4-wheeler vs. horse

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Is a 4-wheeler as good as a horse for herding cattle? Anyone have any first hand experience?
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Your question made me laugh. I have found I can move a lot more cows with my John Deere Gator than with a horse...the gator hauls salt blocks, range cubes, dogs and me. The cows have learned to follow the gator! You cannot catch a calf with it though.<p>There are pros and cons to it but I've settled on the 4-wheeler...<br>Turn the key and it starts, no saddling, unsaddling, cleaning a stall, shoeing, etc.<br>It rarely baulks or throws you! (will run out of gas though and they seem to eat spark plugs).<p>
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(User Above)":13h0hhzy said:
: Your question made me laugh. I have found I can move a lot more cows with my John Deere Gator than with a horse...the gator hauls salt blocks, range cubes, dogs and me. The cows have learned to follow the gator! You cannot catch a calf with it though.<p>: There are pros and cons to it but I've settled on the 4-wheeler...<br>: Turn the key and it starts, no saddling, unsaddling, cleaning a stall, shoeing, etc.<br>: It rarely baulks or throws you! (will run out of gas though and they seem to eat spark plugs).<p>We've switched to 4-wheelers also. Not as romantic, but a lot easier and more economical. We sometimes rope off them. Takes two people- a driver and a roper.<p>
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it depends on the ground you have to cover. we use a Kawasaki Mule 4*4.The cows know to follow it ,we haul hay,salt,pull feeders,carry fencing,carryin calves.have over 1000 hours on it without having to puton a saddle or shoe it.<p>
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A horse might be better if you're chasing cattle on rough ground, ditches, brush, etc. We've fed off our 4-wheeler enough that the cattle follow it, we don't have to chase them. <br>
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(User Above)":tjnl5499 said:
: Is a 4-wheeler as good as a horse for herding cattle? Anyone have any first hand experience?<p>4-wheelers are good for moving groups of cattle, hauling salt, mineral etc. to the cattle, and yes they will follow if they are used to getting feed out of one. <p>We AI all our cows. Rather than bringing the herd up and sorting every time I need to AI a cow, we bring one or two or a pari up at a time. The 4-wheeler just can't handle that. When a cow wants to turn back to the herd, she can turn a lot sharper than a 4-wheeler. On a horse I can stay positioned between her and the herd and keep her moving in the direction I want. Most cows after a couple of turn backs will just give up and move ahead of me, especially if I have her calf with her. Hard to sort cows will often walk into the pond. My horse can follow but my 4-wheeler can't. On a muddy day I stay a lot cleaner running around on my horse than on the 4-wheeler. On the other hand, I've put many new born calves across my lap and hauled them to the barn on a January morning. I can't hold a calf on my lap on the horse. (Perhaps that has more to do with the size of my horse, his withers are over my head!)
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(User Above)":yc2gst34 said:
: Is a 4-wheeler as good as a horse for herding cattle? Anyone have any first hand experience?<p>yes in a lot of ways but 4-wheelers cant go where a good horse or mule can go. But you cant hook your trailer on your horse to go patch fence or haul mineral..<br>but they stay ground tyed better and you can mount a cb on them...but you can get hurt on 4-wheelers but if the cattle are used to them they will be ok
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