Dean Hoffman wrote:

....


There was an article in a newspaper awhile back talking about a
rancher who didn't use horses for working cattle. He had a four wheeler
or ATV. I would think he'd be a lot more vulnerable than if he was
on a horse. Physical size matters.
They use an old pickup at one of the nearby feedlots. I guess it has
a few dents in it from grouchy cattle. Another close one uses horses.
I can't imagine using a helicopter. That would be way too expensive.

Around here almost everybody uses 4-wheelers at least some, any more.
They don't need feeding except when running, are already saddled and
ready to go (most of the time, anyway ) and don't need rubbing down
in the evening. OTOH, they aren't as intelligent as the good cow pony...

They have disadvantages, too; they are accident prone in rough country
so the horse is definitely not passe. Then again, a good friend was
just injured severely by his horse a month or so ago; he's still in
rehab and will be for several more months.

The helicopter thing is definitely reserved for the really large ranches
or extremely remote country where typically only go out on fall roundup
and maybe a spring one as well. It's tough roping from one, though...

The highest number of riders employed around here are in the feedlots as
pen riders; they are mounted virtually the entire day, every day.

Rodeo (particularly professional) is quite a different exercise only
very remotely related to actual working practices--it's stylistic if you
will. The calf roping event is closest to a real operation excepting
for just letting the animal up when its caught w/o doing the work that
was the reason for catching it to begin with on the ranch...

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