Teamster

Paws Up Montana is America's premier luxury ranch resort. Set on a 37,000-acre ranch, Paws Up embodies the spirit of the American West.  It's a family owned and award-winning destination that truly inspires.

Paws Up Montana is seeking a Teamster to add to our team. The Teamster’s main job responsibilities is to perform the wagon rides for the Chuckwagon Dinner experience several evenings each week as well as wagon rides during the day for in-house guests. Additionally, wagon rides for the public in town may occur during the holiday season. These rides will take place on varying terrain and in potentially inclement weather. This position requires excellent customer service skills, advanced draft horse and driving knowledge, flexibility and a “can do” attitude.

The Equestrian department of the Resort has very specific ways that it handles their horses, following the practices of Tom and Bill Dorrance, Ray Hunt and Buck Brannaman. The wagon teams are often also ridden under saddle and ground worked in accordance with the horsemanship practices of the above-mentioned horsemen. Consistency is key for our horses so anyone applying for this position must be open to learning and the most basic parts of our methods and philosophies to their own handling techniques and routine with our draft teams when being caught, lead, tied and loaded, as well as when under harness.

This is typically a 10-month job, but candidates with other skills and interests such as operating ranch equipment, fixing auto-waterers, maintaining hot fence, grooming arenas, snow plowing, etc. may be considered for year-round work.

The Primary Functions are: 

1. Driving draft horse teams two abreast pulling wagons and carriages for the Chuckwagon dinner ride and other wagon rides/carriage rides for resort guests
2. Engaging and entertaining guests in a professional and courteous manner
3. Maintain all draft horse tack, upkeep of wagons and carriages, upkeep and maintenance of draft wing of the barn.
4. Problem solving
5. Communicating effectively with different types of people
6. Catching, grooming and harnessing of draft horses
7. Ability to monitor health concerns with draft horses
8. Incident management and mitigation 
9. Available for “on call” situations.
10. Ability to drive a truck and 24’ horse trailer

Additional Responsibilities: 

1. Support in the overall operation of the Horse program with duties such as fencing, feeding and mucking stalls when there are fewer wagon rides booked in a given week.
2. Assist in upkeep of the Saddle Club event center.
3. Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Looking for Team Members with:

1. Advanced draft horse team driving skills
2. Extensive experience and passion for horses
3. Excellent customer service skills
4. Advanced knowledge of harnessing, hitching and driving draft horse teams
5. Organizational and Communication skills
6. First Aid and CPR
7. Clean driving record and driver’s license required

8. Previous experience with Draft horse team driving with wagons and carriages

Team members can look forward to: 

• Carpool Reimbursement $5-$20/Day
• Limited Housing Assistance Available
• Employee lunch provided
• Referral Bonus
• Employee discounts on merchandise

Paws Up Montana provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.