Team Penning and Hair Pin Race

Pretty easy getting up to breakfast at 7.30am. It’s strange how the body can adapt itself so quickly. After a few sandwiches and yoghurt, it was time to go out getting the horses and groom them. My horse for today was Newt, a small quarter gelding in shining chestnut color and some white signs.

The morning was dedicated to fencing. And it’s just what it sounds like… fences. We rode off to a fence that we took down and packed on our packing horse Poncho that we had brought with us. I can’t understand why they don’t buy more sticks and threads instead of taking it down and putting it up all the time? It felt like they didn't it so the guests had something to do.

When we headed back towards the ranch we herded, 11 cows/bulls/calves that we were supposed to use for the team penning later this afternoon. It was a small miscellaneous troop of animals in all shapes and colors. The one standing out the most was “the Beefalo”, a mixed breed of cow and buffalo. The Beefalo had long horns, was huge like a buffalo and had stripes like a tiger. So cool to see.

By noon lunch was served, tacos with meat, cheese, salsa and pepper and some leftovers. We gathered by the horses by 2.15pm and got ready for Team Penning. They divided us into two teams and on time we were supposed to separate a specific cow from the herd and drive it into a pen. For each time the numbers of cows we were separating from the herd increased. It was easy in the beginning but the more cows we were herding the more difficult it got. I could tell my horse Newt was an expert at this game. If the cow didn’t move when approaching it and Newt got close enough, he actually snapped the cow at the back making it to move. And the last couple of times during this game we were able to be mean to the opposing team by chasing away their cows or just stop them in general from doing their thing.

We finished the game riding with Hair Pin Race. Our wrangler Lance had never done this game with guests before so he was a little nervous. In Hair Pin Race you’re divided into two teams and each team rider rides as fast as possible towards their barrel, turns around it and then heading back to the team as fast as possible and touches the hand of the next team rider. We divided us up into girls versus the boys! We tried the game once to get the hang of it and know how to do it. Then it became in dead earnest – girls versus the boys. After two rounds it was 1-1 so it all came down to this third last round! Unfortunately, the boys won but it was a really close call.

When we all calmed down from racing, we herded the animals back to their pasture. Dinner at 7pm. Chicken, macaroni, cucumber salad and white bread was served.