STEFFI

Steffi wrote this story for a german horse journal after she visited the DryheadRanch in 1993. Some things changed since she wrote this story. But it shows you a lot about what's going on at the ranch, so we want to let you read her story...

The people of the Dryhead Ranch "Western Horse"

Ranch vacation in the United States - it's a dream for many people. But you cannot trust every offer. Steffi Pilz from Berlin went to a ranch in Montana and got her money's worth. Here is her report: Germany goes west. You can find a lot of reports in journals; ranch holidays, cattle drives, Wild West "pure". Montana and Colorado seem to be the new El Dorados for holidays. After Billy Crystals movie "City Slickers" everybody wanted to go for ranch holidays. I also went "west". I got a lot of addresses and informations from the Dude Ranchers' Association, so it was quite easy to organize my holidays. When everything except of the flight was set I got a letter from the Dryhead ranch. With offers of ranch holidays and cattle drives. It seemed to be interesting... a working cattle ranch, only a few guest, which can work at the ranch. They promised a holiday you will never forget. With stay at old style ranches (Dryhead and Dryhead) without things like swimming pool, tennis, gambling,... But I already booked two ranches. Another ranch week? No. But cattle drive, that was different! It was quite a good job to change my schedule. But lately I found out I have to book the cattle drive first week of May. It was already March. So there wasn't time enough to write. I called the ranch and Iris told me, that all the spring cattle drives are booked out. "What a pity. I really wanted to go on a cattle drive!". Iris answered: "How many people?" When she found out it would be just me she told me she has still ONE place left: first week of May. Wow! Good luck! Some days later I got the letter with informations, what to bring, what I can buy at the ranch, where to meet. End of April I flew from Berlin via London to New York, travelled by Greyhound to Billings/MT. Then we went south to Lovell/WY, where the cattle spent the winter. Arrived at the Bassett farm we had a look at our "new home". 2 people got a tipi. I was on my own, so I waited a bit. There was a group of 3 woman, and so I moved in with Helena from Cleveland/Ohio. Meanwhile it was in the evening. After a great supper, where guests and ranch people where in the same room but still at separated tables (we didn't know each other yet) we met in the big living room. We introduced each other, and I was surprised to hear, that some of the guests were at this ranch's cattle drives the 4th or 5th time. There was another guest from Germany, but he seemed to belong already to the ranch's inventory, because of Mike goes to all spring and fall cattle drives at Dryhead. There was a man from France, all other guests were from the United States. I was glad about this, because of I didn't go to America to travel around with herds of Germans. During our first evening we also watched a video. How to handle my horse, how to saddle, how to bridle and how to ride. And what do I do with the cows. Then the organized evening program was over, we talked a bit and went to the little ranch store to buy the very last things we would need for the cattle drive. Ooops, I wanted to buy a cowboy hat. But they didn't have any. Okay, I thought I can make it without a hat... Joe, Iris and Jack tried to answer all our questions. But they also said it doesn't make sense to explain a route, when we don't know the area. And these endless questions, when to start, how many hours we ride, ... Joe said they always have to slow down their guests during the first days. The days at a ranch are not organized by the clock. There is such a lot to pay attention to. So many things you cannot plan influence the day's schedule. We had to laugh about us and tried just to relax after all the big city stress, which we just escaped from. When we had breakfast next morning there wasn't anymore a guest table and a staff table. Meanwhile we knew each other and we became a "big family". Then the "business" started. The horses were in the corral, all Quarter Horse geldings. Two of the "real" cowboys started to rope horses for the guests. They asked everybody for the experience in riding horses. If the guest would prefer a quite horse or a speedy one. I asked for a quite horse. There was a big bay in the corral. With his big head he really wasn't a beauty. But he looked so good-natured with small eyes, I thought he would be a good horse for me. Jack, our trail boss, roped that gelding. And said: "Steffi, this is Jack, your horse." As expected I didn't have any problems with Ol' Jack. He was a good guy. And so we went out. At our first day we just wanted to gather the cows and calves, which we should bring to Montana during the following days. Their 1200 cows couldn't go on one treck. After the video even the absolute "cattle drive beginners" knew where to ride, that the herd stays together. As long as everything was okay and everybody was in the right position we had the choice where to ride. With the herd. Or behind the herd as one of the "baby chasers". They had to look after the calves, that we didn't loose any. Going just in walk one hour after the other and talking to the calves ... move, baby ... come on, baby... and eating the dust from the whole herd, it wasn't quite easy. But we wanted the western adventure... There was a pickup truck with trailer behind the herd, as long as it was