2026 Corral Manager

SWAN MOUNTAIN OUTFITTERS, LLC; West Glacier (MT); On-site; USD 25,389 - 30,411; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Room and board

Tips

Job summary

A leading outdoor adventure company in Montana seeks a Corral Manager to oversee trail rides and manage a team of wranglers. The role requires excellent communication and organizational skills, extensive horse care experience, and the ability to remain calm under pressure. Managers will perform tasks from preparing horses to leading rides and maintaining safety. Compensation includes $2,500/month plus tips, along with room and board. Availability for the entire season from May to September is essential.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in caring for horses.
• Must be available for the entire season from May to September.
• Current CPR, Wilderness First Aid, and Food Handlers Safety certifications preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee staff and manage herd health.
• Prepare horses for trail rides.
• Lead guests on trail rides.
• Handle office tasks related to reservations and payments.
• Coordinate maintenance and repairs.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Organizational skills

Ability to perform basic equine first aid

Ability to catch, groom, and tack up a horse

Ability to multi-task while riding

Job description

2026 Corral Manager role at SWAN MOUNTAIN OUTFITTERS, LLC

Corral managers must be able to perform all the functions of a trail ride wrangler and possess additional leadership and organizational abilities. Managers oversee a staff of 6‑10 wranglers and a herd of 30‑50 horses. They act as a liaison between the company and the National Park Service or U.S. Forest Service rangers, and sometimes must resolve conflicts among staff or with dissatisfied customers. Managers are ultimately responsible for assigning tasks, inventorying supplies, and handling issues related to staff meals and housing. They report to the general manager to coordinate trail and facility maintenance.

Season runs May‑September. Managers must be available for the entire season. Current CPR, Wilderness First Aid, and Food Handlers Safety certifications preferred.

Primary Functions and Responsibilities

• Preparing all horses for trail rides (grooming, saddling, etc.)
• Office tasks: opening/closing duties, accounting for cash flow, communicating with reservations staff, taking payments/reservations.
• Leading guests on trail rides: assist guests onto their horses, share interpretive information, converse with guests, and strive to be the highlight of their trip.
• General horse chores: scooping manure, tossing hay, cleaning troughs, fixing fencing, feeding grain, etc.
• General operations maintenance: trail work, tack repair, coordination with maintenance team for repairs, etc.
• Splitting cooking and housekeeping duties with coworkers.
• Making wrangler schedule and assigning tasks.
• Managing herd health: identifying and treating illness and injury, deciding which horses are working, making feeding decisions, etc.

Ideal Applicant

• Excellent communication skills; patient yet firm in explaining and enforcing safety policies with staff and clients.
• Well organized with great attention to detail; documents and logs activities, keeps office tidy, communicates supply needs timely, creates schedules.
• Calm yet able to act quickly under pressure to respond to crises (equipment malfunctions, illness, injury to staff/clients/horses, or wildlife encounters).
• Punctual, hardworking, and dedicated.

Our rides range from 1–8 hours and cater to first‑time riders. All rides are conducted strictly at the walk on terrain ranging from relatively‑flat dirt to steep, rocky switchbacks up a mountain. This is a customer service position; wranglers lead guests 4–8 hours a day and must maintain a safe, enjoyable, educational experience with an upbeat, professional attitude. Managers may ride less because they are responsible for the entire corral. We are a “nose‑to‑tail” trail ride operation; we do not start young horses or do any arena or ranch work.

Qualifications and Skills

• Extensive experience caring for horses.
• Ability to catch, groom, and tack up a horse (any discipline).
• Ride at walk, trot, canter.
• Ride confidently on unfamiliar horses.
• Identify signs of illness, lameness, or injury.
• Perform basic equine first aid.
• Identify and fix ill‑fitting tack.
• Multi‑task while riding.
• Work through problems calmly and professionally.

Compensation

• $2,500/month + tips
• Room and board

Location: Whitefish, MT