www.dancingbearranch.com http://www.dancingbearranch.com Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 The Cost of Living in a Texas Ranch http://www.dancingbearranch.com/2011/10/14/the-cost-of-living-in-a-texas-ranch/ http://www.dancingbearranch.com/2011/10/14/the-cost-of-living-in-a-texas-ranch/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.dancingbearranch.com/&p=8 Ranch life is the real American Dream. It gathers heritage, tradition and living outdoors into a package many dream of and some actually grasp. What does it take to walk through the gate? It all depends on many factors that need to be considered before you “saddle up”. For one, how big a ranch and what do you want to raise? The bigger the “spread” the more help you’ll need. Cowboys don’t make much but they do like to eat and occasionally go into town: you have to pay them. Cattle need food and care and fencing, how many cows and what breed are important questions. Horses are more labor-intensive and what breed? Watch the markets and see what’s selling where, and for how much.

There are tax issues per county as well as options for tax support with the right paperwork. Water rights are critical so read all documents about how the water is provided. Fights have broken out over this issue. Maintenance is critical to safety and good neighbors (especially fences). Hay prices in certain regions have doubled and tripled, get to know who is the hay provider and develop the best relationship and plan ahead. Last, but not least: know how things work, have power backup (use solar and wind), be ready to put in long hard hours and be tired. You’ll never regret it.

]]> http://www.dancingbearranch.com/2011/10/14/the-cost-of-living-in-a-texas-ranch/feed/ 0 The Disvantages of Renting a Texas Ranch http://www.dancingbearranch.com/2011/10/12/the-disvantages-of-renting-a-texas-ranch/ http://www.dancingbearranch.com/2011/10/12/the-disvantages-of-renting-a-texas-ranch/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.dancingbearranch.com/&p=7 The chance to live the Western life is a dream for many Americans. Many of us grew up on Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and the Cartwrights on Bonanza. But the life of a movie or TV cowboy is very different from the real thing. Texas is synonymous with ranches and cowboys. Renting a Texas ranch is a good way to see what ranch life is really like. There are a few disadvantages though. For one the place isn’t yours and things break on a daily basis, important things. Water pumps stop and livestock has to drink . Hay can go bad, and they love to eat. Fences break down or curious thousand pound animals go through them and the wire has to be re-strung, now not later. Cosmetics are secondary to items that pump water, generate electricity, hold gates up and keep water tanks from freezing in winter. Animals depend on your work,time and money. .

If you ever watched TV cowboys, they always wore the clothes. This was for character development in the story. On a ranch you tend to wear the same stuff because it works. Worn out, ratty barn jackets and baseball caps are the uniform for rich ranchers and their poorer cousins. But here fashion is what works, keeps you warm and wears like the iron in those horse shoes the farrier just charged 100 for just when the cable bill arrived. Yes there are disadvantages to renting a Texas ranch, but they are secondary to the whole experience that few are allowed to share in the great American West.
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]]> http://www.dancingbearranch.com/2011/10/12/the-disvantages-of-renting-a-texas-ranch/feed/ 0 The History of Ranches in Texas http://www.dancingbearranch.com/2011/10/09/the-history-of-ranches-in-texas/ http://www.dancingbearranch.com/2011/10/09/the-history-of-ranches-in-texas/#comments Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.dancingbearranch.com/&p=6 Texas is a great home of ranches especially due to the westward movement in the United States. A lot of things happened in the 1840s after the state of Texas became official, that stirred the pot for more tame and skilled individuals to create ranches.

During the 1860s, Texas was a hotbed for these types of settlements as more farmers began using their skills not only for farming, but taming the land into become much more profitable for their needs. There were a bunch of different ranches that included Four Sixes, Green, Iron Mountain, King, Lambshead, Matador, and Pitchfork to name a few.You can find a quick rundown here

The Matador Ranch, founded in 1878, actually became a very well known ranch turned in company. They are still in existence today with a primary focus in improving conditions for livestock, natural resources, and wildlife. The peak of their existence was in the 1900s owning 4 pieces of major land in Texas totaling over 879,000 acres.

Ranching took off as the primary income of the Westward movement during the US Civil War.

The Four Sixes, founded in 1902, has a primary focus in stallions. They are great for building horses for ranch purposes as well as racing.

]]> http://www.dancingbearranch.com/2011/10/09/the-history-of-ranches-in-texas/feed/ 0 A Buyer’s Guide into Ranches in Texas http://www.dancingbearranch.com/2011/10/05/a-buyers-guide-into-ranches-in-texas/ http://www.dancingbearranch.com/2011/10/05/a-buyers-guide-into-ranches-in-texas/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.dancingbearranch.com/&p=5 There are many ranches in Texas that are great to have. The first ranch to talk about is Betum Ranch in Castroville Texas. This ranch has 200 acres and is 2,427 square ft. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. It is in a small town and is near excellent schools. This ranch is also within 30 minutes of San Antonio. There are also horse barns and other facilities.

Another ranch to have is Indian Canyon Ranch near Del Rio Texas. This ranch is a little bigger than the first one. This one has 214 acres and lots of animals on it. A few of the animals on the Indian Canyon Ranch are elk, turkey, and quail.I was looking for more information and found it here. On this ranch is a 31 ft. air-stream. There are feeders and blinds all over the land.

A third ranch is Twin Canyon Dr. The acreage here is about 15. It has a ton of space for horses and has abundant wildlife. There is a creek the runs through seasonally. It also has limestone outcroppings. Twin Canyon Dr. is located in Kendall County and just gives plenty of space for freedom. Bring horses to roam in the wooded area or just go sit by the creek.

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