Caring for wheat pasture cattle gives Tripp Townsend an opportunity to set his horse up for an easy transition to the roping pen.
Rancher and horseman Tripp Townsend and his Sandhill Cattle and Horses crew often rope and doctor upwards of 1,000 head of wheat pasture cattle per month. Townsend relies on his horses to get the job done efficiently. It’s not uncommon for young, inexperienced horses to get rattled by roping outside. For this reason, being mindful about introducing horses to the roping and doctoring process is paramount.
“When it’s time to team rope on my horse out of the box, I want him quiet there,” Townsend explains. “Normally, if you get one wound up and nervous outside, then when you get to the arena, chances are they will be the same way, wound up and nervous in the box. It all ties together— the quieter I keep one outside, the quieter they are going to be when I get to the arena.”
Tag along with Tripp for a day of roping and doctoring in the Texas panhandle.
I might have to start taking them out a couple hundred yards. I usually try to get them in the herd but sometimes that can get interesting