The Texas Longhorn is a breed of cattle known for its characteristic horns, which can extend to over 6 ft tip to tip for bulls and 7 ft for steers and exceptional cows.
They are descendants of the first cattle in the New World, brought by Christopher Columbus and the Spanish colonists, and have a high drought-stress tolerance. Texas Longhorns are known for their diverse coloring, and can be any color or mix of colors, but dark red and white color mixes are the most dominant.
Early US settlers in Texas obtained feral Mexican cattle from the borderland near the Rio Grand between and mixed them with their own eastern cattle. The result was a tough, rangy animal with long legs and long horns extending up to seven feet. The breed fell out of favor as the west was settled and other breeds of cattle proved more favorable for meat production. The Longhorn was saved from near extinction by the USFS who placed a small herd in the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma.
Today, the Longhorn is seeing a resurgence in popularity due to its hardiness and lean meat quaility. The gentle nature of the animal doesn't hurt. either.
The idea of this series is a community project honoring the Bos among us.
As you drive the road, please feel free to place your own tribute cache to that great animal- the cow.