When we think of ranching the first things that come to mind are wide open spaces, fresh air, herds of cattle and of course the cowboys. Ranching depicts rolling hills, sweeping grasslands, calving time, branding traps, summer range turnout, fall gather and bawling cattle at weaning time. The west is known for its' large ranches, The Douglas Lake Cattle Company, Gang Ranch and Nicola Ranch just to name a few.
Those strong men and women who love the land, work in all kinds of weather and love this free and independent lifestyle are known as Cowboys/Cowgirls. They ride tall in the saddle behind herds of cattle across miles of grassland. Men and women on horseback have been handling stock since history was first written down. A good cowboy who knows cattle and knows the range is still a big part of most working ranches today. Traditional cowboys are good horsemen that can ride a bronc on a frosty morning, train young horses, shoe them and look after all their needs. Good cowboys are getting harder to find because of all the social changes. The difference between a cowboy and a cowman or cattleman is that the cowman owns the ranch and the cowboy takes care of the livestock.
We can't talk about ranching and cowboys without mentioning their dogs. A good dog can do the work of up to three men, getting cattle out of the bush and generally going where horses can't. They also are great companions out in the cow camps.
Rodeos began early in the 1900's when surrounding ranches met together at roundup time and the riders and ropers from these ranches competed against each other. The sport of rodeo today is a multi-million dollar industry that includes events such as bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, tie down roping and ladies barrel racing. Some rodeos have wild horse racing, wild cow milking and junior steer riding. Other western events that originated from the ranching life are cattle cutting, cattle sorting and penning as well as the working cow horse competition.
The Western Life Journal is chock full of eye candy for those of us who enjoy the ranching life and all things western. This journal features pictures of some of our favorite western events together with encouraging and inspiring quotes. If you are a rodeo fan, love roping and cutting or watching a cow horse perform, or maybe just riding through the hills searching for strays, this journal is for you. There are pages specifically for writing about your day or jotting down some cowboy rhymes and songs, while losing yourself in the Western horse world.
