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I need some help we are looking to move to Wyoming and I am trying to figure out where to go.
I currently am a horse trainer, and I'll be looking for an unpaid internship when we get there on a horse and cattle ranch to learn more about the ranch horse.
We have 2 horses, dogs, 2 kids and love the rural lifestyle.
My husband telecomutes so job is not an issue.
Any ideas?
Oh and my mother will prob come has well she is a nurse. so a hospital not to far away
thank you
As your husband's employment apparently isn't an issue, you'd need to focus on the availability of work for your Mom to guide you where to locate in Wyoming. Where she can get employment will be the key to where you can look for housing ... not the other way around. Fortunately, nursing is somewhat yet in demand around the state, so she may have multiple opportunities for you to choose from.
Horse trainer? this is Wyoming. You could be a Parelli, or an Anderson, or any one of a host of famous name trainers in the business and you will have but a very limited opportunity here, even for free when you're focusing on ranch work. Most folk with working horses on ranches already know what they expect and want from their horses, and even an unpaid position will have scant attraction for an outfit unless you want to be doing mostly the menial chores of horse care. The working ranches aren't in the business of training others to train their horses ... they're in the business of using their horses. FWIW, you'll find that many ranchers uses iron horses these days rather than live ones for their livestock handling .... I'm surrounded by many folk who breed/train horses (some at a national competitive level) and their game is the rodeo circuit; their roping horses wouldn't know how to behave outside of an arena. For example, I needed to round up a stray calf of mine a few weeks ago, and two neighbors have strings of roping horses (and corriente cattle to practice on and roping chutes in their arenas) ... and not one of their horses will cross live water, nor will go cross country to chase a calf. But they can score big bucks at the pro rodeo circuit, and thats the only place they are ridden ... in an arena. From what I've seen, even their trainers don't know how to do a trail ride .... and the ones who do don't need your services.
I'd mention that I have another neighbor who fancies themselves as serious horse trainers and quarter horse breeders, who came here from Wisconsin and thought they were coming to Wyoming cowboy heaven for ridin' and roping. They had a successful training business back home, and some decent sales through the years. Out here, their horses are a dime a dozen and not worth the premium prices they'd gotten back in Wisconsin. Horses have gotten to be such a liability and overhead expense for many people around here that you can find decent usable horses being given away ... or almost for free ... at the sale barns or on Craigslist; looking through some recent local sales, horses have been as low as $5/hwt. The only sales they've had in the last couple of years have been to their established clientele back in Wisconsin, and the only horses they've trained have either been their own or ones they've brought down from Wisconsin for training. Still ... these are arena horses, not ranch working horses, and definitely not trail riding horses.
I do have several neighbors with trail horses used for hunting. Outside of the few rides they get to keep them in shape the rest of the year, these horses are just pasture scenery until hunting season. Like so many other horses in Wyoming, they have a limited use/time of use and you'll not be learning from these horse operations.
Still another neighbor is a successful barrel racer who also breeds and trains horses for this use. They've built up a fancy horse training facility and they seem to have a steady trade of horses coming in for training ... from as far away as Canada. They recently asked me if I could help them out with some hay ... and candidly disclosed that they'd been losing money on all their horse training/boarding operations for years. If it hadn't been for their rodeo earnings and sponsor money, they'd have to have shut down their horse business except for their own horses which they pay for out of their off-ranch earnings. It takes a lot of dough to keep that KW tractor and their 4 horse w/living quarters on the rodeo trail ... for a maybe payout from time to time. It looks like a big deal when they get 5-figure winnings, but it doesn't happen very frequently. Most times, they seem to get a few hundred or a couple thousand in winnings ... and then they seem to acquire another horse rather than put the money towards their expenses.
Yet another ranching neighbor has a string of horses ... about 300. They get minimal care or attention. When ... and if ... they need to use a horse for their cattle operations, they'll round up a couple as needed and ride them. Otherwise, those horses are left to their own devices for most of the year out on a couple of sections. Are they rank from lack of use? probably. But this isn't an unusual situation.
Around Sheridan ranches still use horses to take care of cattle grazed on the mountain as iron can't be used up there, off trail. But having said that, there are not near as many horses used even for that.
It used to be a big thing when Eaton's brought their horses from Arvada through Sheridan to the Eaton ranch (dude ranch ) on the face of the mountains. It takes them 3 to 4 days and it was always a big to-do like having a parade. People lined the streets to watch the horses being driven through town. Hundreds of horses driven by a dozen ranglers. Last year there were 3 ranglers and 30 horses taken through town.
Just a few years ago, horses were a premium around this area. Today, not so much. Last year, I worked 2 horses that were green broke and settled them in to make something worth riding. Trained would be too strong of a word because I just finish broke, I didn't train them for anything but riding. Ranchers want very specialized training and I can't do that here. However, one horse was a 4 year old mare, had a good gate, we ended up giving her away. The second one was a 3 year old, coming on 4, we got $200 for him. The mare was a quarter/morgan cross, the gelding was a quarter/arab cross. We were lucky to get the $200.
Sheridan, Buffalo, Ranchester, Dayton, Story are a good area against the Big Horn Mountains as the ranches do use horses, but limited. On the ranches on the flat they use pickups and 4 wheelers, but in the spring when they move cattle to the high country, horses are used. A few are kept on the mountain to check on cattle during the summer, and of course there is a big roundup in the fall to bring the cattle off.
