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The reins pass from snowless sleigh rides in Colorado to wall tents in Utah’s high country, then straight onto a movie set where a good team might wait hours to hear “action.” We sit down with outfitter and wrangler Randy Melton of Flying J Outfitters to unpack what it really takes to build mule teams that outwork draft horses in the mountains and stay rock-steady under the lights of Hollywood.

Randy shares how he and his wife Alicia juggle guiding hunts in the Uinta Mountains with supplying teams, wagons, and stagecoaches to productions like Horizon and 1923. He opens up about the practical side of breeding—replacing a lost mammoth jack with a young, 16-hand prospect to throw bigger, calmer, hard-footed colts—and why draft-cross, standard-height mules make the best packers when you’re hanging panniers fast at a busy trailhead. We dive into sawbuck versus Decker saddles, double-diamond hitches, packing grain for long camps, and the quiet hero of backcountry logistics: InReach satellite texting.

The stories stretch from a four-up hitch in the Army cavalry detachment to wrangling on set with Kevin Costner and helping a nervous Leonardo DiCaprio relax into a saddle. Along the way, Randy explains why continuity can nix braided tails, why “good mules ain’t cheap and cheap mules ain’t good,” and how patience turns young stock into steady partners that appreciate the word “woe.” If you’ve ever wondered how film-ready teams are made, how outfitters keep remote camps running for weeks, or why seasoned hands choose mules over horses for heavy work, this one’s for you.

Ready to hear the grit, the gear, and the hard-won wisdom behind truly reliable teams? Hit play, subscribe for more conversations from the wagon seat, and share this episode with a friend who loves mules, mountains, or great stories. Your reviews help more folks find the show—what part grabbed you most?

Check out Randy's website - https://www.flyingjoutfitters.com/

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