Real Cowboy Etiquette cont.

November 22, 2009

This picture has always been a favorite--the detail on the saddle is so clear.

"Holding Herd"

There are so many rules with holding herd but I will list a couple of them and just continue with the numbers I started.

Rule #4: The BOSS works the herd unless he specifies someone else.

Rule #5: As a rider do not let any cattle run out of the herd unless they are "worked out."

Rule #6: All riders outside of the herd are not to ride in front of another rider when keeping the cattle in a bunch. These cattle are not to be bunched too closely, just held in a "loose" circle. (They are not really circles in a true sense of the word either.)

AND, Cowboy reminded me that there is to be NO POINTING. I just started laughing because you see, when I first "held herd" I was the POINTER! My first REALLY big mistake! (Or maybe the first of many...) There were three of us which included Cowboy working this bunch of cattle. This was probably my maiden voyage as they say! I was watching cowboy and watching the cows and their calves and soon I spotted one pair right in front of me...this is hard to write! So being the dutifully organized person that I am, I wanted to help, so I waved my arm and pointed to the cow and calf. Oops!!!! Here came Cowboy and told me why not to point! It distracts the man working the cattle. He will eventually get to the ones you saw and his concentration is not broken by POINTING FINGERS. Another thing, don't help by trying to get the pair out yourself, pretty soon the herd has run every direction under your watchful eye. (I knew better, but sure wanted to slip in and get them out real "quick.")

Rule #6: It not polite to ride in front of another rider at any time. You are to ride around behind them.

Rule #7: You don't swap places around the herd. If you start on the left of the boss you stay there.

I prefer to work against the fence. It feels like I have more control of cattle trying to sneak by me.


Here are some top hands from Roscoe: John, Jason, and Jacob.

Here is a bunch of cattle and probably some chilled-down cowboys and they are
"holding herd."

I remember a cold day when they had me help. We were bundled up and there were several of us. I was cold and trying to stay warm while not moving. It seemed dreadfully slow and I got to day dreaming and watching traffic instead of "cattle." I got the big wave and got the message to "pay attention." Ah, the days of a working cowgirl!