TL;DR
- Copy the 15-line template, then score applicants on the 12-row riding test. Colorado’s guest ranch association says its members do most summer hiring December through March.
- A seasonal recreation business may be exempt from minimum wage and overtime if it operates 7 months a year or less. Seasonal operators under contract in a national forest or park lose that exemption and owe overtime after 56 hours.
- An employer may never keep employees’ tips. A compulsory charge, such as 15% of the bill, is not a tip at all, so describe it separately.
- Outside agriculture, the federal list of jobs open to 14- and 15-year-olds does not include horse care or guiding rides.
Wranglers read an ad for the size of the string, the length of the rides, the riding test, the tips and where they sleep.
Below are a copy-and-edit template, an example, a riding test scorecard and the federal rules behind the pay, tips and age lines. What applicants expect is in how to become a wrangler. Confirm legal points with your state labor department.
What should a wrangler job description include?
Fifteen lines, from position and season to tips, housing and the riding test. Several carry a legal rule.
| Line | Why it belongs in the ad |
|---|---|
| Season dates | Guest ranches hire whole seasons at once, in winter |
| Duties as tasks | Written job descriptions are evidence of essential functions under federal disability rules |
| Riding level and test | Applicants self-select, and the test matches the ad |
| First aid and CPR | OSHA requires a trained first aider where no clinic is near |
| Pay, overtime and tips | Exemptions vary by ranch; tips and service charges follow different rules |
| Housing and meals | Counting them toward wages is capped at your cost |
| Minimum age | Child labor rules limit what under-18 staff may do |
Pay range laws and general listing rules are in how to write an outdoor job listing.
What does a wrangler job description template look like?
Like the block below: 15 lines in the order a wrangler asks the questions. Replace every [bracket] and delete options that do not fit.
Position: [Wrangler / Head Wrangler / Kids’ Wrangler / Trail Guide], [summer / fall / winter] 2027 season.
Ranch and location: [Ranch name], a [guest ranch / trail ride livery / camp] [number] miles from [Town, State]. [Number] horses, [number] guests a week. Rides on [our land / [name] National Forest under a Forest Service permit / BLM land].
Season: Arrive [date], 2027 for training. Guests [date] to [date]. Release [date], 2027.
Duties:
- Guide [walk-only / walk-trot-lope] rides of [1 to 2 hours / half-day / all-day], up to [number] guests per wrangler.
- Catch, groom and saddle [number] head each morning; unsaddle, feed and turn out at night.
- Ask each guest about riding experience and match them to a horse; give the pre-ride safety talk; check cinches, bridles and stirrups before every ride.
- Horse care: [doctoring, hoof picking, watching for lameness, working with our farrier and vet].
- Kids and arena: [pony rides, kids’ lessons for ages [range], beginner lessons, weekly rodeo].
- Barn and pasture chores: [stalls, water tanks, hay, fence, tack repair].
- Guest time: [meals with guests / evening program / cookouts].
- [Packing: lead pack strings of [number] to [camp], [number] nights out.]
Required: [Number] seasons of [guest ranch / outfitter / ranch] riding. Pass our riding test [in person / by video]. [Able to lift [weight] pounds and ride [number] hours a day.]
Preferred: [Shoeing] [colt starting] [teaching kids] [CHA Trail Guide certification] [trailering a gooseneck].
First aid and CPR: [Current card required / we pay for a course before guests arrive].
Schedule and days off: [Usual start and finish]. [Number] days off a week, [fixed / rotating]. [Evening program [number] nights a week.]
Pay: $[low] to $[high] per [hour / month], depending on [experience]. Paid [every two weeks]. [Overtime at time and a half after [40 / 56] hours / Overtime: [our basis].] [Season-completion bonus of $[amount] if you stay through [date].]
Tips and gratuity: [Guests tip voluntarily; tips go into a pool shared by [who], split [equally / by hours], paid [weekly / at season end].] [Our [percent]% service charge on guest bills is paid to staff as wages.] The ranch keeps no tips.
Housing: [Bunkhouse / cabin / wall tent], [number] to a room, [private / shared] bath, [cell / Wi-Fi / none]. [No charge / $[amount] a week].
Meals: [Three meals a day with guests and crew / staff kitchen], [no charge / $[amount] a week].
Gear: We provide [horses, saddles, tack, helmets, rain slickers, radios]. You bring [boots, hat, gloves, chaps, own saddle if you prefer].
Requirements: [16 / 18 / 21] or older, because [state law / our insurance / you will drive guests]. [Driver’s license, because you will haul horses on public roads.] [Background check / drug test.]
To apply: Email [address] a resume, [number] references, a riding video showing [saddling, mounting, walk, trot and lope] and your available dates by [date], 2027.
What does a filled-in wrangler ad look like?
Like this summer guest ranch ad. The wording is a model, not a real listing.
Wrangler, Summer 2027
[Ranch Name], a guest ranch near [Town, State], runs [number] horses on our land and the [name] National Forest. Arrive [date] for training; season ends [date], 2027.