Sheridan has several good medical facilities to include Memorial Hospital, the VA, a cancer center, several clinics. I would say more medical facilities then normal for a town this size. Nursing jobs are plentiful. Buffalo has a hospital and although I have never been there, I've heard nothing but good from people that have used it. Story, Big Horn, Ranchester, Dayton and Parkman are all decent commutes to Sheridan. In the winter, should a storm roll through, roads are closed and it doesn't make any difference if you live 2 or 20 miles from work, roads get closed. Not often, last year the interstate was closed a dozen times due to blowing snow, but only for a few hours each time. Once that I can remember it was closed through the night and part of the next day.
Sheridan is also home to a very large Polo group. Well established, lots of envolvement, so that's a thought. There are also several hunting guide's that work out of Sheridan. I had to laugh out loud when Sunsprit described them as Pasture Scenery. That was so accurate!
Okay thank you both of you. I must say Im surprised when I mentioned wanting to head to either montana or wyoming, learn more about the ranch horse industry. People here in florida said the horse industry was still strong in wyoming. And i wldnt have an issue getting an internship. So guess that isnt true
I need some help we are looking to move to Wyoming and I am trying to figure out where to go.
I currently am a horse trainer, and I'll be looking for an unpaid internship when we get there on a horse and cattle ranch to learn more about the ranch horse.
We have 2 horses, dogs, 2 kids and love the rural lifestyle.
My husband telecomutes so job is not an issue.
Any ideas?
Oh and my mother will prob come has well she is a nurse. so a hospital not to far away
thank you
Michele;
The DRA operates out of Cody. However this is near the end of dude ranching season and so they aren't likely to be hiring now.
Okay thank you both of you. I must say Im surprised when I mentioned wanting to head to either montana or wyoming, learn more about the ranch horse industry. People here in florida said the horse industry was still strong in wyoming. And i wldnt have an issue getting an internship. So guess that isnt true
Having more than a passing familiarity with the horse business in FL ... in the Naples area, as well as up around Greenville ....
I can tell you that the FL horse business/industry is active with a lot more money in it than around Wyoming.
For example, I know of horse trainers in FL who are on salary for 5-figure incomes per month ... and they have a staff who do all the menial chores. The equine facilities they work out of would put most WY ranch houses, let alone line shacks on ranches ... to shame. I've seen artwork at some Naples area stable facilities that would take more money to buy than a deposit on a down payment on my farm/ranch here in WY. As well, I've seen some Naples area riding facilities there that were so manicured that the owners paid for staff to groom the riding trails behind them so that each time they came around the circuit, the paths were freshly dragged and hoof-print free. Fantasy land riding, in my view ... but they've got the dough and don't seem to have any qualms about spending it so frivolously on their pampered horses. I can see their concern about being sure that the alligators aren't out of the low spots and on the riding trails, but this is carrying riding trail prep to an extreme level ....
Around FL, there's enough equine business to support numerous specialty services ... equine dentists and therapeutic services, for example, who routinely bill hundreds of dollars per horse treatment and are scheduled for their next visit long in advance. Here in WY, most horse's teeth get floated by the local large animal vet ... if at all, and only when needed, not on a preventative well-care basis. I've seen several equine dental specialists in FL show up at a horse farm and do a dozen horses per day ... on their way to the next appointments just a few miles away. I've not known anybody to make a living here in WY as an equine dentist, or an equine chiropractor .... even farriers here have a very difficult time, most I know are either retired guys (and gals) seeking to have something to do and a minor income, or do it as a sideline from their real job.
Overall, my impression of the equine biz in the FL area is one of a lot more money and activity than you'll ever see here in WY ... and I've seen it firsthand when I've been trailering horses from this area to FL with our overnight stops at a lot of places to unload and rest the horses. I don't keep horses in a trailer more than 8 hours/day and won't take them for more than 3 consecutive days of long-distance traveling without a day break ... my goal is to get the horses to their destination in such good condition that they are ready to ride upon unloading from the trailer, just as they might be if I'd trailered them from my place to a day's trail ride in the area.
I think your right, money is better in Fl. But I am not overly concerned with money, its more about the way of life. I want to ride my horses somewhere other then the side of a busy rode, or work with horses that are going to do more then a dressage show.
We are looking to move to Wy for the way of life, not the money. We want to raise both our boys where there is a country, no your neighbors lifestyle.
Fl crime is going up, living is expensive and there is not much undeveloped areas
Lot's of riding areas in Wyoming. The Big Horns are some 190,000 acres of open National Forest. Short 30 minutes out of Sheridan to go riding. There are special requirements in Nation Forest (certified hay only). Some forestry personel hold to strict regs on tieing your horse to a tree, etc... Mountain Lions are usually not a problem but there are areas that you don't want to stray into. Black Bears, but the horse will let you know if they are around. haha
Lots of BLM land or State land to ride in. When they have the big roundup and even during branding season, about 1/2 the people are just people wanting to ride and help out.
The National Forest area has trails, or even open riding. There are some fences but most are just drift fences or fences to keep livestock off the highway. I'm sure the area around Laramie has lots of area to ride, same with Cody area. The Red Desert is huge and open but I wouldn't recommend riding that area, too much sand and blowing sand.
My daughter takes her horses up in the Big Horns and packs into a camp in the middle of nowhere and camps. She also does her deer and elk hunting with her horse and a couple pack animals.
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