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Hello from The Windy Ridge Ranch in Texas

WindyRidge

WindyRidge

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Joined
Jan 3, 2025
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My name is Rick Wallace - owner of the Windy Ridge Ranch in Antelope, TX. Just wanted to introduce myself and say thank you for allowing me to be part of the group.
 
I think there is a Windy Ridge ranch in most every state. I knew one in Washington. I looked it up on the Oregon brand book. There is a Windy Ridge LLC with a registered brand in Oregon.
 
Hi Windy Ridge - I am a new comer also. I dream about ranching while living over her to the West in California. I appreciate being able to be involved with a group of good ol souls that thrive on the natural mother earth ways.
 
We have not only a Windy ridge Ranch, but also an Antelope, Oregon. It was once taken over by a cult leader that was the first bio terrorist. They poisoned the salad bars in The Dalles, made many sick, in an attempt to rig an election. There is even a TV show about it. Unbelievable, but it happened.
 
Gisela said:
Hi Windy Ridge - I am a new comer also. I dream about ranching while living over her to the West in California. I appreciate being able to be involved with a group of good ol souls that thrive on the natural mother earth ways.
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Hi Lily. Good to have you here. I am a has been rancher now living on the edge of town. I have a few stories of my time ranching under the name Mountain Cowgirl. I have little of value to add here, but someone has to keep these characters entertained.

I once carried my Colt revolver outside my jacket "for all the honest world to see."
 
Mountain Cowgirl - I have always loved to nestle my nose onto the side of a beauty horses neck and inhale the sweet scent of the smell. I rode a bit when I was younger over here in California. I would like to actually spend a few months on a ranch day to day life to see if I could actually keep up with the intense lifestyle.
 
Lily Sunflower said:
Mountain Cowgirl - I have always loved to nestle my nose onto the side of a beauty horses neck and inhale the sweet scent of the smell. I rode a bit when I was younger over here in California. I would like to actually spend a few months on a ranch day to day life to see if I could actually keep up with the intense lifestyle.
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Nowadays you would have to pay to do that. Kind of sad what has happened to the west.
 
Older Whiskey said:
We have not only a Windy ridge Ranch, but also an Antelope, Oregon. It was once taken over by a cult leader that was the first bio terrorist. They poisoned the salad bars in The Dalles, made many sick, in an attempt to rig an election. There is even a TV show about it. Unbelievable, but it happened.
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I remember this. It was before we got here. A bunch of crazy 'flower children'.
 
Jersey milker said:
The 'real ranches' are in East and Northeast Oregon. They have bid gatherings, sort and work cattle in the old way by horseback without squeeze chutes.
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Several members here are from Eastern Oregon, there are at least 3 on working ranches. It depends on the situation whether cattle are worked using horses. ATV's are used more than horses. It is more economical and efficient.

Herd dogs are common and seem to enjoy riding on the back of the ATV out to range, rather than trotting along with a horse mounted rancher for miles before roundup begins. Dogs enjoy the ride to work. I bet the pups have heard Grandpa Dogs stories, a hundred times, how he trotted 20 miles up a steep mountain to the range, alongside a cowboy mounted horse, before his work actually began, dashing back and forth, trying to keep the cattle together and headed the right direction.

The old ways are seen more in South Baker and Malheur Counties. @webfoot attends several branding a year that use rope and drag. I am not sure if the old campfire hot iron is used since the gas heated ones are more efficient.

Years ago, on a drive on the back roads connecting Arlington to Michell and along the John Day river and breaks, I was amazed how many old corrals had been upgraded with squeeze chutes and calf tables. I think the upgrades are due to not only efficiency and economics, but the fact that real skilled "cowboys" are few and far between. Contract cowboys are becoming a thing of the past.
 
The brandings here are all calves drug to the fire horse back. No gas heated irons. Either a fire or a generator running electric irons. Generator placed behind a pickup to decrease the noise. Individual cows are occasionally worked with rope and horses. But if a number of cows are to be worked then squeeze chutes are used. I think I own the only calf table in the neighborhood and it has lots of weeds grown up around it.
 
webfoot said:
The brandings here are all calves drug to the fire horse back. No gas heated irons. Either a fire or a generator running electric irons. Generator placed behind a pickup to decrease the noise. Individual cows are occasionally worked with rope and horses. But if a number of cows are to be worked then squeeze chutes are used. I think I own the only calf table in the neighborhood and it has lots of weeds grown up around it.
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I always preferred the electric ones if high enough wattage that recovery time is quick or if two are used so one is always at the right temperature.
 

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