http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/galloway/index.htm
Interesting.
The cow with the huge white midsection.
I had cattle when I had so many horses. I raised my own alfalfa hay. If it got rained on or for some other reason did not make horse hay, I put it in the cow barn.
I do not like cattle, but they are of great help to a horse farm. They graze more evenly and greatly improve the pasture.
They will eat the tough woody grass that the horse will not and that cuts way down on mowing.
As for ring work, I hate it. I am a big believer in the horse finding his own spot. Counting strides is not my bag.
Let the horse have a few wrecks and he will count his own strides.
I am well aware of the new methods. But I can inspect a ring in about two rounds. By that time, I have seen all I need to see and I am ready to go out.
I like to ride the kind of horse that starts measuring his strides 6 or 8 strides from the fence.
Really the ring work is more for me than for my horse. If I put in a good couple of hours a week doing extension/collection, leg yieldings, shoulder-ins, etc. along the fence (I find it difficult to hold an absolutely straight line in the open air, I drift to my strong side) then when we go out I feel like we are in good communication. We don't jump big stuff in the ring, just around 2 feet to practice our pacing and turns.
She's always been a clever jumper, even though she wasn't broke til she was 14 she figured it out quickly. She's also very adjustable, I can take her in for the short spot or stretch her for the big one, and it's like having a very responsive sports car. I just wish she wasn't so OLD - although she's very sound at 24, I take the easy fences and the short cuts with her now.