possible to follow us. Calves, which couldn't walk anymore got loaded. Some calves seemed to be very tired. But when they could feel the rope or even when they had a different opinion about the direction to go they raced away. Tail up and "good bye". This very first day we should ride only 3 or 4 hours. It was "plan A". We had all the cows and calves we needed and brought our little herd on the way north. And we went on and on. 4 hours, 5 hours... Then we decided to ask. "Oh, sorry!" They forgot to tell us they changed the plan. Now we should bring the herd all the way to the border corral, because of it should rain during the 2nd half of the week. Now it should be 10 hours riding, if everything works well. It was very important to drive the herd in a slow pace. These cattle drives in full gallop we know from the movies don't exist in real life. Which cow would survive a week in gallop? Everything was quite. The motto was: "Follow the cows and don't mess with them. They know where to go". When we went slow it was easier for the calves to stay together with their mamas. So there was a smaller chance, that the herd turns around and tries to go back home to Wyoming. After out first stop for lunch we found out how difficult it is to bring the herd in the right direction. The cows started to walk in circles and tried to go home. Finally, we made it and went farther to the north. We passed a desert area. The sun became very hot. Then I knew why I should have a cowboy had. My basecap didn't protect me from the sun. And so I got sunburned on ears and nose. I saved my ears, when I took my scarf under the basecap. Then I looked more like a Bedouin than like a cowboy, but I didn't care. The ride seemed to be endless. But when we saw the corral everything was okay again. We thought we could ride another 10 hours tour. Our first job was done. We made it in a good time, and the herd didn't go back. We brought them in, our horses had their own little corral. Everybody looked after his own horse. Then saddles and guests got loaded into a horse trailer, and we went back to the farm. The way back - by car - was so short! In the evening I had a serious talk with Iris, the boss. "I don't ride anymore without a cowboy hat! You said I can buy one at the ranch. So, please, help me now.". Renee', our cook looked for her old hat. It was perfect and my holiday was saved. We spent our 2nd evening at the farm, because of the herd was still "nearby" the farm. So it wasn't worth to camp somewhere. Later we should stay at the cow camp. During long talks with ranch owners and staff we heard a lot of interesting things about Dryhead, about ranch business. Why do we drive the herd? NOT to enjoy the guests! In spring there are the cattle drives to Montana. The cows and calves stay all the summer at the pastures of Dryhead and Dryhead in the mountains. They check, vaccinate and brand the calves. And in Wyoming, at the farm, they are busy with making hay. In fall the cattle goes back to Wyoming. Where they stay over winter, where the calves get born. An everlasting circle... Next morning I went out again. With cowboy hat! Catching the horses, cleaning and saddling them, then we had to wait for the branding inspector. When he arrived we opened the gate and out they went. The landscape changed after a short time. From desertlike dunes we rode into a barren hill area. The cows walked on the dust road, we had to look for a trail next to it. Far enough away from the cattle, so we won't push them off the road. And not too far away, so we could push grazing cows back on the road. My friend Helena had quite a lot of problems with thos off-road riding. During our first ride she lost her glasses. And now she could hardly see the horse under her. When there was something in front of her she couldn't see her horse stopped. And Helena asked us for the best way to go. She started her horse Yellow Jacket and everything was okay again. Yellow Jacket really looked after Helena. And so Helena could enjoy her ride, even when she couldn't see the incredible landscape around us. Our trail brought us through a canyon, over Mountains, then down a road into the Wild Horse Range. That day I had a little fight with my horse. OlīJack didn't want to stop. And no way to turn him around. All he wanted was to go with the herd. When we were in the canyon he danced around, so I couldn't take a picture. I cursed "Jack, you little bastard!". I didn't realize our trail boss was right in front of me. He turned around and said "What?!?" ... "Oh, I just talk to my horse!" And trail boss Jack (!) started laughing. In the afternoon we stopped nearby a ranger station and waited for the hay truck. The cows had time enough to look for their calves. The baby chasers did a good job. They didn't loose any calf, so no cow tried to walk back. Cows and calves went into the brushes to relax in the shadow, next to a creek. It was still very hot. When the hay truck arrived we tried to bring the herd back on the road for the last mile to the pasture. I should bring out a few cows, but my horse didn't want to go down to the creek. I tried it again. No way. One of the cowboys came over to check what's going on. And he saw the big rattlesnake, right there in front of me in the brushes. Good OlīJack! Sometime itīs really good to let the horse decide. After we brought the herd to the pasture we went to our camp. First we saw just an old "outdoor bathroom" with a small corral for our horses. Looking after the horses, then we went to the camp, where we found