Working Hard or Hardly Working

Since the birth of the wild, Wild West, cattlemen and their families gathered each year to work the new lot of calves. These calves range from a few weeks to months old. On May 2^nd 2015 the Hoss family and about twenty friends and neighbors gathered for the annual branding.

In the past, brandings were a small, family affair where Waldo, Margaret, their seven children, and a couple of locals would labor until the lot of calves was finished. Now, while some of the traditions remain, the branding has become a time for work and play to mingle and for children to gain an atypical education while playing in the dirt.

The group gathers around seven or eight in the morning, and those skilled on horseback saddle up and ride into the pasture to gather the herd. Gathering the herd can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or more depending on whether the cattle are spread out or not and the skill of the cowboy. Sometimes a calf will stray from the herd, and will need to be roped, restrained, and brought to the corral in the bed of a pickup.

Rod is one of the cowboys involved in gathering the herd and roping the calves.

Those not involved in gathering the herd have other tasks to prepare. Calves are given vaccinations to protect them against diseases, so someone brings the cooler full of vaccines and prepares the syringes by loading the liquid and setting the dosage. Another person will busy him or herself readying the fire. The fire needs to be steady enough not to be a huge distraction during the main event, and to keep the irons hot enough to quickly brand the calves. Because much of the work is done on the ground, someone might walk through the pen to make sure that there aren't any dangerous objects lying around that could injure the calves or the workers. (This is usually a job given to the children, because they inevitably find a way to turn it into a game whereas it would be tedious and annoying for the adults!) And, of course, someone needs to round up the “beverages” because what is an event where you mix knives, fire, random debris, thousand pound animals, children, and strapping young men and women without alcohol? Obviously this job goes to the person with the highest investment in the beverages, aka the village drunk. Typically there’s a cooler full of pop and water for the kids though, because the village drunk is also considerate. Everyone else busies themselves with conversation while drinking their morning coffee from a travel mug.

Kelsie and Dakota are keeping busy by catching up.

Dustin goes to the nearest water source to get a bucket ready for the pre mountain oysters.

Ted is standing in front of the fire pit. It is lifted off the ground to help aerate the fire. There is a hole cut into the side of the barrel where the irons are inserted into the heart of the fire. The arms of the irons extend out of the fire onto a wire ledge where they can be gathered. The brander must wear leather gloves like Ted is wearing to protect his or her hands from the heat.

Bellering cattle signal the nearing of the herd and the cowboys bringing them to the pen. All of the aforementioned workers and chatters hop to their feet and walk to the pen in anticipation of the upcoming events. One person opens the gate for the herd and moves around on foot to help bring the herd into the pen. Once all of the animals are gathered, the gate clangs shut signifying the beginning of the next step: sorting.

The mother cows must be separated from their offspring in order to make the work easier. Many times the dams are very protective of their calves and attack people that appear to be threatening. Moving the cows away also prevents the corral from becoming too crowded. Sorting requires a finesse that is learned from years of practice and coaching from experienced elders. The sorters must move slowly enough as to not induce stress in the animals, but quickly enough to ensure that the animals don’t turn back and reenter the pen. They must stay a proper distance from the cows, but it is best to be up close against the calves so they are unable to generate a strong kick. Depending on the pen size one to four people collaborate to let the cows exit and keep the calves in one area. One person stands by the gate to serve as insurance in case a calf makes it past the sorters.

Ty and Dalton Hoss wade through the sorted calves.

Once the cows have been sorted off, the real fun begins. The newly separated pairs bellow loudly, making speaking difficult without shouting. One or two people give directions to the rest and the jobs are divvied up. Again, depending on pen size one or two people hop on a horse and begin to rope and drag the calves to the workers. Several people line up in anticipation of the roped calves. These people are typically younger and spritely; they must throw the calf to the ground, and hold the calf still while the calf is given shots, castrated if the calf is a bull, branded, tagged if it has not been tagged yet and sometimes dehorned. Throwing the calf requires practice as well, and if a person isn't careful, injury could easily be the result. (Ask one unfortunate ex-boyfriend with a scar on his lip where a nasty cut and six stitches used to be.)

This image shows a roper preparing to rope a calf.

A roper gets the rope around the back leg of a calf. From this point, the horse will drag the calf about ten to twenty feet where it will be worked. It is ideal for the lasso to encompass both hind legs, but one hind leg will do. Ropers should never rope the front legs, which could result in injury of the calf.

