Neighbor Branding

So Thursday I took Razz over to the neighbors and travelled with them over to thier branding.  I had never been over there before and Neil had to go to a different branding so  off we went.  I love it when I get asked to bring my horse somewhere, so sure will never turn it down.

(its kinda hard to see them, but this coyote and this antelope where hanging 

around together out there, never seen that before, even as we rode by they didn't run off,

 think something was wrong with the antelope, it looked quite thin, but the coyote wasn't

 chasing it or trying to kill it, don't know what was going on.)

We started at the corrals and rode out 2 1/2 miles to the pasture the cows were in.  They were all hanging around the dam in there, so it was easy to gather them. Then off to the gate and into the other pasture and these cows are really good, they pretty much just travel in a straight line all the way.  They did get sidetracked by the dugout but that always happens.  There is kinda a trail to the corals and the cows just followed it.  They got to the fence and saw some cows in the corral and got stuck when the gate wasn't right in front of them though.  But we just pushed em down a ways and in they went.

(the cows around the dam)

While everyone was sorting cows from calves I helped put up a tent in case it got real rainy (which it didn't, was a beautiful day) and then on to the branding.  Seems funny calling it a branding when they don't actually brand.  They raise purebreds for bulls and so they don't brand or castrate.  All that was done was 2 vaccinations and 2 eartags, and one of the eartags had to be scanned in and matched with the other one.  So it went pretty quick.  Only about a hundred or so in that bunch.

(Just getting moving in the right direction, had to get and ear shot)

Afterwards we had a great visit and supper.  I love supper at brandings cause it means I don't have to cook and it is always delicious.  We had hamburgers and roast beef and a couple salads and cherry pie.   Wonderful :)

(Looking back and the herd, seems so small from the day before, Razz and I were

 riding the side to keep them from breaking off.)

I travelled home in the pickup with them and Regan dropped of Razz later, he was going to do some fencing on the way home and they figured I don't need to help so as I got home, boy oh boy was Jessie upset I came home without her friend.  Running around and so much noise!  Then as he got here, it was just kinda getting dark and then the rain come.  Good thing Razz will run with me, lol, as I ran to the tack shed and got her unsaddled and ran back to the pasture.  And her and Jessie made a beeline for the shed.  Jessie doesn't like being out in the rain, its kinda funny, wonder how she will be when she gets in the pasture with no shed when I'm gone this summer?  I'm sure she will be fine, its just different.
Also linking up with Farm Fresh Fridays.