The work: Saddle the string before breakfast, match guests to horses, give the safety talk and lead morning and afternoon rides. Teach beginner arena lessons and run the kids’ pony ride. Feed, doctor and turn out at night.
You’ll need: Two seasons of guiding rides for a guest ranch, livery or outfitter, and a riding video at walk, trot and lope. First aid and CPR, or take our paid course before guests arrive. Age 21 or older, because wranglers drive the guest van.
Pay and tips: $[low] to $[high] an hour, overtime as the law requires, paid every two weeks. Guest tips are pooled among all hourly staff and paid weekly. $[amount] bonus for staying through [date].
Housing and meals: Shared wrangler cabin, two to a room, at no charge. Three meals a day with the crew. No pets.
To apply: Email [address] with a resume, three references and your video by [date], 2027.
What should a wrangler riding test check?
Twelve skills, scored the same way for every applicant, in person or on video. The closest published benchmark is the Certified Horsemanship Association’s: walk, trot or jog, and canter or lope “with correct diagonals and leads and with control.”
CHA also requires catching, leading, grooming and tacking “without assistance.” The other rows and the rating scale are a format to fill in, not an industry standard.
| Skill | What to watch | Rating (not yet / meets / strong) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catching and haltering | Approach, halter on without a chase, calm horse | [ ] | [ ] |
| Leading and tying | Position at the shoulder, safe knot, safe distance from other horses | [ ] | [ ] |
| Grooming and feet | Picks all four feet, notices heat, cuts or loose shoes | [ ] | [ ] |
| Saddling and bridling | Pad and saddle placement, cinch checked twice, bit and headstall fit | [ ] | [ ] |
| Mounting and dismounting | From the ground, horse standing, both sides if you require it | [ ] | [ ] |
| Walk, trot or jog, lope or canter | Control, correct leads and diagonals, balanced seat | [ ] | [ ] |
| Stop, back, turn | Light hands, horse responds without a fight | [ ] | [ ] |
| Unfamiliar horse | Rides one of your string they have not seen | [ ] | [ ] |
| Leading a line | Looks back, spaces riders, sets pace for the slowest | [ ] | [ ] |
| Safety talk | Clear, short, covers your ranch’s rules | [ ] | [ ] |
| Matching a guest | Asks the right questions in a role play, picks a suitable horse | [ ] | [ ] |
| A problem on the trail | Talks through a spook, loose horse or fall | [ ] | [ ] |
Add rows for kids’ lessons, ponying or packing if the job includes them.
Do wranglers get overtime, and which exemption applies?
It depends on the ranch, and each ranch must check which exemption, if any, fits. Section 13(a)(3) of the FLSA exempts seasonal amusement or recreational establishments from minimum wage and overtime.
The establishment qualifies if it operates no more than 7 months in a calendar year, or if its average receipts for any 6 months of the prior year were no more than 33 1/3 percent of the other 6 months’ average.
It turns on the business, not the job: a January 2021 DOL opinion letter says the exemption depends on the character of the employer. DOL Fact Sheet #18 (July 2008) warns that some state wage laws do not recognize it, and the stricter law wins.
National forest and park rides. The exemption does not cover private operators providing services in a national park, forest or wildlife refuge under an Interior or Agriculture contract. In 1995 DOL counted a USDA license to run amusement rides as such a contract.
Those employees fall under section 13(b)(29) instead, which still requires the minimum wage and time and a half after 56 hours a week. If your rides run under a Forest Service permit, ask your advisor whether that applies to you.
Agriculture. Fact Sheet #12 (January 2025) exempts agricultural employees from overtime, and agriculture includes raising livestock. The regulations name horses as livestock and define raising as breeding, fattening, feeding and general care, but neither addresses horses kept for guest rides.
If no exemption applies, every hour owes at least $7.25, the federal minimum, and hours over 40 owe time and a half. The day-rate math is in the hunting guide job description template.
How should the ad describe tips and a gratuity pool?
As three facts: who shares, how it is split and when it is paid. Under 29 CFR 531.52, an employer “may not keep tips received by its employees for any purposes,” and may not let managers or supervisors keep any part of an employee’s tips.
- Full wage, no tip credit. If you pay at least minimum wage in cash, the pool may include staff who do not usually get tips, such as cooks and dishwashers (29 CFR 531.54). Barn crew can share.
- Tip credit. Federal law allows a $2.13 cash wage with up to $5.12 an hour credited from tips, for employees who regularly receive more than $30 a month. The pool is then limited to tipped staff, and some states ban the credit.
- Head wrangler. A supervisor is defined by executive duties: managing as a primary duty, directing two or more employees, and authority to hire or fire, or recommendations given particular weight. One who meets that test cannot share in the pool.
- Service charges. A compulsory charge, such as 15 percent of the bill, is not a tip even when paid out to staff (29 CFR 531.55). It counts as wages, so call it a service charge in the ad, not a tip.
