How One Life-Long Rider became a Full-Time Wrangler

Jasper Weller loved horses since he was eight years old. But he had no idea then that he would one day make his living working with and riding horses. Yet, today, he is one of the full-time wranglers at the Stables at Tamaya.

Jasper, who is 35, was born in Seattle, WA, and moved to Las Cruces, NM, when he was five. When he was about eight, he would pass a riding stable whenever his mother drove him to soccer practice. He convinced his mother to let him start hunter/jumper lessons.

“I’ve always been an animal person, but I especially loved horses,” he says. “In fact, I connect more with horses than people, so it made sense that I loved being around and riding them.” Jasper continued riding English while living in El Paso, TX, for several years.

His family moved to Albuquerque, NM, when Jasper was 16, and he got his first job working with horses part-time in the summer at the Boy Scout Ranch in the Gila National Forest near Silver City. It was then that he switched from riding English to Western.

After four years of summer work, Jasper decided to try college, but soon found himself working full-time for the Boy Scout Ranch. He served as its horsemanship director from 2010 until 2020. His job involved taking children out on trail rides every day.

“The horses have helped me be more confident about being in a leadership position,” Jasper explains. “When I was a teenager, I didn’t have that confidence, but the horses have helped me be aware of myself and how I need to communicate with other people. Being on the horse helps me be that leader.”

Becoming a Volunteer at the Stables at Tamaya

After 10 years at the Boy Scout Ranch, Jasper returned to Albuquerque and tried following in his father’s footsteps. His dad worked as a general contractor, and Jasper began doing handyman work. “At that time, I was determining what kind of job I wanted.”

One day, Jasper’s mother suggested he volunteer at the Stables at Tamaya and the Tamaya Horse Rehabilitation program. She had been following the horse rescue on Instagram.

Jasper followed his mother’s suggestion and began volunteering at the Stables at Tamaya. He immediately noticed a difference between the other places he had ridden and this one.

“I immediately felt a good vibe at the stables,” he said.

The Path to Full-Time Work at the Stables

As a volunteer, Jasper went back to the basics. “Show up, pick up poop, and love on the horses in whatever way I could.” He also filled water bins, went along on trail rides, groomed horses, tacked up horses, and loaded the hay truck. “Slowly, the other volunteers and staff realized I had done this before and have a gentle hand with the horses,” Jasper relates.

The Stables at Tamaya and the Tamaya Horse Rehabilitation Program are tight-knit communities requiring volunteers. But Connie explained, “We have to get to know the volunteers and make sure we are a fit on both sides. I expect a lot from my employees! I want them to excel at their jobs.

“Jasper is a perfect example,” she continued. “We required him to volunteer, so we could get to know him. He asked for a job but showed up in a kind of rag-tag attire. You can ask everyone… I have my standards. But he was willing to volunteer and worked really hard. We started using him slowly. I believe in second and maybe third chances.”

According to Connie, one little horse, named 24, gave Jasper confidence. “We saw Jasper change right before our eyes, and maybe even get a little too confident. This is where third chances come in…and another little horse named Dusty. Jasper and Dusty became best friends through a very rough period we were all going through.” 

“Jasper has become as much loved as Dusty and 24, and both horses have excelled under his kind demeanor. Anyone who wants to go riding with a guy with a long love of horses and the willingness to learn and grow would love a trail ride with Jasper,” Connie concluded.

Pursuing His Passion as a Wrangler

Jasper found himself wanting to be at the ranch as much as possible. He enjoyed the people, the horses, and the fact that he could live in Albuquerque but still get outside the city and to the ranch easily and quickly. “This simply felt like a good fit,” he says.

After three months as a volunteer, Connie Collis, owner of the Stables at Tamaya and founder of the Tamaya Horse Rehabilitation Program, started paying him part-time. “I was working for her and doing contractor or handyman work for a while. At the time, I wanted to diversify my jobs. I wasn’t 100% sure I wanted to work with horses full time. But I enjoyed being at the ranch and went out to volunteer even when I wasn’t being paid to be there,” Jasper says.

Then, Jasper’s partner encouraged him to work full time at the Stables at Tamaya. She was doing work she loved at an animal adoption agency and wanted to see him have a similar opportunity to pursue his passion. He gave up his other job and asked Connie for more hours. Not long after, Connie asked him if the ranch work was his only job. He saw that as an opportunity to reply, “Yes. If you want to give me enough hours to make working here a full-time job, I’ll do it.

The rest is history. Since the fall of 2022, Jasper has worked as a full-time wrangler, primarily taking people on trail rides. He spends six days a week pursuing his passion for horses.

What Does a Wrangler Do?

So, what does being a wrangler entail? First and foremost, Jasper is a trail leader. He describes this role as “a mixture of teacher and a tour guide.”

Jasper explains, “I have to teach people how to handle their horse on the trail rides, but at Tamaya, I also spend a lot of time talking about the land and New Mexico or the horse rescue.”

Additionally, he says, “A lot of my job is regulating people’s emotions on the horses. They get scared, nervous, and excited, and that impacts how the horse behaves. So. I try to help them calm down. I have to put on a therapist hat.”

Of course, the horses sometimes act up as well. “If the horses are doing something, I try not to react. An important part of being a trail boss or wrangler is not overreacting to what’s happening but also knowing when you do have to act and being decisive.”

The Special Nature of the Stables at Tamaya

Jasper claims that the Stables at Tamaya is a special type of ranch. “I love Connie’s philosophy about horses in general and saving those horses in need. She won’t ever stop trying to save a horse,” he says. “She never gives up on a horse and is focused on giving them new life.”

Plus, Connie has a soft spot for both people and horses, he reports. “She gives people and horses every opportunity to succeed at the ranch. She has helped me be a nicer person to the horses. I was always nice to horses, but she showed me I could be even better.”

Additionally, Jasper says there is a caring community at the ranch. “I feel like there is understanding between everyone. We have so many people coming in, and there can be a clash of personalities, but we create a lot of understanding.”

Jasper loves everything about being a wrangler at the Stables at Tamaya. He explains, “I get to fulfill my dreams every day—to ride horses and take people out on horseback and show them how amazing horses are. This is something I lost sight of and found again, and the work I do as a wrangler has shown me it’s a future worth pursuing.”

Come out to the Stables at Tamaya and meet Jasper. Schedule your trail ride here: https://www.tamayahorserehab.com/. Or call 505-554-5938