WRANGLING A RELIABLE RANCH HORSE
Not that long ago, horses were an integral part of everyday life in the United States. From transportation to field work to moving herds of livestock, these animals played such an important part in society that the purchase of a new horse was taken quite seriously.
Times have changed now, and many tend to favor the trusty all-terrain vehicle (ATV) for such tasks, but some ranches still use stock horses in their everyday operations. At our family farm, horses have made jobs that were once challenging and drawn-out, such as sorting cattle, much simpler. Most cattle will respect a horse and be less stressed and fearful than they would if they were moved around by men on foot or on an ATV.
As the feed truck makes its rounds among pens of hungry cattle each morning, we ride the horses out, and the daily sorting routine begins. With the help of the ranch horses, we can pull out any sick calves we might have,
