Winter on a working ranch can feel like a different world from life in the city. At both the Stampede Ranch near Hanna, AB and the OH Ranch west of Longview, AB, winter is less about slowing down and more about preparation, adaptability and daily responsibility to the animals and the land.
At Stampede Ranch, Tyler Kraft, Manager of the Calgary Stampede Ranch & Stock Contracting Operations, oversees more than 500 horses, many of them elite bucking horses that compete across North America.
Long before the first deep freeze arrives, the focus is on making sure the horses are ready for winter. “The fall months involve lots of preparation—that’s one thing we take a lot of pride in making sure that the horses are feeling their best going into winter,” notes Kraft.
Living in large herds in several pastures spread across 23,000 acres of grassland, the horses are well adapted to the cold. “When our days start getting shorter, their bodies naturally begin preparing for the temperature change, and they start growing their thick winter coat. One of many ways they’re much tougher than we are,” Kraft says with a laugh.
Even with that natural resilience, winter conditions mean checking in frequently, which can sometimes look like driving a plough through snow drifts to check on the herd. Ranch management is a seven-day-a-week commitment, shaped by whatever conditions the day brings.
Further west at the 143-year-old, 8,000-acre Calgary Stampede OH Ranch, Tyler Ritchie, OH Ranch Manager, experiences a similar rhythm. Winter days are unpredictable, and routines can change quickly. “As soon as I figure out what a typical day looks like, I’ll let you know,” he jokes. Still, he’s continually impressed by the hardiness of cattle in Alberta winters. “It forever amazes me how comfortable they can be in the winter, as long as they have enough food in their belly.”
For Ritchie, winter ranching is demanding but deeply rewarding, especially when it results in a spring calving season full of healthy calves. Underpinning all of it is a deep respect for the land, with an emphasis on sustainable grassland management that supports livestock while preserving the ecosystem.
“The better we manage our grasslands and riparian areas in the summer months through sustainable practices like preventing overgrazing and protecting our water systems, the better prepared our pastures and livestock are during the winter,” says Ritchie. “Proper conservation practices and ranching practices are one in the same.”
Compared to city life, winter on a ranch may sound like a big undertaking, but at the Stampede Ranch and the OH Ranch, it’s also a season that highlights stewardship and a commitment to preserving our Western heritage.
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