Checking Cattle on the Feed Ground 

Closer to 100 acres per head.

Wow, that's dry ground.

Sudan

Okay. I'm going to take a shot at answering some of these questions. By 7 a ranch horse should Definitely be able to work a rope. Pat get really short....close to the calf....before he half hitches is rope to the horn. This help the horse stand facing the calf at all time. Also the way he tied off the his horse also helps with this. He most certainly roped one foot. It is easier on the horse to drag a calf standing. Pat wanted to get away from the feed ground some. He also rope a particular foot as well...didn't have to walk around his horse if the calf got up. Tying the rein to the rope keep the horses head down and also if the calf get up it would make the horse face and back up. His rope is most likely 60 foot long. Hopefully that helps and I didn't just make you have more questions.

@@mattkoller5562 Thank you Matt. I figured Pat had a plan in mind - he knows the ropes. I can understand that is easier on the horse to pull on one leg. I looks a little rough on the calf - but then dragging it - against the hair and all - would be no picnic - I completely understand it is done to, in the end, benefit the calf. The age thing. And sorry - another question. In general - how often and for how long are ranch/ work horses, worked. Please - bare in mind most of my information re ranch horse comes from reading Will James :). However, I am not completely ignorant of working with cattle. Way different - but I have been responsible for taking care of a small ( 35 - I know - compared to big herds no big deal) herd of Holsteins for 8 yrs. I can appreciate how delicate you need t be around cattle. Thanks for taking the interest to answer my questions.

@@dombergen8196 you are right it can be hard on the calf. Definitely have to go slow or can cause problems. I have a 20 year old but he doesn't get heavy work. I sell most horses at 15 or so. Most tend not to hold up to heavy use after 15 in my opinion. I should also day we don't really use horse for much ranch work until 4 or 5. Always exception though.

@@mattkoller5562 Thanks Matt. So - just for the heck of it. Working cattle around the world. During my tour in VN I got to see kids - looked around 10 - moving a group of Water Buffalo across a road we were traveling providing security for engineers sweeping for land mines. WB's did not like Marines. One stopped in the road and faced us. We had stopped for them and were waiting for them to cross. When that critter stopped and faced us we all slipped the selector switch to auto. The little kid ran up to the critter with a switch - smacked the bejesus out of him, screaming all the while. The critter gave us a look and continued across the road.

@Matt Koller, thank you for answering Dom’s questions absolutely perfectly. It always does Pat’s heart good to hear from other cowboys.

They pick up there. The far mountains are a different permit. Since we’ve had no rein, there is no feed.

The cows that are very underweight are 15-20 year old Corrientes that just calved. The others are just western cattle surviving during a drought. They get the correct amount of hay but are only able to do so much with it.