Day 6 – Rounding Up Strays

On the sixth day of Karl Lentini’s cattle herding vacation, Karl rides a different horse – Flash – and learns that as unlikely as it seems, it’s easy to lose a massive Texas Longhorn steer or two or three.

My Time at Double Circle Ranch

by Karl Lentini

Day 6: Friday Sept. 10 2010

Cowboy Karl Rides Horseback

Rode Flash today, who turned out to be my favorite horse. He was obedient, didn’t put up a fight, never got ornery, and mostly did what I asked him to do. He responded well to the end of the day. He’s a heavy, powerful, muscular, and gentle horse. He tends to be poky as they say, so I was constantly catching up to the other riders this day.

When I trotted with Flash the first time, he broke out into a canter. We were in a flat field covered with sunflower plants. I saw a ditch up ahead and wanted to slow down, as I didn’t want to test my jumping-over-a-ditch skills just yet. Pulled back on the reins and Flash kept going! Realized the reins were too loose and tightened them up…then he slowed.

After that thrilling canter with Flash, I noticed that the canteen I had tied to the saddle horn was gone. Good thing I had more water on me…always take lots of water.

Learned that a horse has no nerve endings on his mane, so you can grab it and it won’t hurt him.

I have photos of Flash resting his nose on an old rusted flatbed. He went to sleep and snored. Good for him.

We herded what we thought were all the cattle into the Double Circle pasture, where we rode my first day here. Wilma asked if I checked for cattle in the dips and valleys since a hundred of them could easily hide in the tall grass. I rode out over the ridge and searched the flat area all the way to the fence line. I radioed Wilma saying I didn’t see any cattle and would head back. Not two minutes later I saw a steer staring at me through the tall grass, just as Wilma said. I got closer and saw his friend also staring at me. I moved them back to the herd, proud of my find and not so proud that I almost missed them.

We guided the entire herd near a creek, where it was crucial that we keep the cattle from going into the creek. I’m told the creek is snakey, and has a lot of thick brush.

I’m amazed that cattle are so easily influenced by smaller animals like dogs and people. A good cowdog will go right up to a steer and bark, and the steer will move in the other direction. I’m glad cattle don’t know their combined strength; if they wanted to they could obliterate any living thing.