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 Longhorn Cattle:  Rugged and Beautiful

Long horn cow
The Texas Longhorns' ancestors came to the Americas from Spain, arriving with Columbus in 1493 at Santa Domingo.  In 1521, Gregorio de Villalobos brought the first cattle from Santa Domingo to Mexico.  Explorers, settlers and expeditions to establish missions then brought cattle into Texas. These cattle mingled with cattle lost or abandoned by settlers, or scattered by Indians, and propagated on their own without benefit of man.  These animals survived by their own ingenuity - developing through the years the traits of hardiness, endurance, disease resistance, longevity, fertility and the ability to utilize whatever browse was available.

trailing longhorns
After the Civil War, the Texas Longhorn became the financial salvation of the Southwest.  Men returning home from the war found that a ready source of income was the thousands of Texas Longhorns wandering freely.  The cattle were worth next to nothing in Texas, but in good demand by the residents in the North.  Between 1866 and 1895, an estimated 10 million Texas cattle were trailed to northern markets in the famed cattle drives,  bringing in the staggering sum of 200 million dollars. In the late 1800s, the hardy Texas Longhorn met with an influence his natural instincts couldn't fight.  The open ranges were fenced and other beef breeds were imported from Europe. The number of Texas Longhorns dwindled until they approached extinction. The U.S. government appropriated $3,000 in 1927 to acquire a herd of the old-time cattle.  U.S. Forest Service employees made a 5,000 mile trip through South Texas and Old Mexico, and located 23 head for foundation stock to establish the federal herd at the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Cache, Oklahoma.

Texas longhorn cattle
Through the years, interest in the Texas Longhorns increased, and in 1964, concerned breeders organized the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America, now headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. Today through the efforts of those breeders, nearly 250,000 head of Texas Longhorn cattle have been registered.

The Texas Longhorn is making a major come back in  today's beef industry. The same characteristics that the Texas Longhorn developed through the years of neglect are in demand by the cattleman of the twentieth century.  Longhorns are valued for their calving ease, fertility, disease resistance, and longevity.

Texas Longhorn cows can calve well into their teens, and more calves mean more profit to today's livestock industry. The breed is adaptable to any climate, doing well in the hot humid climate of the Florida coast to the cold winters of the northern United States and Canada. It also forages on minimum pasture.

Longhorns thrive, even in harsh conditions
Longhorns work extremely well in crossbreeding programs.  Crossbreeds are being developed to take full advantage of the breed's best characteristics.  Longhorns are being crossed with Mexican corrientes for roping cattle.  The Texas Longhorn genetics are in demand in today's beef market for the lean meat they provide.  With the public's concern today about fat in the diet, this breed of cattle can provide naturally lean beef.  Research from Texas A&M University has shown that Texas longhorn steaks ( Longhorn Lean) have about 30% less muscle fat

Contrary to the wild stampedes seen on television, the Texas Longhorn is a very docile and easy to work with.  Men and women can work the cattle on foot as well as horseback, and show long horned cattle in the show ring.  Once the animals become accustomed to being driven or worked, they are very tractable. 

longhorns are good in rugged harsh country
The longhorn has proven itself to be beautiful, rugged, and useful in the modern day western world.

