It’s not your typical present, but I’m pretty thrilled with them. When we work cattle, we use a stick, rattle paddle or flag to help move cattle. They’re simple extensions of your arms and you can turn a 1200 pound cow by waving a stick out to your side or above their head.
Sticks are simple fiberglass rods with a cushioned handle. Rattle paddles are fiberglass rods with a wide hollow plastic “spoon” on one end. There are little balls inside, so it rattles, and the noise helps. Work all day with them, though, and they tend to get heavy. Then there are flags. Flags are highly flexible, five foot long “whips”. They have a 12” square flag on the end, and the waving flag and its noise help encourage the cow to walk along. Waving something over a prey animal gets their attention.
Cows usually know the routine of being sorted in the alley and walking behind them moves them. But to stop them or turn them it’s great to have a long arm extension.
For Christmas, I ordered some custom flags for us. I think we only had two or three flags, one taped up and pitiful! Now there are ten around the place… and everyone has their own except for Reagan. Since she’s too tiny to work cows yet, I don’t think she cares… but for the rest of us… they’re definitely a popular present.
Great flag, bright and green to get the job done.
Interesting “ranch gear”!! After following the blog and seeing the pics, I thought there was only the paddles. Cool.
They look great!
Care to share where you got them? We have only used the sorting poles but would like to try the flags. I like the personalization. Enjoy your posts.
Interesting. Didn’t know you used 3 kinds, sticks, rattles and flags.