A Day in the Life -
by Jena Kruhmin , 4 years on staff

Rawhide Ranch is a place that is very special to me.  I spent so many wonderful summers here as a child, but the most memorable moments of my Rawhide experience are from my days as a counselor.  I’m going to do my best to tell you a little bit about the counselor experience, and what you can expect.

Rawhide Ranch is a place like no other.  Its first unique quality is its appearance, a small Old West town transplanted right into modern day North County San Diego.  Once you walk past the hustle and bustle of Main Street, you can quickly see why all the children spend their time here – there are animals everywhere!  Goats, sheep, chickens, cattle, and the beloved pig all call the EZ Stock Farm their home.  The Pony Barn is- you guessed it- filled to the brim with ponies!  And the Town of Longhorn houses the hardest working animals on the ranch, the horses, who take such good care of the campers they tote around all day.  Campers get to bunk in the Old Schoolhouse, the Wagon Train (which are real covered wagons, make no mistake), Fort Rawhide, or the Teepee Village.  But who wants to stay in bed when there’s so many fun and exciting things to do?

A typical day for a camper at the ranch involves going to classes and learning about horses, animals, and other western skills like roping, country dancing, or driving a pony-drawn cart.  Campers also get to participate in the usual camp activities like crafts, drama, and archery.  Their day is jam-packed with activities, but camp is also a time for them to live carefree for a week.

After being a counselor for so many years, I could go through the schedule with you minute by minute, it’s been permanently engraved into my brain, but you’ll learn the routine soon enough.  This camp runs like clockwork, and it’s up to the counselors and staff to make it all happen.  A typical day for a counselor starts early.  Wake-up call is officially at 6:50am.  Now, we can spend all day wondering why kids, on their summer vacation, want to wake up so early, or we can quickly realize that we need to be up even earlier!  We need to get ourselves and our kids ready and out the door by 7:20am.  Then we get a moment to actually open our eyes and get our gears turning during breakfast, where the kitchen staff has prepared our meal. Next it’s time for Animal Care, where we and the kids will feed, water, and clean the animals’ pens.  We will get all sorts of dirty, so dress accordingly!  Then it’s time for class, where we get to teach campers things they’d never ordinarily learn outside of camp.  Lunch, mail call- delivered by pony express- and then more class.  As the day wraps up, we do evening Animal Care, dinner, and then it’s time for my personal favorite part of camp...evening games!!!!!  Imagine 120 kids running around all 37 acres of the ranch screaming their heads off during a game of Capture the Flag.  Or a concert where each cabin puts together an awesome lip sync routine.  Or Friday nights, when our Evening Director puts on an awesome campfire filled with songs and skits, kids crying because they have to go home the next morning.  Believe me, we’ll never forget the words to those songs as long as we live, and they will always pop into our heads at the most random moments.

Being a counselor is a tough job.  It has its ups and downs.  Be prepared to have tons of fun, but also be prepared to deal with homesickness, hyperness, rebelliousness, and everything in between.  Also be prepared to plunge a toilet or two, and maybe even deal with some bedwetting. As summer staff working at a ranch camp, it is also important to know that we may be working with the horses, but it is almost always from the ground, which is incredibly hard work. Also be prepared to be tired, but to keep a smile on and push through it.  Some days we may be feeling awesome, some days we may be feeling worn out, but either way we need to be enthusiastic and excited!  It’s important to remember that we spend ten weeks at Rawhide Ranch during the summer, but many campers only stay just one week.  It may be our seventh time teaching Horse Psychology, or our 20th time teaching how to turn a horse in a circle, but it’s the kids’ first time learning it.  A popular philosophy for us is to treat every week like it’s Week One, putting just as much effort and enthusiasm in to our jobs all summer long as we did when we were just starting out fresh.

In truth, being a counselor at Rawhide Ranch is an experience that is hard to appreciate when you’re in the midst of it.  You will have fun, you will learn so much, you will be busy, and you will be tired.  But it’s only as summer comes to a close, and afterwards, that you’ll realize the true impact you’ve had on Rawhide Ranch.  You have had a hand in making this summer the best summer ever for over one thousand kids.  And take it from me, a former camper, Rawhide Ranch means the world to them.  They look forward to it all year long, and will start counting down the days until the next summer as soon as they return home.  Rawhide Ranch is a place that teaches kids some valuable lessons, and often times, helps shape who they are and who they’ll become as adults.  As a counselor, you have a big role in that process.  I don’t know about you, but to me, that’s a really big deal, and it’s something that stays with me.  I live my life as a role model because I know that as a counselor, my campers look up to me, they want to be like me, and it inspires me to always put my best foot forward.  You’ll also realize the true impact that Rawhide Ranch has had on you.  You have become part of the Rawhide Ranch family, a family that spans across generations and continents.  You leave here with a summer of unforgettable memories, some of them absolutely priceless.  Some of them may even bring a smile to your face years and years later, because they’ll always seem to have happened just yesterday.  You’ll also leave with a network of life-long friends, who will always be there when you need them, and who shared your one of a kind Rawhide Ranch experience with you.

It’s hard to really explain it, but you’ll quickly learn for yourself what I’m talking about.  Rawhide Ranch is a magical place, and I appreciate every minute I’ve spent on this ranch.

Jena Kruhmin - 4 years on staff

Yee-haw!

• To apply online, complete the online application and online background check
• To apply by fax/mail. download and print out the PDF application and Word doc background check and
  • Fax to 760-758-0440
  • Mail to Rawhide Ranch, PO Box 216, Bonsall CA 92003
  • Get Adobe Acrobat for the PDF document

Once we have reviewed your forms we will contact you to set up an interview. Thank you for your interest in working at Rawhide Ranch. If you are selected you will have an experience of a lifetime!

For more information call 760-758-0083 or e-mail jobs@rawhideranch.com