Ruby
“Soon as everyone had downed a cup of coffee from the pot steaming off to the side of the fire, the men mounted up and rode easy into the herd to rope a calf and bring it, bawling and fighting, to the fire. One of the hands would reach over the calf’s back, grab a flank and front shoulder, throw the calf to the ground, and pin it with one knee to the neck while another hand shoved the white-hot brand against the calf’s haunch. The stench of burning hair and flesh filled the air, and the calf was allowed up again. Once the rope was removed from its neck, it was released so it could run back to its frantic mother.The team settled into a rhythm of roping, dragging, flanking, slapping on the brand, then letting the cow and calf head on out to pasture again as soon as they were finished.Rand roped a calf and started him back to the fire, but this time its mother followed right along. “Hey, chase that old lady away,” he yelled at one of the other riders.“Sure enough.” The rider came in and s...wung his rope to haze the cow off, but she dodged around him and headed for the branding pit.One of the men from another ranch had just flanked the calf when the cow made a beeline for him.MoreLess
Write Review:
Guest
Read Also
8 / 10
User Reviews: