Operation Ranch Hand

you fail, get up and keep going.” Face it, in life, there are people who want to see you fail; don’t let them win. Failure is one step towards success. It may seem like a step in the wrong direction but, “You get mad, you get strong, you wipe your hands, shake it off then you stand.” Bumps in the road are inevitable and moments when you ask “Why me?” or “Why now?” happen, but these are the moments when you really have the potential to do something great. There has to be a storm before the…

dreams belong, McCarthy questions how far he will go to follow his passions. John Grady decided to ride “out where the western fork of the old Comanche road” ran through the westernmost section of the ranch, which symbolizes him ultimately realizing that he can’t pursue his passions on his family’s ranch in Texas (McCarthy 5). John Grady has a strong desire to pursue his dreams even if that means leaving his home. McCarthy suggests that he is willing to do this because he believes that he can…

Cattle drives lead to what they call cattle towns or “cow towns.” Cow towns flourished in the time period 1866-1890. This was mainly because of the railroads that had reached towns suitable for gathering and shipping cattle. The first town to fully establish was Abilene in Kansas. Dodge City and Wichita soon followed. Dodge City was considered the “cowboy capital of the world.” (Ramos). In order for the cowmen to make sure they didn’t lose any of their cattle or to keep others from stealing, and…

One of the great mysteries of the modern world is why and how America became such an economic and democratic success. The most salient explanation for this distinctive economic and democratic success of America is the Myth of the Frontier. As debatably the lasting of American myths, with roots in colonial times and a commanding enduring presence in modern culture, the Frontier Myth instilled Americans with the ideas of the perennial rebirth, fluidity of life, new opportunities, and continuous…

“Why! Why does it have to be this way? Why can’t people just treat horses like real living things!” I screamed at my riding instructor. “Because, some people just don’t think that way,” she replied to my outburst with surprising calmness. Before I knew it, I grabbed a fistful of my new horse, Zeus’s mane and swung onto him bareback. We galloped for what felt like hours, but was only a few minutes. I ended up at a place I didn’t know existed, another horse farm. A boy maybe 5 years older…

During the early 1800s, land, in general, was of precious value to most Americans as farming was the key to success. Along with moving westward, land was seen as a new opportunity for American settlers to build a better life. The land was already occupied by Native Americans though, therefore, the American settlers pushed for the federal government to pass laws that gave them rights over the lands. Then, Indian Territory kept getting smaller and smaller due to the federal government laws that…

Over the hill of a small town there is a lone shadow of a man on a horse watching over the town making sure that everything within the town is safe and no bandit is going to raid or rob any of the townsfolks. He is the saver of damsels in distress, the rider of freedom and peace, however this image of the cowboy that so many people have in their minds is not the true cowboy, but an image from popular literature, to films. The real cowboys were the men that would run cattle drives making sure…

in the Ranch is more fun than any other lifestyle. “I have so much fun playing with the cattle and horses and some require playing around and having fun with the animals” as I said with a smile. Riding horses is one of them because they need to move every once and awhile. Sometimes when my friend comes over we race horses but I never win. No matter what I do he still wins. It is also fun playing with the cattle. The way they react when I let the dogs loose is very funny. Life on the ranch is…

Before Brayden arrived to pick me up, I worked both of the horses for a hour each. Afterwards, I bushed them and turned them out to the field for the day. They deserved a day off relaxing and grazing under the sun. Before turning them loose to their own devices, I spray them down with fly spray on and slip their fly masks on. Both horses trot around the field before settling down to graze. I watch them for a few moments before returning to the cabin. Tomorrow was the big day. My performance in…

In Revolution on the Range, Courtney White describes how the American West is coming into a new waive of ranching. How ranching is not just about making money to survive anymore, but also a way to help preserve their land and the land of those around them. For too long the Federal Government has taken away from the rancher’s livelihood, putting restrictions on how many cattle they are allowed to have, where they are allowed to graze, and taking away their right to controlled grass fires.…