Equestrian Center Wrangler

Sugarloaf Mountain Corporation; Boyne Falls (MI); On-site; USD 19,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Boyne Mountain is seeking an Equestrian Center Wrangler to lead trail and pony rides and care for the herd. You will ensure guest safety, provide pre-ride orientations, and help with equipment and safety checks.

Role requires comfort working outdoors, strong animal care knowledge, and the ability to work weekends/holidays. This full-time position includes access to resort passes and on-site amenities.

Qualifications

• 18 years of age or older.
• Possess a valid driver’s license.
• Working knowledge of equine health, feeding, and behavioral principles.
• Comfortable working alone in a herd of horses.
• Ability to lift up to 65 pounds.

Responsibilities

• Provide guests with a warm welcome and a safe, memorable riding experience. Assist with waiver completion and helmet fitting, deliver clear pre-ride orientations, match riders with appropriate horses, and guide mounting, stirrup fitting, and dismounting.
• Groom and tack up horses for trail and pony rides according to standards. Conduct tack and helmet safety checks before every ride and maintain accurate records in the Equestrian Log.
• Provide safe, attentive daily care for all livestock: feed, water, and monitor health; perform welfare checks and basic first aid.
• Maintain cleanliness of Equestrian facilities and equipment and support non-riding activities as needed.
• Share horsemanship knowledge with team members and guests and promote safe handling practices.

Skills

Equine knowledge

Guest safety

Trail riding instruction

First aid for animals

Team communication

Job description

Overview

Few roles at Boyne Mountain put you closer to the natural beauty of northern Michigan than this one. As an Equestrian Center Wrangler, you’ll lead guests on trail and pony rides while providing daily care for our herd — a variety of horses — in accordance with Boyne Equestrian Center standards. This is a position for someone who is genuinely at home in the saddle, knowledgeable about animal care, and passionate about creating safe, memorable experiences for guests of all ages.

Everything we do at Boyne Mountain is guided by our core values — L.E.A.D.S.: Long-Term Thinking, Excellence in Execution, Attitude is Everything, Develop Great People, and Serve First. In this role, you’ll live those values every time you care for an animal, lead a family down a trail, or make a first-time rider feel completely at ease. As a Boyne Mountain team member, you’ll also enjoy ski passes, golf passes, waterpark passes, and discounts on food, beverages, retail, daycare, and much more.

Responsibilities

• Serve First — Provide guests with a warm welcome and a safe, memorable riding experience. Assist with waiver completion and helmet fitting, deliver clear pre-ride orientations, match riders with appropriate horses, and guide mounting, stirrup fitting, and dismounting. Act as lead or drag rider on trail rides and lead pony rides with confidence and care. Communicate precise, friendly instructions throughout each ride to ensure safety, answer guest questions knowledgeably, and actively encourage repeat patronage.
• Excellence in Execution — Groom and tack up horses for trail and pony rides according to Boyne Equestrian Center standards. Conduct tack and helmet safety checks before every ride and maintain accurate records in the Equestrian Log. Disinfect helmets consistently and ensure every horse and piece of equipment is guest-ready. Facilitate non-riding activities, including presentations of various horse related topices to a wide variety of guests. Report and complete proper documentation for tack, equipment, safety, and incidents for guests and staff. May help in other areas as needed.
• Long-Term Thinking — Provide safe, attentive daily care for all livestock: stock round bales, administer pelleted feeds and supplements according to the feeding chart, and ensure a clean water supply at all times. Perform daily welfare checks monitoring temperament, body and hoof condition, and signs of injury or illness. Administer routine treatments and basic first aid. Maintain and repair tack.
• Attitude is Everything — Maintain cleanliness of all Equestrian facilities and equipment with consistency and pride: hand-muck corrals daily, clean lean-tos and pastures by hand and by machinery, clean feed buckets and tack areas, weed whip using proper PPE, and perform manual snow removal and sanding of key areas as needed. Periodically replace wood chips and fill dirt in corrals, pastures, and lean-tos. Hand-pick, drag, rake, and brush-hog pastures and trails. Whatever the task or the weather, you bring the same steady, capable energy.
• Develop Great People — Share your knowledge of horsemanship and animal care with fellow team members and guests alike. Model safe handling practices and help build a culture where everyone on the team understands and upholds Boyne Equestrian Centre standards.

Qualifications

• 18 years of age or older
• Possess a valid driver’s license
• Working knowledge of equine health, feeding, and behavioral principles
• Comfortable working alone in a herd of horses
• Comfortable leading guests solo on trail rides and pony rides, and confident in the saddle riding a variety of horses for up to 4 hours a day
• Comfortable giving presentations on various horse-related topics
• Able to work well independently as well as in a team setting
• Possess good time management skills
• Be responsible, have great communication skills, and have true passion for horses
• Ability to follow specific feeding, handling, and grooming instructions for each individual animal
• Ability to administer basic first aid to animals
• Able to lift up to 65 pounds
• Must be available to work weekends and holidays
• Must be able to work long days outdoors with exposure to hot and cold temperatures and other inclement weather

If you’re a skilled horseperson who loves working outdoors, takes genuine pride in animal care, and wants to share that passion with guests every day — we’d love to have you in the saddle with us.