Little Life on An American Ranch

When he arrived at the fence of the auction site, Jian Heng found that the auction was not over yet, so he ran over curiously to have a look, and found that the horses were still being photographed.

Not only are the horses being patted, but horse carts are constantly coming here with horses. At the registration office, ranchers can still be seen registering and waiting to send the photos.

Unable to hire a cart, Jian Heng hired a small trailer to transport the sheep and the only horse that could not be ridden, namely black beans, to the ranch first by Zhao Changshan.

Old Lynch watched the black beans get on the transport vehicle and suggested to Jian Heng: Henry, I have time tomorrow, do you think you have given this horse to the gelding?

Old Lynch didn't know why Jian Heng bought this horse. As a veterinarian, in his opinion, the only use of such a horse was to train it to herd cattle and sheep after being gelded.

As for stallions and the like, in Old Lynch's view, there is no possibility at all, it is simply a heavenly altar.

Don't look at how tall the black beans are. There are many horses in the pasture that are taller than the black beans, and the shape is better than the black beans. The old man thought that if a horse like the black beans could be a stallion, the people who bred it would be almost blind eyes.

Originally, the big black horse that Jian Heng rode was a gelding. Jian Heng thought for a while and said, Let's talk about it later!

Jian Heng has not considered whether to gelling Heidou now, but Jian Heng is a bit entangled in this issue. It is almost impossible to control a stallion like Heidou without a gelding. Stallions are very irritable. The horse is almost like sitting in the crater, and his life is in danger at any time.

After the stallion was stabbed, he seemed to have nothing to worry about except eating.

After the fierce stallion was stabbed, his personality changed drastically. He didn't lose his temper when he saw the mare, and he was able to resolutely carry out his master's orders.

In short, whether it is a ranch or a horse farm, as long as there are only two stallions that cannot be studs, the biggest way out is to get a knife and become a riding horse, and the other way is even more serious: kill and eat meat!

But now Jian Heng's life is not very embarrassing, so there is no burden to raise black beans for nothing.

Now I'm not gelling and I'll be gelding later. It's only a little less than two years old, so it's a good time for gelding! Old Lynch, a veterinarian, gave some advice for Jian Heng's benefit.

Seeing Jian Heng shook his head, old Lynch stopped talking, he knew that his own words were enough, since the horse was not his anyway, so he didn't need to worry about it.

What about your car? Jian Hengduo asked.

Lynch Sr. said, I let Brady drive.

What are they doing here? Jian Heng asked.

Brady is an employee of Anderson Ranch, and Zhang Jialiang's new friend Dominique is a colleague.

I gave them the news. Naturally, they came to sell the horses. Seven or eight ponies were all sold. Today is really a good day!

Sold out?

Seeing old Lynch nodded, Jian Heng sighed: Crazy!

It's crazy! Now it's nearly 600 horses sold! Old Lynch was also surprised. In the past, the 600 horses were at least a quarter of the transaction volume of a nearby town, but this time it was completed in just one day.

It's nothing to do with us, let's drive the cattle honestly!

What can Jian Heng say, that a group of Chinese people robbed rotten cows to deceive their compatriots? Don't talk about it, I blush just thinking about it.

Before old Lynch could speak, Jian Heng got on the back of a bay-colored quarter horse.

Old Lynch took a look and walked to the other horse tied to the fence. It was a sorrel Quarter Horse with a white star on its nose. When he got to the horse, the old man in his sixties got on the horse like a young man.

As for the two sisters, Barley and Wheat, who are riding two Arabian horses, one chestnut and one green, Zhang Jialiang is naturally riding Kuat. This is his exclusive horse, which can be regarded as allowing him to quickly establish a relationship with his own horse.

Gently pulling the side rein, Jian Heng came in front of everyone. When the five horses got together, Jian Heng began to assign tasks.

Lynch, you are in charge of the left-hand side, and I will come to the right-hand side. Jialiang, you follow me and learn how to drive cattle, barley and wheat. You two sisters are in charge of the rear first.