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  • Home
    • Web Site Design >
      • Privacy Policy
    • Links
  • Gear
    • Pistol River Saddlery
    • Cowboy Gear - Tips and Tricks: >
      • Three-Way Hobbling
      • Piggin' String
      • Stirrup Hobbles
      • Tying Your Rope Up
      • Buckaroo Scarf Knot
      • Cowboy Night Latch
      • Cut-away saddle pad
      • Center-firing your Cinch
      • Pack Saddle Latigo Safety Knot
      • Quick Keeper
      • Tire Changer Aid
      • Safety Tie-Up
      • No Roll Saddle Stand
    • Saddle Makers >
      • Wade Saddle History
      • Don Howe Working Cowboy Saddle Maker
      • Hamley and Co.
      • Bill Maupin
    • Spurs >
      • E.F. Blanchard Spurs >
        • How to tell authentic Blanchard spurs.
        • More Blanchard Spurs
      • Garcia Bits and Spurs
      • Amozoc Spurs
      • Prison Made Spurs
      • Adolph Bayers Spurs
  • Arts
    • Poetry >
      • Cowboy Poetry by Gary Vorhes
      • Charlotte Thompson Poetry
      • Mike Meaux Poetry
      • Audrey Hankins Poetry
      • Carole Jarvis Poetry
    • Rodeo Photos
    • Cowboy Photos
    • Horse Photos
    • Cattle Photos
    • Gear Photos
    • Dogs and Animals Photos
    • Reminders of the Past Photos
    • Windmill Photos
    • People Photos
    • Ready to Rodeo
    • Books by Dale Woolley
  • Horses
    • Diamond Z English Shire Horses
    • 5 Tips for Traveling
    • Harnessing A Team
    • The Dameles and the Curly Horse
    • Rounding Up Wild Horses
    • Extreme Horse Camping
    • First Pull on the Latigo
    • Twister Heller Starts a Colt
    • Cowboy Martingale
    • Cowboy Training Halter
    • Cowboy & Colt Clinic
    • Using the McCarty
    • Teach a Horse to Stand
    • Cowboy Draw Reins
    • War Knots >
      • Tying War Knots
    • Tail Knot for Pack Horses
    • Cavvy Marks
    • Deworming Your Horse
    • Safe Fall Trail Riding
    • Horse Remedies
    • Hormone Implant
    • How to buy a mule
  • Brands
    • Brands II
  • Chuckwagon
    • Dutch Ovens
    • Recipes
    • Sourdough >
      • Grant's Sourdough
    • Cowboy Coffee
  • Articles
    • Grubbing Hoe Ranch
    • Trevor and Emily Fuhriman
    • Land of Extremes
    • Jersey Valley Cattle Co
    • Diamond Tail Ranch
    • Gang Ranch of British Columbia
    • TS Ranch of Nevada
    • When the TS Ran a Wagon
    • IL Ranch
    • Basque Ranching
    • Crystal Rose Cow Dog College
    • Wyoming Honor Farm Inmate/Wild-Horse Program
    • Cowboy Etiquette
    • Arizona Trigger
    • Longhorn Cattle
  • Stories
    • For the Love of a Horse
    • Breakheart Station Master
    • Freighters Outbound
    • DK Cowboy Stories: A Prophet With Antlers
    • Ben's Trail
    • Spendin’ Time at Cow Camps
    • Slewfoot The Black Bear
    • Orphan Boy
    • Mooney's Stories - The Circle A Ranch of Nevada >
      • Cotton the Horse
      • Wigwam, the Wrangle Horse
      • Spanish Ranch 1
      • Spanish Ranch 2
      • Spanish Ranch 3
      • Spanish Ranch 4
      • Miss Beymer’s Boyfriend by Bill Mooney
      • Recollections by Bill Mooney
      • Branding out of a Rodear on the Spanish Ranch, Part 1
      • Branding out of a Rodear on the Spanish Ranch, Part 2
      • C Ranch
    • Wild Horse Casey >
      • ​A Dirty Ole Mustanger Like Me
    • Hero Cattle Dogs
    • Ranching Traditions
    • Life Lessons
    • Dave’s Summer Adventure
    • Fire-Proofing the Range
    • Cowboy Superstitions
    • Cowboy Humor
    • Portrait of a Cowboy >
      • Cowboy Obstricition
    • Tons of Silver
  • History
    • Fort Worth Stockyards
    • Horseshoe Ranch
    • Andrae - Marvel Nevada Oral Histories
    • Texas 6666 Ranch Historical Photos
    • Gerlach Cattle Company 1906
    • Cattle Roundup Photos
    • Cowboy Historic Photos
    • Sheepcamp
    • Comstock Lode
    • Pony Express
    • Horn Iron
    • Historic Sites
  • Cowboy Profiles
    • Victoria Jackson
    • Flying M Ranch Women's Team
    • In the Big Nevada Desert
    • Mike Laughlin, Cowboy
    • Bob Tanner
    • Bill Kane
    • Wally Blossom
    • Ian Tyson The Legend
    • Allie Bear
    • Marge Prunty
    • Bryan Neubert Cowboy Clinician
    • Rex Blackwell
    • Wiley Carroll - Legendary Hunter
  • Glossary
    • Horse Terms
    • Cattle Terms
    • The People & The Land
    • Saddles and Gear
    • Personal Gear
  • Cowboys of the World
    • Cowboys of the Dark Continent
    • Scrubber Running
    • The Day it Nearly All Ended
    • The Goring
    • Horse Breaking
    • Honduras
    • Mexico