Play this game and learn more about the challenges of a good ol’ western cattle drive!

Two Bits has been watching lots of old west horse movies. In many of these movies are cattle drives.

A cattle drive encountered a number of challenges along the way. As the herd moved north, the outfit (or group) might be charged a toll to cross Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). The toll would range from ten cents to one dollar per animal, to allow the cattle to cross the tribal lands. When the outfit got to Kansas, the cowboys had to beware of marauding bands of murdering thieves. The herd would also meet with angry farmers who tried to keep the wild cattle away from fields. Other hazards they might meet up with were raging rivers, quicksand in river crossings, alkali water, poison weeds that drove the cattle insane, and prairie fires. By the time the outfit got to the end of the trail, they were all ready to call it quits- until next season.

Make up your own game so you and friends can play the parts of cowboys on the trail!

Materials:

• Card stock or construction paper
• Scissors
• Pencil, pen or markers
• 1 pound dry beans

Cut the card stock or construction paper into card sized rectangles. Make them all the same size. You’ll want to make at least 20 cards per player. Keep some cards blank and add new cards to the deck as you think of them.

On each of the cards, write something that could happen on a trail drive. If it’s a disaster or hazard, like a stampede or prairie fire, write down how many points a cowboy will lose. Keep the points on the cards under 10. Then make some cards that tell about good things that could happen, such as: a cow has a calf- add 1 point. When all the cards are made, some with hazards, others with good things shuffle them together and stack them face down on the table in front of the players. If you run out of ideas, you can make some cards alike.

Crazy about horses? Test your knowledge with AQHA’s Junior Master Horseman program. You can even earn certificates!

To play, give each player 50 dry beans. Put the leftover beans in a bowl in the center. The beans represent each player’s herd of cattle. Take turns, each player drawing a card and either losing or adding beans to their own pile from those in the center bowl, following the directions on the cards. When all the cards are gone, count up beans to see who has the most cattle left.

Here are some ideas to put on cards:

• Quicksand at river crossing – lose 7
• Thieves stampede the herd – lose 9
• Strays wonder into camp – add 8
• Horse breaks a leg – lose 6
• Rattlesnake! – lose 2
• Fair weather ahead – add 4
• Pay the toll – lose 5