Coming all the way from the east coast to head the Red Horse Mountain Ranch Kids Program is Rachel Weedon. As a second year wrangler, Rachel knows what it takes to guarantee that even the youngest guests are able to fulfill their dreams of becoming real cowboys and cowgirls — even if it’s just for a week. Although, here on the ranch, Rachel does a superb job of leading the kiddos in activities like shooting rifles on the plinking range or painting ponies at the barn, Rachel is most known for her ability to sing Disney songs at the top of her lungs and to catch frogs at the pond with her bare hands.
Excited for a chance to leave New Jersey, revisit her roots in Western riding and put her degree in education to use outside the limits of a four-walled classroom, Rachel was determined to obtain a seasonal position working with kids at a guest ranch. Growing up, Rachel was fortunate enough to visit dude ranches with her family almost every year. During her search for wrangler positions, she often found herself relying on her own guest experiences and favorite ranch memories to guide her towards finding the perfect ranch. Specifically, some of the things Rachel looked for during her research included kids’ programs which featured both horseback riding and other adventure activities for youngsters (like rock climbing or archery), the ability for ranch employees to participate off the clock in guest events (like meals or night activities), and the opportunity to live in an environment that was both beautiful and isolated away from the rest of the world; Red Horse Mountain Ranch fits all of these criteria.
This summer, Rachel is most looking forward to working alongside all of the new kids’ wranglers to create the best Kids’ Program Red Horse has ever seen. Some of the changes that have already begun to take place include revamping the Wednesday morning treasure hunt and adding a “kids only” nature hike to an ice pop station hidden in Barbecue Meadow. Although it may only be first week of kids here at the ranch, it’s already clear to see that the Red Horse Mountain Ranch Kids’ Program is the best place to be this season!