What housing, first aid and permit details belong in the ad?
The housing charge in dollars, your first aid standard, and the land your rides cross.
Housing and meals. If you count them toward wages, federal rules cap the credit at your actual cost, with no profit and no more than fair rental value (29 CFR 531.3). Acceptance must be “voluntary and uncoerced” (29 CFR 531.30). Details are in seasonal staff housing rules.
First aid. OSHA’s general industry rule, 29 CFR 1910.151(b), requires someone “adequately trained to render first aid” where no infirmary, clinic or hospital is in near proximity. It protects staff; set your own standard for guests.
Forest Service permits. Guiding for pay on National Forest System land, including “packing” and “touring,” needs a special use authorization (36 CFR 251.50 and 251.51). The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, for one, require guide information in the operating plan.
It wants an add-on form at least 48 hours before a new guide works commercially, so set start dates early enough to add new wranglers.
Equine liability. Montana’s equine activity law, MCA 27-1-727, keeps a professional liable for failing to inspect or maintain tack, or to make reasonable and prudent efforts to determine a rider’s ability. Put tack checks and rider matching in the duties.
What wording and age rules apply to a wrangler ad?
Describe the riding, not the rider. The EEOC bars ads that show a preference for or discourage applicants by race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age 40 or older, disability or genetic information. It covers employers with 15 or more employees, 20 for age.
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| “Young cowboys and cowgirls” | “Ride [number] hours a day; saddle [number] head each morning” |
| “College students for the summer” | “Available [date] to [date], 2027” |
| “Under 200 lbs only” | A limit tied to your horses and the work, after checking state and local law |
| “Must be 18” | “18 or older, because [the law or our insurance] requires it” |
EEOC regulations name “young,” “boy,” “girl,” “college student” and “recent college graduate” as ad terms that violate the age law (29 CFR 1625.4). The EEOC also says height and weight requirements may be illegal unless they relate to the job.
Under-18 wranglers. Section 13(a)(3) exempts only the minimum wage and overtime sections, so child labor rules still apply. Outside agriculture, 29 CFR 570.34 lists the “only” jobs open to 14- and 15-year-olds, and horse care and guiding are not on it.
When school is out, 14- and 15-year-olds may work up to 8 hours a day and 40 a week, until 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day. At 16 and 17 there are no federal hour limits, but hazardous jobs are barred.
One hazardous order bars minors from driving on public roads, except limited daytime driving at 17. On a farm, under-16s may not work in a pen or stall holding a breeding stud horse (29 CFR 570.71). CHA certifies assistant trail guides at 16, trail guides at 18.
When the ad is ready, you can list it on WildWork’s post a job page, where it appears with other wrangler jobs.
Frequently asked questions
When should a guest ranch post its summer wrangler ad?
By December. The Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association says its members do most summer hiring December through March and hire 800 to 1,000 people each summer. The hiring calendar shows when other trades look.
Do I need to require CHA certification?
None of the federal rules cited here requires it, so list it as preferred unless your insurer or permit asks for it. CHA certifications last three years with annual membership and 25 hours of continuing education to recertify.
Can I ask for a riding video instead of an in-person test?
Yes. One 2027 Wyoming listing asks for a riding video and a saddling video. Ask for the skills your scorecard rates, then confirm with a short ride on arrival. More on ranch hiring is in dude ranch jobs.
Does this template work for a ranch hand who also wrangles?
Partly. Keep the riding lines and add cattle and fencing duties. For year-round ranch work, see how to hire a ranch hand.
Sources
- Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association, Ranch Jobs page (coloradoranch.com), accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Certified Horsemanship Association, CHA Certifications, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- 29 U.S.C. 213(a)(3) and (b)(29); U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Fact Sheet #18, Section 13(a)(3) Exemption for Seasonal Amusement or Recreational Establishments (revised July 2008); Opinion Letter FLSA-1364 (Mar 24, 1995) and Opinion Letter FLSA2021-3 (Jan 15, 2021); 29 CFR 779.385, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Fact Sheet #12, Agricultural Employers Under the FLSA (revised January 2025); 29 CFR 780.120 and 780.121, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Fact Sheet #15, Tipped Employees Under the FLSA; 29 CFR 531.52, 531.54, 531.55 and 541.100, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- 29 CFR 531.3 and 29 CFR 531.30; Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1910.151, Medical services and first aid, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- 36 CFR 251.50 and 36 CFR 251.51; USDA Forest Service, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Outfitting and Guiding, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Montana Code Annotated, 27-1-727, Equine activity liability limitations, waivers, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices, Pre-Employment Inquiries and Height and Weight and Do the federal employment discrimination laws apply to my business?; 29 CFR 1625.4; 29 CFR 1630.2, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Labor, YouthRules and YouthRules for employers; Fact Sheet #43, Child Labor Provisions for Nonagricultural Occupations (revised December 2016); 29 CFR 570.34 and 29 CFR 570.71, accessed Oct 26, 2026.