“I wanted to be a cattle rancher when I was young, because it was what I knew and I loved it” (Sandra Day O'Connor Quotes, 2024). Cattle drives are an essential part of a cattle rancher’s life, and moving cattle across hundreds of miles is not only about getting each group of livestock moved but about the deeper underlying meaning lying within the planning, execution, and finalizing. Cattle drives are a performance of grit, strategy, and adaptations. An organizer of a cattle drive will employ various managerial methods to guarantee the achievement and profitability of cattle drives, such as planning routes, hiring skilled workers, and adapting to changing conditions.

First, the organizer plans the routes for horseback riders, four-wheelers, trucks, and trailers by creating primary and secondary mapped routes. Organizing the large-scale operation of a cattle drive over long distances requires understanding various inputs such as “terrain, availability of water and grazing land, and the weather” (CHM (Communityheritagemaps), 2022). Considering the amount of vehicular traffic and other interference along the route, it is vital to understand how much extra time will be needed to move the cattle safely to the destination. Having routes specifically for each mode of transportation is required as there are some cattle drives where sections can only be traveled by a horse, while others are too volatile and dangerous for a horse to use. Planning effective routes, both primary and secondary, allows the driver to successfully implement the planned routes for each mode of transportation on the drive.

Second, the manager will recruit skilled workers by assessing their expertise and experience in cattle drives and ranch hand duties. A skilled ranch hand has a broad set of skills, which includes horsemanship, navigation, problem-solving, and even cooking over a fire for longer drives (AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association), 2019). The broad skill sets combined when working with multiple ranch hands allow for a well-rounded workforce that can work with the skills they have gained throughout their lives. Being humble and hardworking is another vital aspect of being a skilled worker on a cattle drive. The work is never-ending and requires long hours and monotonous tasks at times, which is a significant reason the workers hired should have experience working cattle drives and other ranch hand duties.

Lastly, cattle drive organizers adapt to changing weather conditions, personnel, and emergencies through preparation and planning based on previous cattle drives. Cattle drives have many dangers that can arise due to adaptations in the inputs of the drive. One of those dangers is changing weather conditions such as a large storm. Teddy Blue Abbot, a famous cowboy, talked about how when a storm came and the cattle started stampeding, all the men would need to jump on their horses and run to get ahead of the herd in the dark (Assmann, 2023). Riding a horse in the dark has many dangers, like holes, cliffs, and dangerous litter. A storm is just one way a cattle drive must adapt. Drastic events such as a stampede, holes trapping calves, and wildfires can alter an entire cattle drive route. Adapting and changing the original plan to account for these unforeseen emergencies helps improve the success of a cattle drive.

Successful and profitable cattle drives can be hard to achieve, but with a combination of the different managerial methods, positive results can be found and might even lead to fruitful outcomes. Organizers of cattle drives who implement primary and secondary routes, recruit skilled workers, and plan for adaptations and emergencies are more likely to experience positive outcomes for each drive.

References

AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association). (2019, March 28). 10 Qualities of Great Ranch Hands. Retrieved from American Quarter Horse Association: https://www.aqha.com/blog-detail-view/-/asset_publisher/NoPXPVhTAWTK/content/10-qualities-of-great-ranch-hands

Assmann, C. (2023, May 24). Dangers on a Cattle Drive - Primary Sources. Retrieved from Frontier Life: https://www.frontierlife.net/blog/2021/5/24/dangers-on-a-cattle-drive-primary-sources

CHM (Communityheritagemaps). (2022, December 26). Planning A Successful Cattle Drive: The Importance Of A Good Route. Retrieved from Community Heritage Maps: https://www.communityheritagemaps.com/planning-a-successful-cattle-drive-the-importance-of-a-good-route/

Sandra Day O'Connor Quotes. (2024). Retrieved from Brainy Quote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/sandra_day_oconnor_372174