The South Dakota Cowgirl

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A Day in the Life

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Yesterday was filled with lots of ranching action.

I love days like that. Did I mention I like them? I should probably say that I love them!

First, we ran out through the cow herd to look for new babies and make sure no cows were in need of our assistance while calving.

We’ll once again thank my iPhone and Instagr.am for the photos. It’s much handier than packing around the big camera.

Calves just kickin' in the sun!

Second, we moved one of the horse herds. This herd is primarily our broodmares, with last year’s colts thrown in for good measure. And there’s a couple new babies in this group as well. They were in two different groups so we got one group moved knowing we were short at least a dozen horses. I underestimated by almost double- because I wasn’t counting colts!

Running ahead...

And I have a bit of video for you too:

I’m chatting with our extern, Kara. She’s also doubling as my much needed personal assistant and the whipping boy. I’m just kidding! If we didn’t give Kara heck, she would think she were at the wrong outfit!

By the time we finished getting both sets of horses moved, it was time for dinner.

Then we saddled horses to sort more dry cows.

This was my mount of choice today, the handsome beast, WDX Nukem- or Nuke.

Altogether we brought four cows home. You will only see three in the photos- and you’ll have to look really closely to see two way out in front. Those cows were just a tad “owly”. It’s a term we use to describe a high headed, wild-eyed cow. One that we’ve maybe rushed through her handling, or one that has just got a screw loose. Sadly, Words With Friends, says “owly” isn’t a word. Probably because it’s only found in the Urban Dictionary. If you’re wondering where the other cow was, it’s because she was on the other side of the road, and Kara was in charge over there!

Then we corralled them and had to do a bit of sorting, but there’s a trailer load of dry cows to go to the sale today!

It was a fun afternoon, and as always it’s full of learning experiences for myself. Ranching is good for helping you grow!

And that, is a day in my life.

Happy Trails!

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About ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~

Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western.

After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her mother, who told her she had to have a “real” job after graduating college), she finally took the leap and stepped away from a regular income; trading the business suit once and for all for cowgirl boots, a hat, and jeans. She has not looked back.

When Jenn first moved to The DX Ranch on the South Dakota plains, she never imagined she’d find herself behind a camera lens capturing an authentic perspective of ranching, and sharing it with others. Jenn has always been called to artistry, and uses music, writing, images, home improvement, and her first true love of horses to express her ranching passion.

Horses are the constant thread and much of her work centers around using her unique style of writing to share her horsemanship journey with others in publications such as CavvySavvy, the AQHA Ranching Blog, the West River Eagle, the family ranch website, and her own website.

Using photography to illustrate her stories has created other opportunities -- Jenn’s brand “The South Dakota Cowgirl” has grown to the level of social media “Influencer”. This notoriety has led to work with Duluth Trading Company, Budweiser, Wyoming Tourism, Vice, Circle Z Ranch and Art of the Cowgirl, to name a few. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Woodchuck USA, Arenus Equine Health, Triple Crown Feed and Just Strong fitness apparel. Her photography has been featured by Instagram, Apple, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Jenn’s work has been published internationally, has been seen in several books and has graced the covers of several magazines.

Jenn became a social media influencer by accident when she started to explore Instagram as a way to share her life on the ranch with folks that don’t get to experience it. It’s grown into an incredible platform that she uses to empower women, create an environment for self improvement and share life on the ranch.

When she’s not working, she loves to drink coffee, play with her naughty border collie named Copper, start ranch colts, and run about the country chasing cans. Her mother still thinks she doesn’t have a “real” job.

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Comments

  3. Jessie Veeder says

    Love the photos! So glad I stumbled on your blog. I live on a ranch in Western ND. So fun to see someone else blogging about ranch life. Happy Trails!

    Reply

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