Posts Tagged ‘buckaroos’
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Take Care Of Your Horse
July 27, 2016
Jolyn Young
When a cowboy catches a horse for the day, he catches a horse for ALL of the day. Depending on the work to be done, he and his equine partner might start their day at 4:30 AM and not get done until well into the afternoon. Sometimes, the cowboy crew will return to the ranch […]
The Kid’s Horse
April 30, 2016
Jolyn Young
“Jim, grab her off the horse. He’s going to spook. He doesn’t look like he’s okay with the situation. He looks nervous.” “I think you’re the one who’s nervous. Just lead her around, she’ll be fine.” I handed my husband the lead rope that was attached to the horse our three-year-old daughter was sitting atop, […]
Off The Ropes
April 25, 2016
Jolyn Young
Roping horses “off the ropes” is a traditional way of catching horses for a cowboy crew. The practice isn’t commonplace these days, probably because running a large cavvy of ranch horses is becoming less common. The Spanish Ranch in northern Nevada maintains the tradition, however, because it is still the most practical method to use. […]
War Knot Series, Part Four: Figure Eight And Rooster Tail Knots
March 16, 2016
Jolyn Young
In the final installment of this four-part series, learn how to tie the figure eight and rooster tail knot. As mentioned in the previous installments, buckaroo traditions were handed down from the California vaqueros, who learned their skills and customs from the Spanish conquistadors. In keeping with tradition, many modern-day buckaroos tie certain knots in […]
War Knot Series, Part Three: Spanish Ring Knot
March 7, 2016
Jolyn Young
In the third installment of a four-part series, learn how to tie a Spanish ring knot. As mentioned in Parts One and Two, buckaroo traditions were handed down from the California vaqueros, who learned their skills and customs from the Spanish conquistadors. In keeping with tradition, many modern-day buckaroos tie certain knots in their horse’s […]
Buckaroo Lingo
January 25, 2016
Jolyn Young
Every subculture has its own lexicon. In the buckaroo world, we often use phrases that originated with livestock and just apply them directly to human usage in a kind of reverse anthropomorphism. Here are several common cowboy phrases that have wandered away from the barn and gotten tangled up in everyday vernacular. Ganted up: When […]
The Good Country
July 14, 2015
Jolyn Young
My writing assignments took me north to Elko last week, and I was so glad for an excuse to revisit the country where my whole Nevada adventure began five years ago, when I left northern California to work on the Van Norman ranch. I drove 70 miles north of town to the Spanish Ranch to […]
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