The first thrower grabs the front leg and the back flank of the calf, and in a smooth, quick motion, pulls the calf onto its side while the second person pulls on the rope to assist the efforts of the first thrower. 

Jace (the man in a white cowboy hat) is the "first thrower" and Dalton D. (the man in brown) is the "second thrower.

Once the calf is on the ground, the first thrower kneels onto the calves neck and side, straddling its front leg, all the while keeping a tight grip on the front leg so the calf can’t gain leverage to kick or stand up.

Dalton Hoss (though not so young but still spritely) exemplifies proper form. He has the calf's leg bent back and held up. The calf in this position will not cause itself or the first thrower injury. 

The second person must scurry to the ground the moment the calf’s side lands. This is the most dangerous job, as the calf possesses most of its strength in the hind legs. Once on the ground, the second thrower keeps a tight grip on the highest hind leg, and uses his or her left foot to push the calf’s other leg forward. This separation prevents the calf from gaining leverage and helps keep the thrower and the other workers from getting kicked. The thrower’s right foot gets pressed against the calf’s anus, so if the calf defecates, it won’t cause a huge mess for the workers. Once they've settled onto the ground, the second thrower removes the rope from the calf’s hind legs, and the roper gathers the rope up in preparation for the next calf.

Dalton D. has a secure grip on the calf. This will keep the calf, him and the first thrower safe, as well as others who will be working on the calf.

The difficult task of caring for one calf has only just begun. The Hoss brothers both have brands that are registered, so that other cattlemen can recognize the calves as belonging to the Hosses. These brands must appear a certain way and in a certain area. For both men’s cattle, the brand must appear on the calf’s right hip. If the calf was not situated on the right side, the throwers must carefully re-position the calf without letting it go or being kicked, again a skill that requires practice.

Ty and Jordan carefully roll the calf onto its other side so that its right hip will be facing up.

     Once the calf is ready, the first thrower looks to the ear tag and yells out the color: “White!” “Yellow!” or “Red!” White tagged calves belong to Dalton and receive the HϞ brand. Red or yellow tagged calves are Wyatt’s and are branded with a WH. The two brothers raise the cattle together, so it is crucial that the calves receive the correct tag and brand.

The person manning the fire and the brands pulls out the correct brands and places the hot irons on the calf’s side. This is painful for the calf, and proves an especially trying time for the throwers. To achieve a clear brand, the calf must remain still, and the brander must be steady handed with the irons. The hotter the iron is, the faster the branding goes. 

Wyatt Hoss carefully leans over the calf in order to place a good brand on its side. Foul smelling smoke wafts over the workers, saturating their clothes with the smell of burnt hair and skin.

Meanwhile, a person with two syringes loaded with two different vaccines delivers the vaccination subcutaneously under the arm that the first thrower holds up.

The young man here carefully delivers two vaccines. This is done with the utmost care so the workers aren't in danger of being accidentally pricked.

 If the calf is a bull, another person arrives to castrate. The person in charge of castrating wields a pocket knife or scalpel. 

He or she squats down, cuts off a small portion of the bull’s scrotum and then removes both testicles. Once the testicles are removed, the area is sanitized with a disinfectant spray. The testicles are then brought to a bucket where they are saved for later on. 

Kelsie is mid-castration. In one hand you can see the knife and one testicle. She has the disinfectant spray tucked under her arm. At all times, she must be ready to step back if the calf gets out of control of either thrower. This process is quick and usually lasts anywhere from twenty seconds to a minute.

Once the calf has been “worked” the throwers stand up and release the calf. The second thrower must be especially careful during the release.

At any given time, a calf might be surrounded by upwards of five people, and there might be two or three calves being worked at the same time depending on the amount and ambition of the workers. 

This calf is concurrently being branded, given shots, and held down. 

At times there is a surplus of help, and people are left observing. Other times there is a shortage of workers.

Working cattle is physically demanding, and people trade jobs throughout the day to get a variety and to take a break. 

Once the day is done, the calves are released back to their mothers, and the socializing hits full swing.

The workers sit back on the fence, and enjoy a cold beverage prior to departing for supper.

 The workers gather in Wyatt’s house around what’s left of the beer and a good meal consisting of lots of protein and little vegetables (unless you count jalapeño poppers cooked over a fire, cheese-filled potatoes, or the hops used to make the beer). The workers share laughs over the mishaps of the day, talk about whatever strikes their fancy, and revel in the feeling one gets after a hard day of work and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Thanks for reading!