our tipis, already build in a circle around a campfire place, and our luggage. We looked for our bags, moved into our tipis, then we already could smell the great meal Reneeī cooked for us. And then? In many reports I could read, there was a shower tent, in the evening there played a country band. NOT HERE! We had water. Just enough to drink, to wash hands and face, to clean the teeth. Everybody, who wanted more, could go over to the creek. And our evening program was different, too. Jack, our trail boss, is a cowboy poet. He told us stories about cowboy life. Some of the guests also had stories to tell, and so it became a looong evening with campfire talks. We should camp there for 2 nights. That's why we even had a big tent as "dining room". That was "Plan A". Next morning, after saddling, Jack sent us back to break down the camp. They expected heavy rain, and so we should stay overnight at Dryhead. A cow with new-born calf went by trailer to the ranch. And my horse also got a lift. They said he should have a break. Okay. So I rode Skinner, a beautiful red. He always drifted to the left side, so I lost some pieces of my jeans in the brushes. It was the day when I decided to buy chaps. Whenever I would go on a cattle drive again. Later it was great with Skinner. Most of all, because of he stopped for taking pictures. This day we didn't ride a lot. They wanted to give the herd a rest. At noon the job was done and we all got loaded and went to Dryhead. The ranch houses are in a little canyon. Our horses could run off into a big pasture and we moved into a cosy bunkhouse. Next to the bunkhouse there was the house with dining room, kitchen and 2 showers. What a luxury! But if 15 guests want to enjoy this luxury the same time there could be trouble. We cracked the problem: soon there was a row of bags with wash things on the porch. We could walk around and just had to check the position of our own bag. The porch became a good place to meet, to talk. I used the spare afternoon to clean all the ranch dogs from burrs. We missed something this afternoon... It wasn't as always... Then we found out. The herd wasn't there. After days with "moo" all the time we missed the noise. Next morning we all changed horses. Our "old" horses could have some days "off". Now I got a nice brown gelding called Target. We loaded the horses to drive back to the herd. There was a lot of dung still left in one of the trailers. When we went up a steep hill two of the saddled horses fell down. We stopped and unloaded this trailer. Good luck, the horses weren't injured. They jumped up again. Everything was okay. But how they looked! And this smell! We cleaned horses, saddles and trailer, then we loaded again. One of the guests said: "Good luck, MY horse didn't fall down into the dung." I just wanted to give her an answer, because of I didn't like such a gleeful talk. But then I saw they loaded her horse in the "accident - trailer". As expected, all the horses were dirty and had a strange smell, when we unloaded them again. Bad luck, lady! But after a while our horses smelled like horses again. I liked Target a lot, he just kicked, when horses walked right behind him. This day we drove over the area of the TX ranch. They needed some good riders for "fast jobs". To chase the neighbours cattle away from our trail so the herds don't mix. I decided to stay with "our" herd. When we passed the neighbour's ranch house we had to be very careful. There was a lot of old barbwire everywhere on the ground. That was a thing they told us again and again. Never, never go with your horse over barbwire! And so we were careful and didn't have any barbwire - accident during the whole week. This day we got it, the long - promised rain. At noon it rained like hell. Now we didn't have to eat dust. but that was better than this rain. Most of the guests had slickers. I had just a jacket, and so it didn't take a long time till my jeans and feet were wet. I learned "the hard way" I have to buy a slicker. In the afternoon we reached the crow indian reservation. And, finally, we had the herd next to the Dryhead canyon. But then we had to wait again, till the herd calmed down. This day I decided itīs my turn to go home. I asked Jack, if I could ride to the ranch. He was sceptical. Itīs different to ride with the herd, with the other horses and going home, away from everybody else. I promised, not to run my horse, and to go back to the herd, if I get problems. Target just started to fight me, when I heard Marcy. She asked me to wait. Some more guests wanted to go home. Jack didn't need all the guests to hold the herd. After we turned out our horses and had a hot shower the world was okay again. Then we watched the others driving the herd through the canyon, out to another big pasture. Next morning we had to look for "our" cows again. We brought them to the ranch house. Jessica, Jennifer's daughter (5 years old), went with us. She rides like a devil and was on her first cattle drive with 2 1/2 years. Wow! When we were out for one hour Jessica said, itīs too cold. She wanted to go home. I expected Joe, her grandfather, would ask, if one of us would go with her. But he just said: "Okay, if itīs too cold, you should go home." And there she went... We brought in the herd, separated cows and calves, they got their shots and a check on the earmarks. Part II coming soon...

Dryhead Ranch, Montana ~ Office: 1062 Road 15 Lovell, WY 82431, USA Phone: 307-548-6688, Fax: 307-548-2322 schively@starband.net © 2007 Midnight Special WebDesign