"Rangeland Boardroom"

Whenever we work cattle the "Boss" gives everyone a job and "lines us

out" for the circle we'll make gathering cows.

You know, a photo like this really makes me see the allure of your work. The wide open land ... you and your horse (and Smokey Joe, of course) riding around in wide circles .... sounds like there is a real peace there.

 

I like seeing the chaps and hats and ropes ... it all speaks of photography of the workplace.

 

You are truly becoming addicted to the B&W ... and you're doing such a fabulous job with them!

I love the photo! Why are the saddle girths (correct name?) hanging so loose? I thought you were supposed to wait till the horse stopped holding its breath and cinch it tight?

 

Have you seen the "Duckboy" cards and calendars? This reminds me of one of those, especially with your title!

By the way, I'm on my way to Texas to prowl around with the camera while Bob hunts Axis deer. Our hosts are taking us with them on their annual rattlesnake hunt Saturday. Last year they got over 100. Plenty to go around! Hope I can get some good pictures.

Not to mention all the goodlooking cowboys Lou Ann, except they're all too young or too married! Life is good out West. The reason I work on this outfit is that we do use horses for our cow work, a lot of ranches now use four wheelers and motorbikes to gather their cows.

 

Kim those are the back cinches and you don't want them too tight, but when we get ready to rope something we tighten them up. And sometimes when we start the day the back cinch will look a little tighter but as the horse works and sweats he "shrinks", and a rider should tighten 'em up a bit so a horse doesn't kick at a fly on his belly and get a hind foot stuck in the loose back cinch. Some horses do hold their breath so you can't cinch the front cinch tight but we just lead them around a bit and tighten it before we mount. Have fun shooting those "buzzies", be careful too. I've gone on a snake hunt a time or two with an old timer here and although I've gotten a lot of picture I never did like any of them enough to post.

Classic composition. Great choice of B/W, Like it very much.

Makes me want to find my nearest prairie and wander around in it.

Wonderful, Susan! Someday I'll show you some of the shots in my Wyoming family album from more than a century ago, and you'll be struck by the marvelous similarity between those old range shots and much of what you're doing now. Warm regards. Joe

Thank you Kaushik for the nice comments, I've been doing a lot of B&W lately and appreciate the encouragement.

 

Well Doug that ol' prairie right now has some snow blowing around and it's warm and melting and darn near impossible to get around, we start feedin' "on the frost" so we don't get stuck.

 

Joseph, I would love to see photos from your families life in Wyoming. My Dad, as a boy, homesteaded not far from where I now live yet I never knew much of his early history nor do I have more than a couple photos from his life back then. One of my Great Aunts taught school in these parts and rode a horse to get to work. I'm glad I've had this ranching experience 'cause the days of working cattle on horseback is slowly dieing out, most places now use four wheelers and motor bikes to gather and move cattle.

The photo has a classic old-timey feel, as much or more from the low contrast grainy B&W as from the subject matter itself. I, too, wondered about the loose cinches and was glad to find an answer. Around here billionaire John Malone bought the TO Ranch then bought up lots of other ranches to add to the TO...they're a BIG outfit and about the only ones still moving cattle on horseback. Maybe you have to be a billionaire to afford that anymore. Sometimes on my commute to work at sunrise I'll pass them, maybe six riders moving hundreds of cattle...and oh it's hard to drive on to work! (PS - Another book...The Meadow by James Galvin...sublime...I keep two copies, one in the house and one in the camper.)

Howdy Tim, a lot of these recent "ranch" shots were taken with my new little P&S camera so they're inherently inclined to the grainy side, especially in the skies, and now I notice that around the face of Dave (black coat) there's some "noise" going on there too (what's the "rule" on these to's and too's?). These saddles have a front and a back cinch, if a person was to snug up the back cinch first thing in the morning you might find your old cowpony a little inclined to buck a bit. You can see a small strap that attachs the back cinch to the front one (that is tighter), if the back cinch wasn't anchored to the front one it could slip back into the flank area and cause a real wreck. If we're roping something we tighten up the back cinch so when there's a lot of pull on the horn the rear of the saddle doesn't rise up. These two men have "cowboyed" all their lives. We're seeing a lot of the local big ranches, when they're offered for sale, being bought up by wealthy individuals and corporations that don't know the difference between a cow or a steer! One really beautiful ranch in this area was bought and subdivided! Thanks for the book recommendation, hadn't heard of that one, we seem to like the same "style" of writing so please give me more!

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys /Don't let'em pick guitars and drive those old trucks / let'em be lawyers and doctors and such /...

I think this is the way we should live. Honest green work, never miss a change to shut up and just enjoy.

Thanks Juha, it is a good life and I feel priviledged to be able to "cowboy" for a living in spite of the fact that I'm a woman!

Hey, my friend; this is just about the best cowboy art I've ever seen! Your black and white work is gettin' real good, Lady! Great shot, and a heck of a composition. I'll bet it ain't pretty when a horse does get his hoof caught in the back-cinch...a real mess I'll bet.

 

Cheers! Chris

Nice shot Susan, it gives me "the opening scene to Bonanza feeling"! I love it.I'm Just looking for Little Joe. So now we know why you love the west...I agree!

J

* and please view large...really nice shot!*

You flatter me Chris, if you want to look at good cowboy pictures look up Jay Dusard, he's awesome.

 

It's the horses that have me hooked Janis....well maybe the cowboys a little bit too. LOL

 

 

Beautiful work, Susan. I don't know why this one has such a deep flavor of the west. It seems (and I'm sure it was) completely natural, unposed and unselfconscious. The honest approach says volumes and conveys perfectly the sense of two seasoned hands on the wide open spaces. The photographer and all artistic artiface have vanished.

Thank you again for bringing back the great memories. I remember the boss going off whistling with his dogs in tow. Your pictures are letting many people know how wonderful ranch life is when you are working in God's country. You capture the flavor of life so well. I envy you getting such beautiful scenery.

 

Carol

I appreciate your visit and view point Jack. I've taken to packing a small P&S camera in my coat pocket to capture scenes just like this, these men really don't like me poking a camera in their faces so I "sneak" shots when I can. They are about as authentic as it gets, a dying breed for sure.

 

I knew someone like you Carol would appreciate and understand this image, you've lived it to. We graze over 105 sections and a couple leased places so we spend a lot of time horseback and most of it's done the tradional way.

Congratulations!!!

yeah yeah yeah....color mag finally arrived today! I'm restless already for another road trip, school goes well.