I’m Kayla. I ride, I cook a mean chili, and I’m picky about gates being latched right. After one too many “brunch and vibes” dates, I thought, you know what, I want a man who knows the difference between square bales and round ones. So I spent three months on cowboy online dating sites. Real swipes. Real messages. Real dates. Some sweet. Some dusty. A few were pure nonsense.
Let me explain what worked, what didn’t, and the little moments that stuck with me.
Why cowboy dating, anyway?
Simple. I wanted someone who gets early mornings and honest work. A person who doesn’t flinch at mud on boots. I don’t need a fancy steakhouse. A feed store run can be a date if we laugh in the parking lot.
I tried five places:
- FarmersOnly
- Western Match
- Cowboy Singles
- DateACowboy
- Muddy Matches (yep, the UK one—curiosity got me)
I used the paid tiers where it made sense. I kept notes. And yes, I went on dates.
FarmersOnly: Classic, busy, a bit messy
This one felt like the county fair—crowded, loud, and kind of fun. The app looks old, but it works fine once you get the hang of it. Before signing up, I skimmed an independent FarmersOnly review that warned me about outdated photos and half-finished bios—spoiler: it was right.
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Real message I got: “What do you feed your mare? Mine cribs if bored.”
I laughed, because same. We talked forage and slow feeders like total nerds. -
Date: Lane, 34, farrier. We did 6 a.m. diner coffee because he had trims at eight. He set his hoof pick on the table like a wallet. Oddly charming. He was kind, a little shy. He texted me updates on a laminitis case like we were old friends. Then calving season hit. He vanished for two weeks, came back with an apology and a photo of a healthy calf. I forgave him. Life happens.
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Good: Tons of people, filters for “owns land,” “pets,” even “kids.”
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Bad: Many half-done profiles. Old photos. I saw one guy in a flat-brim hat from 2011 and a lifted truck that looked like a catalog shot.
If you’d like a laugh at how unpredictable the site can be, read another cowgirl’s tale of trial and error on FarmersOnly in this candid first-person story.
Would I keep it? Yes, if you’ve got patience and decent barn wifi.
Western Match: Serious folks, fewer games
This felt like the quiet corner of the rodeo grounds. Fewer profiles, but more real. Folks here write full sentences. Big plus.
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Real chat: “Branding in June. Off grid most of July. Sat phone only.”
Not a flex. Just facts. I liked that. -
Mini date: We FaceTimed from a barn aisle. He propped his phone on a salt block. You could hear a fan hum and a horse nickering. We swapped stories about bad fencing and why round pens make arguments small. His signal cut out. We rescheduled. He followed through. That matters. If the built-in video on an app sputtered, I’d switch to a no-frills cam tool like InstantChat’s cam-to-cam room—it spins up a private two-way video call in one click, so we can confirm we’re both real before hauling ourselves to a dusty meet-up.
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Good: Search is clean. Real ages, real work. Less fluff.
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Bad: Slow pace. If you want three new matches a day, this isn’t it.
Would I keep it? Yes. This one felt steady. Like a good gelding.
Cowboy Singles: Big promises, lots of tumbleweeds
I wanted to love this one. The name sells a dream. The inside was… mixed.
BTW, if you’re curious how wild things get when you go even more niche, here’s the story of the time I tried an extreme dating site and lived to tell about it.
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Catfish catch: A “rancher” with a photo I recognized from a boot brand ad. I reverse image searched. Yep. Stock photo. I reported it. Next day, the profile was gone.
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A good moment: Cole, team roper, sent a video from a jackpot. He spun a steer clean. The heel missed, he laughed, then said, “You a Dr Pepper girl or sweet tea?” We met there. Dust in the air, ropes on the fence, kids running with snow cones. We shared a Dr Pepper and talked bits and gloves. No spark, but he was kind. Honestly, that was still worth it.
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Good: Some true cowboys, rodeo folks, ranch hands.
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Bad: Many empty bios. So many sunglasses selfies. Website felt clunky on my phone.
Would I keep it? Maybe, if you live near rodeo country and like to roll the dice.
DateACowboy: Flirty, a little chaotic, but lively
This one has energy. The app runs fine, with ads here and there. Folks send bold lines. Prepare your eyes.
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Real opener I got: “You rope hearts or break ‘em?”
I groaned. Then I replied, “Neither. I sort cows.” He sent a laughing emoji and a song rec from Cody Johnson. Points for that. -
Actual date: A rancher from Amarillo invited me for a short trail ride at a public park—good call for safety. My saddle slipped on a downhill (my bad). He hopped off, checked the cinch, and talked me through a reset like a pro. Calm, steady hands. We ended the ride, ate jerky on a tailgate, and talked hay prices. He texted the next day to ask if my knee felt okay. It did.
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Wild moment: One guy sent a photo with a calf puller like it was a trophy. I said, “Buddy, read the room.” He apologized. We moved on.
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Good: Active users, quick replies, lots of local folks.
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Bad: Cheesy pickup lines, random ads, and a few “here for a good time” types.
Would I keep it? Yes, for the energy. Just set your filters tight.
Muddy Matches: Charming and far away
This is more for the UK crowd, but I tried it. Why? Curiosity and cute sheep. Earlier, I had dipped a toe into broader European platforms too—check out my first-person review of several European dating sites if you’re curious.
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Sweet exchange: A shepherd sent sunrise photos over rolling hills. He said, “Ewes in lamb, can’t sleep past five.” I sent a photo of my coffee mug and a streaky pink sky. We traded bread recipes. Time zones made it tough. Still nice.
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Good: Honest profiles. People write about weather like it’s family.
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Bad: Distance. Shipping yourself across the Atlantic for a date? That’s a lot.
Would I keep it? Not for daily use here. But I liked the vibe.
If your travels ever land you in Athens, Georgia for a livestock expo and you’re leaning toward a quick, no-strings meet-up instead of a full day in the saddle, the hyper-local listings on Adult Search Athens make it easy to browse verified ads and set up a casual coffee or nightcap without rewriting your whole ranch-girl bio.
Little things that made a big difference
- Photos that show chores beat flex pics. A clean barn aisle? Swoon.
- Ask about daily schedule. If they’re up at 4, respect that.
- Video chat once before meeting. Barn wifi is bad, but try.
- Watch for fakes. If every photo looks like an ad, it probably is.
- First meet in public. A feed store works. So does a donut shop at dawn.
I also learned to ask one simple question: “What’s your least favorite chore?” The real ones answer fast. Mine? Scrubbing water troughs in cold wind. I’ll do it, but I’ll mutter.
Who each site suits best
- FarmersOnly: You want lots of profiles and don’t mind weeding through the hay pile.
- Western Match: You want slow and steady, maybe a long game.
- Cowboy Singles: You live near rodeos and can spot a catfish from a mile away.
- DateACowboy: You want quick chats and local rides, ads and all.
- Muddy Matches: You love country life talk and don’t mind time zones.
If you’re brand new, start with FarmersOnly and Western Match together. That mix gave me both volume and heart.
Prefer khakis to chaps? See what happened when I [tried elite golf dating for six weeks](https://datehot