Ranching 101 for the Non-Rancher: A Pony Is Not A Baby Horse

This article is for any of you that've ever been confused by the terms "green horse" or "dam-sire." While the first article in this series covered common bovine terms and their definitions, this article will follow with definitions for some common equine terms. First of all, a pony is not a baby horse!

Horse

"Horse" refers to any equine over 14.2hh (hands) tall.

Pony

"Pony" refers only to breeds of equine standing less than 14.2hh at maturity. To "pony" a horse means to lead one horse while riding another horse. Ponying is often part of the training process, when a green horse is ponied by an experienced horse.

Mare

A mare is a mature female equine capable of reproduction.

Stallion/Stud

A stallion or stud refers to an intact mature male equine capable of reproduction.

Gelding

A gelding is a castrated male equine. Male horses are castrated to control reproduction as well as better their disposition. Stud horses are often aggressive while geldings are typically much more docile.

Foal

A foal IS a baby horse! "Foal" refers to an equine under one-year-old of either gender.

Colt

A colt is an intact immature male equine under three-years-old.

Filly

A filly is an immature female equine under three-years-old.

Weanling

A "weanling" refers to a newly weaned young equine of either gender.

Yearling

A yearling is an equine of either gender from 12-to-24-months-old.

Green Horse

A "green horse" refers to a horse with very little training. A green horse is inexperienced and may be flightier than broke horses. A "green broke" horse has been newly started under saddle.

Broke Horse

A "broke horse" refers to a horse that has been fully trained.

Shod

A shod horse is a horse wearing shoes. Horses without shoes maybe referred to as unshod or barefoot.

Bronc

It's not a bronco. It's a bronc. A bronc may refer to an untrained horse likely to buck or more commonly a rough stock horse used in bronc riding rodeo events.

Outlaw

An "outlaw" is a horse that can't be broke to ride.

Broodmare

A broodmare is a mare used for breeding.

Bred Mare

A bred mare is a pregnant mare.

Dam

Dam refers to the broodmare a horse is out of or the “mother” of a horse. When reading registered horses' papers one would refer to the animal's mother as the dam.

Sire

Sire refers to the stud a horse is by or the “father” of a horse. When reading registration paper's the animal's father would be referred to as the sire.

Dam-Sire

"Dam-Sire" or "damsire" refers to the stud that the dam of a horse is by... In other words, a horse's maternal grandfather.

Easy-Keeper

An easy keeper is a horse that is easy to maintain. Easy keepers stay in good shape without extra supplements or strict exercise routines.

Hard-Doer/Poor-Doer

A hard-doer or poor-doer is the opposite of an easy-keeper. These horses are often underweight even while on a diet typically adequate for a horse of their age and size. They require extra supplements and care to keep them in healthy shape.

Hands

Hands (hh) are the units used to measure horse height. One hand is 4 inches. Height is measured from the top of the horse's withers to the ground. Ponies, equine under 14.2hh at maturity, are measured in inches rather than hands.
Now that you have the horse talk basics, we can get into the interesting stuff like types of horses, training practices, coat colors and markings, types of tack, and more. If you have questions, shoot me a message on Facebook or comment on the article. I'll answer those questions in upcoming articles. What terms did I leave out? Do these definitions differ in your part of the country? Let's swap experience and talk horses!

Ranching 101 for the Non-Rancher: They're Not All Cows

I grew up in an area where terms like first-calf-heifer and yearling-bull were commonplace. As I've branched out from my little agricultural bubble, I've come to learn that many of these commonplace terms are not so common at all. In this series, I hope to give those outside the beef industry a better understanding of ranch practices. In this first article, I'm going to define some basic terms when it comes to cattle. Once, y'all have these basics, I'll start answering more questions. Like, "Why castrate?" and "What do I mean when I say 'working cattle'?"

For now, here's what you need to know...

Cattle

Cattle refers to, well, cattle. Domestic bovine raised for beef and dairy purposes. It's not a group of cows or a little cow family. They're cattle.

Cow

This one's important because most people seem to think cow is a general term for the animal, but it's not. "Cow" only refers to a mature female bovine that has had more than one calf. A bull is not a cow. There is no such thing as a "baby cow." A cow is a mature female bovine having calved more than once. Period.

Bull

A bull is an intact mature male bovine. Every bovine with horns is not a bull. Some cattle breeds are horned others are polled (without horns). Horned cattle can be dehorned. Take home point: horns have nothing to do with gender and bulls are intact mature males.

Steer

A steer is a castrated male bovine. Castration serves a number of purposes that I will explain in a later article.

Heifer

A heifer is an immature female bovine that has not had a calf. A first-time-heifer also known as a first-calf-heifer refers to a heifer that has calved once and a second-time-heifer also known as second-calf-heifer refers to a heifer that has calved twice.

Calf

A calf is a bovine of either gender less-than-a-year-old. A heifer calf is a female calf and a bull calf is a male calf.

Yearling

This one's pretty simple. Yearling refers to cattle that are one year old. So a yearling bull is a one-year-old intact male.

Muley

A bovine that is without horns or naturally does not have horns.

Dry Cow

A mature female bovine without a calf and not lactating.

Wet Cow

A mature female bovine with a calf and lactating.

Springer or Springing Heifer/Cow

A female bovine that is showing physical signs of being close to calving.

Calving

The act of a female bovine giving birth to a calf.

Bred Heifer/Cow

A pregnant female bovine.

Short Bred Heifer/Cow

A female bovine in the early stages of pregnancy.

Heavy Bred Heifer/Cow

A female bovine in the late stages of pregnancy.

Open Heifer/Cow

A non-pregnant female bovine.

Bulling Heifer/Cow

Refers to behavior seen in cattle indicating a female in estrus (in heat).