Jian Heng didn't know how well the two eldest ladies were driving cattle, so he was worried about them, so he divided up the easier work first. Old Lynch Jian Heng knew it well. Although he was old, it was not a big problem for him to be in charge Yes, there are not too many noodles and cattle, only about forty, so the workload is not too big.

As for Zhang Jialiang, this kid has no experience at all. This time, Jian Heng took it upon himself to give him a good practical lesson in driving cattle.

Five people got on the horses, and with the help of the shooting staff, they drove the cattle out of the fence, and the enthusiastic staff drove Jian Heng and others to the intersection in a small four-wheeled cart.

Where do you go? Old Lynch held the reins with one hand, and stood on his horse like a javelin. It was not at all obvious that he was an old man in his sixties.

It is impossible to drive the cattle this time on the main road. Firstly, there are too many vehicles, and secondly, the main road is relatively long, which takes about a third of the distance.

Take the trail, let's walk along the high-voltage tower first, and then go straight to the pasture at the foot of the mountain, Jian Heng said.

Lynch didn't say much, he lifted the reins directly, tapped the horse's belly lightly with both feet, and the horse started to move instantly, and saw the old man holding the rein with one hand and tilting the horse's head a little, controlling the horse to move directly towards the cow. The group of cows cut past.

Moo!

Seeing the horse galloping towards him, the first cow turned subconsciously. When the first cow moved, the cows behind him naturally turned in the same direction, and the whole herd moved smoothly because of Old Lynch's movement.

See? Jian Heng said to Zhang Jialiang approvingly.

Zhang Jialiang blinked his eyes. In his opinion, there is no difficulty in this. Isn't it just driving a cow with a horse!

Seeing his expression, Jian Heng didn't train him, but directly motioned him to follow him.

People who have never driven cattle think with their own heads, what is wrong with driving cattle? It is nothing more than driving the cattle forward. No, no whip.

Is that right?

right!

Completely correct! There's nothing wrong with it, that's what cattle driving is all about!

But knowing what it is to drive cattle, let you really drive, let alone a novice, it is not easy for an old cowboy to catch dozens or hundreds of cows.

First of all, test your ability to judge, which one of the herd of cattle wants to leave the herd, you have to have a prediction.

You start the horse to chase after all the other cows have run out. A dozen or so are easy. If there are thousands of cows in a normal transition, by the time you drive the herd to the destination, you may lose 10% of the cows on the road.

Second, you must have good riding skills, and you must have good physical strength to ensure that you can run countless times on the side of the entire herd within a few hours.

The third point is that you have to have a precise positioning, so that your horse can just stop the cattle from going, and block any position of the cattle that leave the herd, so that it has no choice but to automatically go to the herd.

Huh! Huh!

Accompanied by the sound of urging the horses one after another, Jian Heng and old Lynch were like two pendulums swinging on both sides of the cows.

The cattle entered the trail, saying that the trail is actually not that narrow. This road was pressed out by construction machines when the high-voltage line was built. It is wider than the two feet of the iron frame of the high-voltage line, and wider than the official road next to it. Not a lot. It's just that there is no cement, and it is a dirt road. Because the machine is heavy, the ground is compacted and there is not much grass.

There is no grass on the road, but there is grass on both sides of the road, and the speed of the cattle is not much faster. Let's put it this way, it is impossible for a herd of cows to keep trotting for a long time. They always have to run and stop, and they have to chew the grass on the roadside from time to time. No matter how good a cowboy is, they can't control the instinct of cattle to eat grass.

As soon as the road was wide, the workload of Jian Heng and Old Lynch suddenly increased. Some cows ran to the roadside to graze, and some directly stretched their mouths to pick up the young leaves on the branches.

Seeing that a heifer was about to leave the team, Jian Heng called Zhang Jialiang: Jialiang, go up and try!

As soon as Zhang Jialiang heard this, he immediately urged the horse to run to the heifer that was about to leave the team. Just when he thought that the heifer wanted a herd of cattle, who knew that the heifer turned around and ran directly behind his horse's buttocks. .

