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January 2025 %u2022 The Midwest Cattleman %u2022 Page 17three boys to make into good men, and a whole bunch of horses to make into good horses,%u201d she said. Whether the horse is designed to be an everyday ranch horse or just a dependable animal, McCarty has found working cattle is a great way to help horses gain experience and become reliable mounts for anyone.In fact, she believes working cattle with a good horse can be safer and more efficient than using an ATV or UTV, which can crash, flip or roll over and cause serious damage. %u201cA good horse will take care of itself. His interest is in staying upright and not getting in a tangle,%u201d she said. But she is also quick to admit that learning how to ride a horse well is not easy. %u201cHorses are hard to jump into. There%u2019s a lot to know and cover,%u201d she said. That%u2019s why she recommends either being an experienced rider or riding an experienced horse. If neither is available, using properly designed working facilities may be the ideal method though. Dr. Ron Gill, extension livestock specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, has spent decades helping producers and equipment manufacturers understand how to efficiently work cattle with modernday tools like squeeze chutes and crowding tubs. %u201cIf you%u2019ve got good equipment, working calves can be very safe and low stress. And it takes less people,%u201d he said. %u201cIt really comes down to personal preference, how much labor you have available and how many cattle you have to work.%u201dProven Strategies for SuccessWhether producers choose a chute or branding pen to get the job done, there are certain rules and protocols to consider for safety and efficiency.The number one rule for both approaches is making sure everyone is on the same page. %u201cIf you have people that don%u2019t understand what will happen when they make a move or get in the way, they can mess the process and cattle up,%u201d Gill said. %u201cCommunication is key to getting the right people in the right spot and helping them understand how their work will affect the outcome.%u201dWhen gathering, sorting and dragging calves, the McCartys always designate a lead rider and roper to serve as the crew boss. %u201cWe don%u2019t hesitate to have a beginner or two with us, but we make sure there%u2019s a mentor and someone who is clearly delineated to make the decisions and is the boss,%u201d she said. %u201cThat person with the most experience absolutely must be listened to, and in the moment it matters what they say.%u201dAfter hierarchy and responsibilities are addressed, working cattle with patience and focus is important. %u201cIt%u2019s important to not be in a hurry,%u201d McCarty said. %u201cCalves will be missed and calves will get up.%u201d While it takes longer to process calves by roping and dragging, having a crew that understands moving slow is working fast helps the day to run very smoothly and efficiently.Finally, having a good system for moving cattle through a working facility or processing in the branding pen keeps both livestock and crew safe. McCarty said space is key to a successful branding to allow plenty of space for roping and dragging. %u201cWe send in two ropers at a time and make sure that no one gets in each other%u2019s way, so it stays in a controlled manner,%u201d she said. Once a calf is roped by the head and feet, the ropers will stretch him out and the processing crew can quickly vaccinate and castrate. A designated runner keeps vaccine guns loaded and handy, and if ropers are in short supply, McCarty uses a tool called a %u2018Nordfork%u2019 to restrain the calf%u2019s head after being heeled and dragged to the processing crew.Although cattle are often processed at a faster pace through a working facility, effective handling and flow is vital to reducing stress and remaining efficient. Gill said a good squeeze chute is the most critical component of a working system. After that, an adjustable alley keeps cattle from turning around, and a well designed tub or Bud Box keeps cattle flowing naturally up the alley.%u201cA lot of people put their emphasis on a tub or Bud Box, but it%u2019s from there to the chute that we see more issues,%u201d Gill said. And while facility design is important, handling technique is what helps cattle flow through a system with ease. %u201cA lot of commercially built sweep systems don%u2019t take advantage of the natural tendencies of cattle, so you have to figure out how to position yourself to make the animals move better,%u201d Gill said.%u201cWhen you push cattle past the point you want them to go, then they want to return the same direction. If there isn%u2019t a pivot point, they don%u2019t have that flowback tendency. With a Bud Box, the handler, whether on foot or horseback, serves as the pivot point. In a tub that doesn%u2019t create flow around a pivot post where the gate is hinged, cattle will usually just start circling in the tub,%u201d he said.Gill said the biggest mistake he sees producers make is either applying too much pressure or applying it at the wrong time. Whether this is while sorting calves out of the herd or pushing cows through the alley, applying unnecessary pressure causes cattle to be more reactive and less responsive. %u201cOnce you get them going in the right direction, regulate the release of pressure. You want just enough pressure to keep movement and create flow,%u201d Gill said. Having the right attitude when working cattle can cause or alleviate a lot of problems too. %u201cWhen tensions are high, animals can read that and it won%u2019t go well,%u201d McCarty said. %u201cDon%u2019t make the mistake of believing that something is a do-or-die scenario. It rarely is.%u201dMaking the DecisionOverall, Gill and McCarty agree that skilled labor, good horses and well designed facilities are the defining factors for choosing which handling method suits your operation best. Some areas have more cowboys and horsemen who can get the job done, while other producers may be short on help and need to rely on an efficient facility instead.%u201cIf you%u2019re not proficient [with a horse], you can add stress to the cows,%u201d Gill said. %u201cThe good crews don%u2019t hardly miss roping calves, so it%u2019s a smooth in-and-out process of roping and dragging.%u201dOther considerations are the temperament of the cattle being worked and the time available to complete the task. %u201cA cow that is always called in with feed and isn%u2019t used to being pushed from the back won%u2019t know what to think at first about a horse,%u201d McCarty said. %u201cOur cattle are used to pressure and being pushed and that matters a lot.%u201dEditor%u2019s Note: Hear the full interviews to learn more about cattle handling techniques online at www.midwestcattleman.com. D