June 2017 30 Holliday Processing, LLC @Holliday Processing Check us out on CUSTOM MEAT AND GAME PROCESSING with 2 Valley locations to serve you: Jason Holliday and Josh Pobstman (623) 853-0601 hollidayprocessing@gmail.com 40895 N. Jack Rabbit Road San Tan Valley, AZ 85140 19249 W. Earl Drive Litchfield Park, AZ 85340 GORDON’S FEED TACK & VET SUPPLIES Monday–Friday 8am–5:30pm Saturday 8am–3pm • Use Our Drive-Thru! Your Neighborhood Loyall Dog Food Retailer 600 W. Broadway • Phoenix, AZ 85041 602-276-8894 Don’t forget to tell them Arizona in the Saddle sent you! Must mention this ad to get discounts. All Loyall Natural Dog Food $5.00 OFF while supplies last Scratch Grain $2.00 OFF while supplies last By Daniel Davis and Renee Winter Last month we invited you to read about cooper one of the Five C’s to Arizona. This month we will focus on horses and their role with cattle. CATTLE AND THE USE OF HORSES Most of us enjoy a good cheeseburger or medium rare steak, right?! Ever want to play cowboy or cowgirl? In Arizona story horse and cattle go hand and hand. Whether it is on the cattle drive or at the rodeo the two animals play the part of their individual role. This month we will talk about horses and their part in a cattle drive. Present Arizona horse and cattle drives can be experienced as an ordinary city slicker. Have you ever heard of the movie City Slickers?! I am not sure it is the same experience but you never know. Personally when I had the opportunity to participate in a cattle drive in Montana on the Marlboro Ranch, I did not know what to expect. I have been riding horses since I was probably seven or eight. However, when I typically ride a horse it is never interacting with over 200 cattle and moving them along the open terrain. Surprisingly the horse knew how to make the cattle go in the right direction. I just had to say “Yah Yah”! and check the bushes. The training of the horse and cattle were already instilled and expected. A blast!! My horses name was “Doc”. Very fitting! THE HISTORY The demand for cattle, the yummy steak and hamburgers, in the 1800’s brought about the cattle horseback drives across the United States. Tough horses were needed to push the cattle along. The American quarter horse is the most preferred ranch horse; comfy and calm. Back in 1880’s the railroad was transporting a lot of the cattle across the desert from Arizona to other states. The railroad decided to increase their prices of transporting livestock. This led one of the leading cattlemen of Arizona, Walter L. Vail, to go back to cattle driving. During these long cattle drives there were many stampedes and many cattle were lost. Despite the efforts of the horse maintaining the cattle, there were moments they could not get the cattle to cross the river or rough desert terrain. Horses are used on the ranch and during cattle drives in order for the rancher and ranch hands to cover a large terrain. Of course motorized vehicles can cover a lot of ground but cannot get into some of the necessary narrow paths or cross the Colorado River. Plus the noise is a bit loud and scary for the cattle. The position of the cattle on the drive is important. The cattle are in the center of the horses and cowboys being herded along the terrain. The horse and the cowboy have roles such as point man, swing rider, flank rider, drag rider, and wrangler. Each has their important role to make sure the cattle drive is as successful as possible. The point man and his horse have the most important role of herding and directing the cattle. There are many local ranches in Arizona who would love to give you the cattle drive experience! There is Cocoraque Ranch & Pavilion located in Marana, AZ or Bumble Bee Ranch located in Bumble Bee, AZ. Go out there and herd those cattle, cowboys and cowgirls!! Cow appreciation day is July, 15th. Moooo! HORSES AND THE 5 C’S Part 2: Cattle