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Making the Cut When it Counts

July 22, 2014 by Allison

This summer is just flying by!  I feel like we just barely moved cows up to Badger Hole last week… Ya, they are already long gone from that range!  Sadly, I am just now getting to share it to you. 

The ride to Badger Hole is pretty easy.  That’s why The Rancher’s Sidekick got to go…  They just follow the road for a few miles and then, ta da! We’re there. 

Once we get there the cows bury their heads in the grass and totally forget about their calves.  Ya, know… the typical thing they do once they get to greener feed.  We like to hold them there at the water for a bit until they settle in and remember their calves.  We’ll sort the pairs off slowly to make sure that all the calves have found their mommas. 

Towards the end of sorting we have the less than smart cows left that try to give us a fight.   Those ornery cows just don’t want to be bothered! Crazy at it may sound, it makes it a little fun.  The cowboys have a chance to do a little cutting and show off some real cowboy skills!  There is such a rush when you take off after a cow and have to stop in an instant to change directions.  With a good horse that knows how to move you just slide down in the saddle, glue yourself in, and let her do all the work!  I love watching a horse that knows what to do.  You can see it in how she follows the cow with her ears pinned back, how she spins on her back feet or stops on a dime.  Mmm…  It makes me swoon just thinking about it!

Cutting athleticism at its finest!  Watching a cowboy and his horse working together, making split second decisions and moving fast and smooth out on the range, watching out in God’s arena the way it was meant to be- making the cut when it matters.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: At the Ranch, Cowboy E, Cowboy Nature, Cows on the Move, Horsin' Around, The Buckaroo

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About Allison

Hello! I'm Allison, The Rancher's Wife! There's nothing I love more than being out on the ranch with my husband and kids. Join me for a look at what goes on here at the ranch and the life being a rancher's wife!

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Hello! I'm Allison, The Rancher's Wife! There's nothing I love more than being out on the ranch with my husband and kids. Join me for a look at what goes on here at the ranch and the life being a rancher's wife!

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theidahorancherswife

Idaho ranch wife + mama 🐮🤠
Living on cattle, cocoa & kids running wild.
Daily ranch life, western style all with a side of dirt.

I’ll just keep holding the brake… #lifeonacattler I’ll just keep holding the brake…

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#teamwork 
#theincredibles 
#hesmrincredible
It shouldn’t be this tall. Late frosts. Hot, dry It shouldn’t be this tall. 

Late frosts. Hot, dry, dusty days. Summer drought. A week with the pump down. 

But God is good and this corn patch surpassed our greatest hopes. I see His hand. Do you?
#lifeonacattleranch 
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#farminginadrought 
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Another rousing round of mountainside musings 🤣 # Another rousing round of mountainside musings 🤣

#lifeonacattleranch 
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#ranchlife 
#ranchhumor 
#outontherange
They say you can tell a lot about a man by his out They say you can tell a lot about a man by his outfit. In cowboy country, that has less to do with the clothes on his back and more to do with the truck and trailer he pulled out of the yard in. 

Come on o we to the website for the outfit breakdown with a side of ranch wife humor! 
 
https://theidahorancherswife.com/you-can-tell-a-lot-about-a-cowboy-by-his-outfit/ Or find the link in my bio!

#cowboyoutfit 
#fitcheck 
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Who needs arm day when you can pitch hay?? Me… I d Who needs arm day when you can pitch hay?? Me… I do… so I can pitch the hay… 💪🏼😮‍💨🤣

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchlife #feedingcattle #armdayeveryday
Shhh… don’t tell The Rancher because I’m about to Shhh… don’t tell The Rancher because I’m about to take things into my own hands!
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#laundrywoes 
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If you watch my stories you have seen me post a fe If you watch my stories you have seen me post a few coloring pages taken directly from photos of our family ranching. 

I’m excited to announce that I’m in the works of a coloring book featuring ranching scenes from our year on the ranch! While I keep working to get it done, head to my website to enjoy a few freebies just for you.

https://theidahorancherswife.com/workshop/

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Sunday afternoon chore vibes… ain’t too proud to b Sunday afternoon chore vibes… ain’t too proud to be caught in my sweats and boots 

#lifeonacattleranch 
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You never want to be the guy that accidentally let You never want to be the guy that accidentally let the calves out. To that end, you double and triple check every dang gate you go through… but sometimes the calves still get out 🙄. 

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchlife #weaningseason #ranchcalves
“Do I have to do it as good as you?” Our youngest “Do I have to do it as good as you?”

Our youngest asked me that after wrestling with a stubborn fence post one winter day.

I wasn’t sure how to answer.

Because yes, the fence has to work when we are done and the cows don’t care if it was built by a ranch mom or a seven-year-old. The work matters, and I want my kids to learn to do it right.

But expecting a ranch kid to do a job exactly like someone with years more experience? That’s a different story.

Raising kids on a ranch has taught me that high expectations and room to grow aren’t opposites. We can expect our kids to contribute, be responsible, solve problems, and do meaningful work while still giving them the time and grace it takes to become capable.

