Leary Family Ranch
Leary Family Ranch is seeking a dependable, experienced ranch hand whose primary responsibilities will be grounds maintenance, pasture care, and daily horse care.
This is not a position for someone looking only to ride horses or work livestock. The ideal candidate is equal parts groundskeeper, equipment operator, and horseman—someone who takes pride in keeping an exceptional ranch clean, safe, functional, and guest-ready every day.
About Leary Family Ranch
Leary Family Ranch is a premium Central Texas ranch focused on exceptional horse experiences, exotic wildlife, ranch hospitality, and personalized outdoor experiences. Our facilities include horse pastures, an eight-stall show barn, a large covered arena, riding trails, landscaped guest areas, wildlife facilities, roads, fencing, and ranch infrastructure.
We maintain the property to a high standard. Details matter—from the condition of the horses and stalls to the appearance of the trails, fence lines, barns, and guest areas.
Primary Responsibilities
Grounds and Property Maintenance
Grounds maintenance will represent a significant portion of this position.
- Mow, shred, weed-eat, edge, and maintain ranch grounds
- Keep barns, roads, trails, entrances, fence lines, and guest areas clean and presentable
- Remove brush, limbs, rocks, trash, manure, and other debris
- Maintain riding trails and clear low branches, washouts, and obstructions
- Assist with pasture maintenance, weed control, seeding, fertilizing, and erosion prevention
- Monitor and maintain water troughs, hoses, irrigation systems, and drainage areas
- Inspect fences, gates, latches, signs, and livestock enclosures
- Make routine fence, gate, barn, and property repairs
- Maintain the covered arena, including dragging, leveling, watering, and monitoring footing
- Pressure-wash barns, walkways, trailers, equipment, and other facilities as needed
- Help prepare the ranch for guests, trail rides, events, photography sessions, and special activities
- Assist with seasonal projects, storm cleanup, freeze preparation, and fire prevention
- Safely operate and maintain tractors, mowers, utility vehicles, trailers, skid steers, chainsaws, and other ranch equipment
- Complete routine equipment inspections, lubrication, cleaning, and minor maintenance
- Report larger equipment, fencing, water, or facility problems before they become expensive repairs
Horse Care and Barn Duties
- Feed and water horses according to established schedules
- Turn horses out and bring them in safely
- Clean stalls, remove manure, strip bedding, and rebedding stalls
- Clean and refill water buckets and troughs
- Handle large horses confidently and safely, including draft horses
- Halter, lead, tie, groom, and prepare horses for riding or ranch activities
- Pick hooves and observe horses for stones, cracks, heat, swelling, or tenderness
- Maintain clean aisles, tack areas, feed rooms, wash racks, and storage spaces
- Clean and organize saddles, bridles, grooming equipment, blankets, and other tack
- Assist with saddling and unsaddling horses
- Help load and unload horses when necessary
- Monitor horses for changes in appetite, attitude, movement, manure, hydration, or general condition
- Immediately report signs of illness, injury, lameness, colic, damaged fencing, or unsafe behavior
- Follow feeding, turnout, medication, veterinary, and farrier instructions exactly
- Assist with holding horses for veterinarians, farriers, and other equine professionals
- Help maintain safe and professional horse experiences for ranch guests
General Ranch Support
- Assist with animal chores and ranch projects outside the horse operation when needed
- Check gates, water systems, roads, fences, feeders, and ranch facilities
- Help receive feed, hay, bedding, fencing materials, and other supplies
- Maintain clean and organized shops, storage containers, barns, and work areas
- Document completed work and report maintenance needs to ranch management
- Follow ranch safety procedures and equipment operating requirements
- Work cooperatively with management, other employees, contractors, and guests
Ideal Candidate
The strongest candidate will have:
- Previous ranch, farm, groundskeeping, landscaping, equine, or property-maintenance experience
- Practical experience safely handling horses
- Confidence working around large horses
- Experience operating tractors, zero-turn mowers, shredders, utility vehicles, trailers, and other ranch equipment
- Basic fence, gate, plumbing, irrigation, carpentry, and mechanical repair skills
- The ability to recognize when a horse is injured, uncomfortable, sick, or behaving abnormally
- Strong attention to detail and pride in maintaining an orderly property
- Good judgment and the ability to work independently
- A willingness to follow established procedures rather than taking shortcuts
- A calm, professional attitude around animals, coworkers, and guests
- Reliable attendance and consistent follow-through
Minimum Requirements
- Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
- Ability to safely lift and carry at least 50 pounds
- Ability to repeatedly bend, climb, kneel, push, pull, rake, shovel, and perform physical work
- Ability to work outdoors in Central Texas heat, cold, wind, dust, and changing weather
- Availability for some early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays
- Ability to safely work around horses, exotic animals, tractors, trailers, and ranch equipment
- Willingness to complete a background check and driving-record review
- Ability to communicate clearly by phone and text
- Ability to recognize and report unsafe conditions immediately
Preferred Experience
- Two or more years of ranch, equine, landscaping, or grounds-maintenance experience
- Experience with draft horses or other large horse breeds
- Experience dragging and maintaining arena footing
- Experience towing and backing livestock or equipment trailers
- Experience performing minor equipment repairs
- Experience with pasture management, herbicide application, erosion control, or irrigation
- Welding, carpentry, fencing, plumbing, or mechanical skills
- Basic first-aid knowledge for horses
What Success Looks Like
A successful ranch hand at Leary Family Ranch:
- Notices work that needs to be done without always being told
- Keeps horses, barns, grounds, trails, and equipment clean and safe
- Treats every horse calmly, consistently, and respectfully
- Finishes jobs completely and puts tools and equipment away properly
- Reports problems early instead of hiding mistakes or allowing them to worsen
- Understands that guest-facing areas must remain exceptionally clean and presentable
- Can shift between routine daily chores and unexpected ranch priorities
- Takes ownership of the ranch’s appearance and condition
Schedule
This is a full-time, on-site position. Ranch work is not limited to a traditional Monday-through-Friday schedule. The position may include rotating weekends, holidays, early mornings, and occasional evenings based on animal-care requirements, weather, ranch activities, and guest schedules.
Specific days and hours will be discussed during the interview process.
Compensation
Competitive hourly or salaried compensation based on experience, equipment-operating ability, horse-handling skills, and overall qualifications.
Compensation range: $50,000.00 per year paid bi-weekly
Benefits or ranch housing, if applicable: Full health benefits
How to Apply
Please send the following:
- Your name and contact information
- A brief description of your ranch, grounds-maintenance, and horse experience
- Equipment you are qualified to operate
- Your current location and availability
- At least two professional references
- A résumé, if available
Applicants should be prepared to participate in a practical working interview that may include horse handling, equipment operation, trailer maneuvering, stall care, and common ranch-maintenance tasks.
Email
[email protected]
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Administrative/Operations Jobs, All Ranch Jobs, Barn Hand / Horse Groom Jobs, Equestrian Ranch Jobs, Equine Jobs, Family Ranch Jobs, Groundskeeping / Land Management Jobs, Guest / Dude Ranch Jobs, Horse Care / Training Jobs, Horseback Riding / Trail Guide Jobs, Private Ranch Jobs, Ranch Hand Jobs, Ranch Handyman / Maintenance Jobs, Ranch Jobs with Housing, Resort / Recreational Ranch Jobs