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Plate 11
Heading to New Ground
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Most ranches rely on a mix of cattle breeds because they are hardier and more resilient
than purebred cows. This herd is a Hereford mix, easily recognizable by their stout
build and white head markings. Hereford cattle, originally from England, have adapted
well to the arid ranges of the West.
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Plate 12
Slow Trail
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Movements on a cattle drive should be calm and consistent. It is unacceptable to
approach a herd at a full gallop because such action will frighten the animals.
Spooked cattle run and scatter for miles and it can take hours to gather them, settle
them down, and herd them back onto the original trail.
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Plate 13
Teamwork
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The cowboys began their day by riding twenty miles at a brisk pace from cowcamp to gather the cattle. Now the sun beats down and they attempt to doctor an injured cow. Once she has been released, the branding of calves will resume, followed by a long ride back to camp.
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Plate 14
Bull Calf
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There are no motorized vehicles used while on the wagon at the Squaw Valley Ranch. Instead, the cowboys are dropped off at a cowcamp each spring with their teepees, bedrolls, a chuck wagon, and the remuda. There are no phones or radios. At three a.m. the cowboys wake for the day.
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Plate 15
Gathering Brush
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It is usually the duty of the cowboss to catch a fresh mount for every cowboy, who must walk to the center of the ring, receive his horse, halter it, and return the rolled-up rope. Newcomers are often challenged with a horse that bucks or spooks easily.
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Plate 16
Sagebrush Fire
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After the fire is built, a cowboy will untie branding irons from his saddle and place them into the center of the heat until they glow a deep red.
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Plate 17
At Work
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Self-reliant and confident in their practices, these men call upon their experience
and ingenuity to handle the small and large crises that come up in a cowboy's working
day.
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Plate 18
Ending the Day
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When working their way from ranch to ranch, cowboys bring little more than a saddle,
a bridle, saddlebags, and a bedroll. The ranch will provide food, mounts, and a
place to sleep.
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Plate 19
Prized Bit
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More than thirty miles from ranch headquarters, Clint Thomas mends a broken sterling
bit. Handmade bridles, reatas, chinks, and saddlebags are commodities traded amongst
buckaroos.
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Plate 20
Early Spring Scene
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A cowboy often trails the herd for weeks in meditative silence. He murmurs to his horse, whistles to the dogs, and encourages the cattle to move on. Some cowboys are religious but believe there is neither reason nor time to visit churches. "The longer I am alone on the range, the closer I feel to God. He is out there, in the rivers, the trees, and in the mountains," observes a cowboy. The beauty and vastness of the land distill a deep spirituality into these men who weigh their words so carefully.
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