Sometimes that means pulling out the crooked fence post and trying again. Sometimes it means looking at a field of missed hay and asking questions instead of jumping straight to frustration.

The standard doesn’t have to change just because someone is still learning.

I think that’s true far beyond the ranch, too.

Today’s learner might just be tomorrow’s expert.

Full story on the blog. 🤎

https://theidahorancherswife.com/the-fine-line-between-high-expectations-and-room-to-grow/

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchkids #ranchlife #raisingranchkids
Want to know a secret? For a long time, I had a h Want to know a secret?

For a long time, I had a hard time calling myself a cowgirl 😬. 

I grew up ranching, working cows and riding horses. I lived and worked on a ranch with my husband. I knew how to sort cows, run a tractor, and doctor a calf. 

But somehow I still didn’t think I was *enough* to be considered a real cowgirl. 

I was wrong. And finally I realized that. 

There are no qualifying accomplishments or minimum requirements. It isn’t measured by any other cowgirl in the pen. And no one can tell you that you aren’t. 

Today, on National Cowgirl Day, here is a shoutout to all the women and girls who proudly, quietly, unashamedly, and honorably call themselves cowgirls. Thank you for the hand you are, the traditions you live and the legacy you leave behind. 

#NationalCowgirlDay
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You can only stumble onto this kind of beautiful. You can only stumble onto this kind of beautiful. 

#lifeonacattleranch 
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They have been looking forward to this day for wee They have been looking forward to this day for weeks. 

And so have I. 

There are days I enjoy the quiet working without them, but soaking up these days working together fills my heart. I already fe they are growing way too fast. 

But I’m sure proud of the young men they are becoming. 

#mommaletyourbabiesgrowuptobecowboys 
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Putting your kindergarten math skills to the test Putting your kindergarten math skills to the test 🤣. The Rancher got 63 and I… got 63 too 😮‍💨. If our numbers were different, he would definitely be wrong, not me 😬

#lifeonacattleranch 
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If you ever wondered if God hears a weary, wanderi If you ever wondered if God hears a weary, wandering cowgirl, I can assure you he does. 

The days riding up and down the mountain looking for cattle can get long. I had found a pocket of cows tucked under some cedar trees but had quite a ways to get there to them. Crossing through a big wash, I lost track of exactly which trees I was heading for. 

It’s silly but I felt defeated and frustrated. With a much closer perspective of that mountainside, everything looked different. I decided to backtrack a little, not wanting to skip any patch of trees that *could* have been the ones. 

As I started riding forward I said a silent prayer, ”Lord, help me find these cows.”

Less than 30 seconds later, I hear a single “moo” behind me. I whipped around to see just the nose of a cow poking out behind the black shade of the tree. 

I had found the cows!

Let this be a little reminder that God cares, even about helping find cows on the mountain. You just have to ask for help. 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#godfearingcowgirl 
#outontherange 
#godbless
Trail side musing from The Idaho Rancher’s Wife… i Trail side musing from The Idaho Rancher’s Wife… in the end, I should have grabbed the jacket 🤦🏼‍♀️
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#musings 
#cowboylife 
#outontherange
Crisp fall mornings gathering cattle off the mount Crisp fall mornings gathering cattle off the mountains of the summer range are some of my favorite days of the year! 

My house is a mess, the laundry is piling up and the to-do list is fiercely long, but I won’t give up these days for anything. 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranching 
#outontherange 
#fallwork
Last night I looked up at the countless star above Last night I looked up at the countless star above me and, not for the first time, was in awe of this beautiful world we live in!

There are plenty of things I’d change about living in the middle of nowhere, don’t get me wrong. But giving up the life that comes with them isn’t one of them.

What would be on your list of inconveniences? 
What makes it worth it for you?

Read my list on my website, TheIdahoRanchersWife.com
https://theidahorancherswife.com/10-downsides-of-rural-ranch-life-but/

#ruralliving 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#countryliving 
#sograteful
“Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful, a “Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful, and most noble employment of man”. George Washington 

Amen, George. Amen. 

They sure don’t make presidents like they used to…

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
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#horseofinstagram 
#ranchlife
Yes, the American beef herd is shrinking. We all k Yes, the American beef herd is shrinking. We all know that. And it’s a REALLY valid concern. 

But did you also know that annually, ranchers are producing more pounds than the year before? Since 2023, we have averaged nearly 50 pounds more per carcass! 

That doesn’t mean the shrinking herd isn’t a supply problem—it clearly is. But it means head count alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

These facts tell me that ranchers are doing all they can, despite challenges like rising input costs and drought conditions, to provide beef to American families. 

If we really want to support producers rebuilding their herd, here’s my suggestion:

Lower our input costs, not the price of our cattle.

And let’s start with fuel.  Because that not only supports the American rancher, but American families as well. 

If you want us to raise more cattle, help make it more affordable to raise them.

If you could make one change for producers, what would it be? Tell me in the comments! 👇🏻👇🏻

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