To succeed in cattle drives, a balance between speed and the cattle’s weight was critical. Cattle would lose a lot of weight while they drove as much as 25 miles per day, which would make it difficult to sell them when they reached the railheads. They usually took shorter distances so that cattle could maintain their energy. It is said that a herd could keep their normal weight when they travel 15 miles a day, which means it would take about two months to be traded to a railhead from their home farm.
Over the centuries, cowboys varied their vaquero system, and some are still working in the U.S. On the farm, the cowboy is responsible for feeding the livestock and branding cattle and horses, as well as taking care of animal injuries and illness,
Over the centuries, cowboys varied their vaquero system, and some are still working in the U.S. On the farm, the cowboy is responsible for feeding the livestock and branding cattle and horses, as well as taking care of animal injuries and illness,