by design. We would rather say that plainly now than have it come as a surprise in July.

Compensation and Housing

• $20,000 to $24,000 for the season, based on experience
• Housing: private room with a shared bathroom
• Meals, laundry, and wifi provided during the season
• $20 per hour for pre-season remote work
• Time off: 36 hours off per week, plus occasional evenings

 

How to Apply

Email your resume and a short answer to each question below to careers@tvrcamp.org. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

1. Tell us about a horse you made better over the course of a season. What did you do?
2. How did the last string or barn you were responsible for look at the end of the season compared with the start?
3. Describe a time you held a staff member to a standard they did not agree with. How did it go?
4. What experience do you have teaching riding to young people?
5. Can you be on site from May 10 through August 31, 2027?

 

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Contact Information

Jim Ligori
290 E Broadway Ave, Ste 913
Jackson, Wyoming 83001, United States
Phone: 3077332958
Fax: NA
jligori@tvrcamp.org