Muck Boots 'n' Slickers - Life of a Livestock Hauler

In the late 70s I worked for a rancher in Northern Idaho that had several ranches, but he made the bulk of his income from buying killer horses around the Northwest and then ship them to Canada. He would hold them at his place in Sandpoint until the price was right, and then ship them on his own trucks (I think he had 4 or 5 trucks if memory serves, all in pots). Anyway, when we needed ranch horses we would run over to his place in Sandpoint and pick out a few. There were actually some pretty good horses that ended up in the killer pen. A lot of the time some ailment usually related to poor feet/legs would show up and we would have to take that one back and get another. I couldn't resist trying out an outlaw looking stout paint horse one time. Half his face was brown containing a blue eye, and the other half was white containing a brown eye. He had brands on every quarter of his body, including one on his left jaw. I got him back to the ranch, saddled him up in the corral, pulled my hat down and climbed aboard. That was one of the best reigning horses I have ever been on, but I learned as time went on that he had some very specific rules that one must abide by if you were going to ride him. 1) After bridling him up you never touch him in front of his withers except with the reigns. 2) You never touch him behind the cantle of the saddle. Violation of either of these rules would produce some violent bucking, but he would do anything you asked of him as long as you abided by his rules. You could take him out to the pasture and pick out a pair and then just drop the reigns, and he would put that pair in the corral without ever working one little bit harder than he needed to to get the job done. I sure wish I knew the history behind him.

I kept him for a couple of years, and after we got to know each other I would tease him once in awhile by patting his axx. He would still hump up and pretend to buck but it was just an act at that point. When I got married we took him and the horse I owned on our honeymoon to Banff National Park. My bride rode him a lot and got along really well with him. RIP ole Paint.

 

A good horse like that only comes along once in a blue moon..
Iam not much of a horseman .. but I like when I get pasture loads .. I can sit there for hrs and watch those cow hands work off a cow horse's back.!!
In regards to your story @Oxbow .. you picked out that horse cause you knew his was just like you and you to would be a good match.. it's good that you found him and gave him a 2nd chance at life .He might have knew that too

 

Them stupid F...ing holsteins are just plan lazy & stupid .. their like a 1600 lb sheep their born looking for a place to die.. they load like bean bags.. they might walk .. but then again they might just decide F ...it and lay down on ya in the chute .. going up the ramp to the top deck .. hell maybe both and then again when they reach the top deck.. You just never know.. I hate hauling them because I stop twice as offen to make sure 1 or 2 don't go down on ya cause you can bank on the fact they will try.. and if they do .. you bust you nutts trying to get em back up .. and usually drain the batteries in my hot shot along with my patience..
I think it's cause the only time they have to stand is when they eat or get milked.. the dairy I loaded in NM last week they had water mattresses that they laid on in the stall barn
The Jerseys can be ornery.. ( not like beef cattle ornery) more like Iam pissed off ornery.. I think them Jerseys all gota bad case of the Napoleon Complex. a/k/a.. short man Syndrome....Them dairy cattle don't run from ya so it's like pushing bricks

 

It's been my experience with critters in general, wild or domestic, that the most problems occur when they don't have a healthy respect for humans and don't have the desire to get away from them, but other than loading stock in a horse trailer or smaller stock truck I don't have any experience with what you guys have to deal with.

 

@Oxbow loading is loading in.my eyes doesn't matter if your trying to load 10 critters in a stock trailer or 65 on a pot .. or 1 in a soup can you just have to be able to count and keep track of your numbers and know how many you can put where safely ..there's other things to consider .. but in general a critter is a critter
But your right if they don't respect you it can be a battle of who's got the most will power
Nadds come in handy too but you best have common sense most of all before you go charging at the problem .. just like anything else

 

Like @Catmando said they have absolutely no want too. Going over the top is just a chore for em. They get down it can be a tail pullin nightmare. If their old and stiff they hate you and will hurt you outta spite. Some them guys never see it coming. They are long legged and got a fair bit of reach.




Small scale isn’t really much different in my opinion, it’s still a pen them up and drive them on deal. One thing I’m certain of @Oxbow woulda been a natural for this deal. I will say you ain’t missed much lol

 

I'll 2nd every thing you just Said
And as much as I ride @Oxbow like a wild stallion he would be a good hand as a cow hauler..the only thing he might want to chain each critter.. since he was a heavy hauler
The only thing I'll add is couple weeks ago when I loaded those used up milk jugs .. I had my back to 1 of them old stines. and next thing I know I'am counting the cleats in my trailer floor cause she tried to mount me.. like @wore out said they got the reach on em of telephone pole ..I don't trust em at all

 

I haul holsteins about once a week or 2 and there is always one that got those crazy eyes that make me a little more cautious around it

I picked up two bulls the other day and everyone there told me atlest once or twice to be carefull of them first time I seen 2 bulls so full of hate someone got a Hot shot on one and it turn around and charge at the hot shot then almost breaking a gate then just waiting for someone to get in there with it took a minute for it to decide to walk in the trailer by itself

 

I don't know how good I would have been, but I think I would have enjoyed it more than my days pulling reefer.

It's probably the same as most things in life:
Apply the least amount of pressure, as quietly as possible, to do what needs done......until force is required. Then use it quickly and decisively, and hopefully return to being quiet again.

Quite the fricken philosopher I am eh? I have lost my temper dealing with livestock to the point of no return. It rarely helps, but sometimes it just makes ya feel better!

 

For what it's worth .. I have a fuse shorter than a 2 year old's attention span... but I have more patience when it comes to livestock .. that doesn't mean I still don't get pissed off at em .. it just takes longer to go off on em
I learned as a young'n that yelling and hoop'n & holler'n only makes it worse ..