Jian Heng had already made preparations. Seeing that Zhang Jialiang did not stop the horse, he directly moved the horse under his crotch. He blocked the heifer's path with a few steps, waved the lasso head in his hand, and the heifer turned around with interest. herd.

Why do you do it so easily? Zhang Jialiang asked puzzled.

He watched this journey very seriously and devoted himself to learning. This time, he was full of confidence when he ran up to cut the cow. Unfortunately, he stopped next to the cow. He thought the cow should turn his head, but who knew that the cow just bypassed it. himself, which made him very helpless.

The eyes of a cow are on both sides. It is the same as a horse. When looking back, there is a blind spot. Your position should be stuck in a fan-shaped interval between the blind spot and its forward direction. This time you are stuck a little too far ahead. The cow sees the gap behind your horse's buttocks, so it's not stupid and naturally knows to turn around you. Jian Heng said while indicating where the correct horse should be next to the cow.

The cow will not leave the herd until Jian Heng finishes teaching. Just as Jian Heng was talking, another heifer tried to leave the herd. Jian Heng explained and drove the cow away.

Don't underestimate the more than forty cows. The dust on the muddy ground where they ran around was also rolled up. Fortunately, Jian Heng was prepared and equipped everyone with square scarves, so everyone covered them with square scarves. The nose, to block the mud and dust stirred up by the herd of cattle.

But they couldn't block their noses, they couldn't block their bodies. After walking more than half of the way, when they were about to turn into a straight forest path, everyone seemed to be fished out of a pile of dust.

The most uncomfortable thing is Zhang Jialiang. He has not learned how to ride a horse for a long time, and his equestrian skills are not yet in place. Although there is no problem with trotting, but driving cattle is not trotting. Now his posture on horseback is directly deformed. .

Okay, don't follow me anymore, don't worry about it for a while, you can help me by following Mai Mai! Jian Heng persuaded him.

Looking at his appearance, Jian Heng could tell that there were blood blisters between his crotch being rubbed by the saddle. This was caused by his riding posture or unnatural waves. If you say this thing a thousand times or ten thousand times, why don’t you ride it? It is useless not to experience it. This cannot be given by others. You can only practice more yourself.

I can do it! Zhang Jialiang gritted his teeth and insisted.

You can do it today, but you won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow. Listen to me and go to the back! Jian Heng said.

Old Lynch glanced at Zhang Jialiang approvingly at this time: Zhang, you have performed very well, better than many young men who grew up here for the first time!

When talking about the young people in the town, Old Lynch couldn't help but sighed again in his heart.

Jian Heng also smiled at Zhang Jialiang who was approving: Go to the back and help, don't hold on, listen to me.

Scratching his head shyly, Zhang Jialiang finally nodded, and turned his horse's head to the back of the herd.

With the addition of Zhang Jialiang, Barley and Wheat relaxed a lot, and the two of them had more opportunities to push up, so that the invisible speed of the cow was slightly faster.

The five of them hurried forward, and when they arrived at the pasture, it was almost sunset.

Zhao Changshan got a little impatient for waiting, if he knew the way, maybe he couldn't hold back and drove to meet everyone.

Even so, Zhao Changshan stretched his head out and waited at the gate of the ranch for almost half an hour, and he was relieved when he saw the herd of cattle emerging from a distance.

He trotted to meet the cows, and when he came up, he dragged a long branch in his hand, standing beside the cows, holding a branch to help drive the cows, while driving, he asked: Why is it so long?!

This is already very fast! Jian Heng said with a smile.

Why do you have such a painted face? Zhao Changshan asked with concern when he saw Zhang Jialiang sitting on the horse's back, not only did his face change, but his whole face was covered with sweat and dust, like a clay figurine.

Zhang Jialiang grinned: It's okay, it's just that the inner side of the leg is a little scratched!

It's easy to say, Zhang Jialiang is not feeling well right now, think about how it feels like the salt in the sweat flows through the broken skin wound, and now he feels this way, wishing to do splits directly on the horse's back.

Jian Heng looked at him and smiled, and jokingly said: Congratulations, the first step of the ranch life you are looking forward to has been taken!

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