Working Cowboy – Lane Selz
Working Cowboy – Lane SelzHave you ever wondered what it’s like to be a working cowboy in 2020? My friend, Lane Selz, day-works for several ranches in the area. He describes life in today’s ranching world.
When I first met Lane, he was still in high school. He was so good at riding bulls in high school, he earned his permit to ride in PRCA. From there, Lane spent a few years riding on the professional circuit, traveling to rodeos across the country. Lane returned to Bakersfield, CA to open up his own farrier service business after working for several prominent farriers locally, including Ernest Forsberg and Sean McRoberts.
But Lane grew up wanting to be a cowboy. As a kid he rode his bike to Denny Watkins place and helped where he could. In Central California, where we both live, there are several big ranches. Lane contracts with many of them as a day-worker. When the ranch needs extra help, they call in day-working cowboys. As extra help, Lane never knows what job he might get for the day. It could be sorting, branding, or gathering. It’s not a total mystery, Lane can usually predict what work needs done by the season. They may brand in the fall, calve in the spring, etc.
I talked to Lane about what it’s like for today’s working cowboy in California. For more info on the Californio Tradition, check out this video with Tommy Thompson.
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John & Ranae
Episode #174
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Stallion Springs Trail Ride
There were five of us riding on this outing. Two of the people knew the area well. Stallion Springs, and the Tehachapi area is a very horse-friendly. While we ride through residential areas, the lots are big and far apart. There are lots of oak trees. I believe there are five distinct types of oaks in the area. As we rode through one area, a group had labeled many of the plants.
As we wound around the mountains, magnificent vistas of the Tehachapi valley would emerge. Then, we would turn around another corner and trees and mountains surrounded us.
Tucked away in the little city of Agua Dulce, just off the 14 freeway in Southern California, are 
Working on my Video Channel
In my world, equine transportation means loading up my horse in the trailer and driving for a few hours. But I’ve often wondered what it was like for a horse being transported across the country or even around the world. What is equine transportation mean to them? What is it like for horses that qualify to get to the Olympics to compete, racehorses, or perhaps even a prize bull who moves from one ranch to another country? I remembered the first time I flew in a plane. It was kind of scary. The power you feel on takeoff, the pressure changes, and the bumpy landings are unnerving. I had an adult to explain everything was all right, but what about an animal?