The traditional means of transport for the cowboy, even in the modern era, is by horseback. Horses can travel over terrain that vehicles cannot access. Horses, along with mules and burros, also serve as pack animals. The most important horse on the ranch is the everyday working ranch horse. Horses trained to specialize exclusively in skills such as roping or cutting are very rarely used on ranches. Because the rider often needs to keep one hand free while working cattle, the horse must neck rein and have good cow sense—it must instinctively know how to anticipate and
react to cattle.
sturdy legs and strong muscling, particularly in the hindquarters. While a steer roping horse may need to be larger and weigh more in order to
hold a heavy adult cow, bull or steer, a smaller, quick horse is needed for herding activities such as cutting or calf roping. The horse has to be
intelligent, calm under pressure, and have a certain degree of 'cow sense" -- the ability to anticipate the movement and behavior of cattle.
The most common vehicle driven in modern ranch work is the pickup truck. Sturdy and roomy, with a high ground clearance, and often four-
wheel drive capability, it has an open box, called a "bed," and can haul supplies from town or over rough trails on the ranch. It is used to pull
stock trailers transporting cattle and livestock from one area to another and to market. With a horse trailer attached, it carries horses to distant
areas where they may be needed. Motorcycles are sometimes used, but the most common smaller vehicle is the four-wheeler. It will carry a
single cowboy quickly around the ranch for small chores. In areas with heavy snowfall, snowmobiles are also common.