Ranching Between Ice and Sky

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited - Ranching Between Ice and Sky

CHILE | Friday, 5 July 2013 | Views [407] | View Larger Image

Cattle are gathered and brought to the corral early in the morning before the hoar frost has melted and as the first orange rays start to illuminate the mountains. The youngest calves will be branded and older yearling steers will be separated out for sale.

Ice that is more than a million years old washes up on the shores of Lago Geikie and shines with stunning clarity.

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As the brand is applied and the hair is singed, this worried mother cow looks on with an angry stare. Unlike in many places where ranching has become mechanized, in Southern Chile cattle are typically handled using traditional methods. This includes working cattle from horseback, using dogs to move the animals, and lassoing cattle during brandings and other ranch jobs. Modern operations have lost many of these arts, instead using squeeze chutes for restraint and 4-wheelers to move herds.

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Ranching Between Ice and Sky

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited - Ranching Between Ice and Sky

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