Last fall we and our guests were doing our final gather off of the State Section…we were missing either 1 or 2…one had gotten out of a fence and we found him in-between the mountain and meadow pastures and couldn’t tell which pasture he came from.  So, 3 days prior to shipping out, me, Lainey and a few guests headed out to get a count on the meadow pasture.  In the midst of getting our counts, we noticed a steer, #1141 upside down beside the creek in a large dip in the grassy hillside.  The cattle hadn’t been checked since the afternoon prior, and judging by the looks of the struggle with this steer—he had been in this ditch at least all night and into the next late morning.  He was throwing his head violently trying to get himself flipped over.  His entire right side had been scuffed to bare skin and blood from the struggle.  He had a huge hematoma on his head.  

 

Me and my crew tied some ropes around him in an attempt to roll him over but this ditch was too steep of an angle—with 5 of us we could hardly get him to budge.  I called Shayne on the radio and he blew over with Allie to the pasture in his Vivo Barefoot shoes.  He jumped on Tucker, and I was on Lefty, and we got ropes around his front and hind feet and managed to drag him out.  It was impossible for him to lie prone, he was too weak, too spent.  And so many hours of stress without food and water had taken a toll.  We gathered up several logs to keep him propped up.

 

My crew and I headed off to finish our counting job and Shayne and Allie stayed with 1141.  They gave him Gatorade, coconut water and even Allie’s IV meds to get something in him!  Over and over, they had to prop him up as his head, neck and body were just like a noodle.  By that afternoon, things weren’t looking good.  His gums were gray, he was gasping for air.  But Shayne and Allie refused to give up hope.  That evening they got up every 2 hours on the clock and drove out to the pasture to prop him up, offer him water out of a shallow bucket and give him some hay that he could take little bites of.  He still couldn’t lie prone and hadn’t passed any stool or urine.

 

That morning very early, Shayne called our ranch hands who would be driving past the pasture, to let him know if 1141 was still alive.  To our amazement, they said he was standing up and walking around!  He was moving very slowly and tenderly and still wheezing and gasping, but he was up!  A miracle!

 

This was the morning where the whole herd was to be moved from this pasture, to a pasture closer to the lodge and our shipping area—a span of about 2-3 miles.  Most of the herd was already headed to the water gap that led to this other pasture and 1141 wanted to be with his buddies.  He had a hard time finding his way though—he had a major concussion and likely brain swelling.  Shayne picked up his tail and walked with him, step by step till he got with the herd and had to make sure they didn’t trample him.  He had one fellow steer who truly seemed to be a friend—he rarely left his side.

 

The wranglers and guests and I got to the pasture in order to get a final count and move the herd over.  We would go slowly so 1141 could trail behind comfortably.  About 1.5 miles into it, 1141 lost track of his bearings and ducked under a fence and into a separate pasture full of shade and aspens and he laid down.  Me and a guest of ours, Kimmie, left the herd group to stay with him and urge him on after he had rested a bit.  We got him into a clearing and Shayne drove over…at this point we were about a mile from the final pasture.  1141 was very tired and he laid down in the shade and Shayne laid down in the dirt with him for about an hour.  I put my horse away and came back with water and a bucket and electrolytes.  After many stops and starts (Shayne walking with him to guide him on his left and me on his right) he made it into the grassy pasture with the rest of the herd!  His buddy found him and we let him be for a bit.  A couple hours later we headed out horseback in order to push the cattle just one more pasture over—a quick jaunt, simply across the driveway.  1141 was laying down but was able to get up on his own and limp along and then…another miracle…he pooped!  What a great sign!  1141 made it over and we hopped off our horses and guided him to the spot in the pasture where we had a big green water tank and some feed laid out.

 

Shayne said, “1%, that’s all I need to have hope.”  I said…”Why not name him Uno for his 1% miracle?”

 

That evening, Brenda made several rounds over the night checking on Uno and offering him water.  The next morning, the herd shipped out minus Uno.  He had made it very far but had so much further to go!

 

For the next several weeks, as Uno was feeling a little better, he became a little friskier.  We would push him into a little corral and I was able to fit a horse Cobb halter to him and start teaching him to lead enough to get him into the chute area where we had LOTS of doctoring to do.  Brenda, Sami and Lainey did much of the dirty work while I and Jenn would hold and pet him.  He had several abscesses that were blowing up…one on his rib was big enough a hand could be fit inside!  Saline, Power Dust and Draxxin were our tools.  One of his ears had taken a beating from all of his thrashing from before and one day, we had to cut a piece off and flush it out—there were maggots inside!  Is I was holding the halter to keep him steady, Lainey flushed it and he shook and needless to say…I wore some of those maggots and slime on my face.

 

We had to doctor Uno in the chute for his deep wounds at least 8 times but each time he got more gentle and would just stand quietly.  And each time he got better to halter and to lead.  Especially once we finally were able to get him interested in grain!

 

We also made him a stall set up in the old arena so he can go inside to eat and stay when was too cold outside.  At the time he had too many open wounds.  

 

As of today, Uno is a new guy!  Almost all of his hair has grown back and he has packed on some weight!  Originally, we had to consider cutting off a chunk of his ear because of a bad droop, but it’s even started to stand up again!

 

Uno often comes running when we call his name.  He loves jumping around and trying to play when we clean his stall.  He LOVES pets, scratches and he LOVES posing for the camera!  AND…he’s getting a lot better in his groundwork and has learned to roll his hind and bring his front through!

 

Uno is a testament to the incredible will to survive and beyond it, to thrive.  And Shayne’s leadership is a testament to the cowboys who will never give up on an animal that has just a sliver of hope.

 

Stay tuned…we have BIG plans for Uno in 2025…he has earned himself a spot as a McGinnis Meadows Mascot!

 

See the photos and videos below to follow Uno’s journey from 1141 to now!