Broke or Broken Mouth Cow

A female bovine with broken or missing teeth due to old age.

Solid Mouth Cow

A female bovine with all of her teeth in place. Usually meaning a young to middle aged female bovine.

Black Baldy/Baldies

A crossbreed of cattle produced by crossing Hereford cattle with a black breed of beef cattle. They are usually black with a white face.

Bald-Faced

A bovine with a white face.

Motley-Faced

A bovine with a face that is mixed in color. For example, it may have a white with black or red spots; or it may have a largely black or red head and face with white spots.

Scurs or Scurred

Horns that are not firmly attached to the skull. Usually hang loose from the animal’s head.

Slick-Eared

A bovine that has not been earmarked.

Cow-Calf Pair

A mature bovine female and her offspring.

Dogie Calf

A motherless calf. It's usually a poor doer that can be described as being little on both ends and big in the middle.

Whether you grew up using these terms on a daily basis or you've never heard them before in your life, join in the conversation. What are some terms I didn't mention? Were any of these new to you? What other questions do you have for the beef industry?

The Cowboy Code

In a time when hate, division, and self-promotion run rampant, there is a code of ethics at risk of extinction. This code, the Cowboy Code, represents a time when things were done differently. My daddy grew up in the last days of that era, the era of the great American Cowboy. Sure, there are still cowboys, but they're not the same. What's truly sad is that this great decline of character and work ethic has taken place within my lifetime. Just 20-short-years ago, the world was very different; the cowboy code still stood firm. Now all you boys in your Hooey hats settle down. Y'all may think you know the code, but your attitude proves otherwise. The code goes far deeper than removing your hat to wink at a girl. It's about family, work ethic, respect, integrity, character, selflessness and a long list of other qualities this generation knows very little about.

Daddy grew up in a time when family was important. Family was everything. Family represented your heritage, and you'd protect that with everything within you. You were proud of who you came from and wanted to uphold their reputation. Family was the ones you knew you could always count on, and because of that, family came first. No questions asked.

Neighbors were next to kin. If a neighbor needed help, you helped them. More than that, you didn't wait to be asked for help. If you saw a need, you filled it. It didn't matter if you had cattle to work, too, because they'd gladly return the favor. In fact, working cattle was much different. Cattle workings were a family and community event. Neighbors came together to help each other's operations.

Work started before daylight. The code was upheld. The owner of the operation gave the orders, and you did things their way to the best of your ability. You wouldn't dare argue with someone on their own operation. You could do things your way on your own place. When you were given your orders, you didn't complain. You knew your place. If you were told to ride swing or drag rather than point, you did so happily because you were glad to be able to help wherever needed. You wouldn't take another rider's job; instead, you'd go above and beyond to do your own job well.

Horse etiquette was followed and taken seriously. You wouldn't cut another rider and their horse off. You were cautious of your horse's whereabouts in relation to the other animals. You let the boss lead. The boss was the first through the gate and the other riders followed in seniority. You'd do your best to be the first to get the gate and wait on the ground to close it, especially if you were the youngest rider. The other riders waited for the gateman before riding on. Out of respect, you'd offer to work the ground first and let your elders rope when dragging calves. Once the morning round was worked, everyone took a break long enough to socialize and enjoy a meal consisting of the specialty dishes of the cooks in the outfit. Then, it was back to work until the job was done for the day.

Horses were recognized as your greatest tool and best friend. You put your horse first in every situation. Your horse was fed and readied for the day before you had breakfast. Throughout the day, you took care to pay attention to your horse. If he was tired or sore, you'd rest him. You would rather take care of your horse and not accomplish as much than risk the horse's wellbeing. As soon as you'd finished a task, your horse's saddle was removed or at the very least, the cinch was loosened. You made sure that your horse was kept hydrated by watering him frequently. At the end of the day, horses were unsaddled and fed well before you ever thought about resting yourself. You put your horse first, friends second and yourself last. Selflessness was a key character quality.

Your elders were to be revered and respected. The younger generations recognized the wealth of knowledge, wisdom, and experience the older generations had to offer. My daddy talks about spending all his time with his granddaddy. He remembers the lessons about managing cattle and handling horses that were passed down for generations. More importantly, he remembers the life lessons he learned from Granddaddy. He talks about the kind of man Granddaddy was and trying his hardest to become that kind of man. He talks about the understanding that the younger generation had, always knowing their place and being happy to do their part. You got the gate and shut it too. You'd answered with "No, sir." and "Yes, ma'am." You listened to learn, not to respond. You showed respect in word and action.

My daddy grew up in a time and place where your hat meant something. The crease of the brim was the same crease your family had used for years. People recognized you by it, and because of that, you wore it with pride. You removed your hat as a sign of respect. You wouldn't dare set foot in a church building or someone's home without removing it. You'd take it off to greet a woman because you respected her, too. It wasn't just a fashion statement. It wasn’t just for show. It represented your heritage and served a purpose in protecting you from the elements during long days spent working outside.

Firm handshakes were important, too. Integrity meant something and your handshake was a representation of that. If you said you'd do something, you meant it. Honesty was expected and upheld. You treated everyone with respect, especially your elders. If you wanted something, you earned it. Hard work was common, and you'd go the extra mile because you knew it was worth it. You took pride in your character and worked to improve it. Selflessness, honor, and courage were attributes you strove to attain. These things defined you. These things made up the cowboy code.

The attributes of the cowboy code represent a time of strength and goodness in our culture; a time when selflessness came before self-promotion. It represents a time when people came together not just in times of crisis and need, but in daily life. The cowboy code isn't about being a cowboy. It's about having character and integrity in a world that is desperately lacking those qualities. Perhaps these things are worth protecting. Perhaps if the cowboy code was implemented in each of our lives, this world would be a little nicer.