A true Kineño also possesses an unshakable patience. Given the number of elements outside of his control—weather, markets, predators, disease - the cowboy learns to focus on the things he can control, pushing the rest of the world out of the picture. South Texas is a remarkably inhospitable place and one that takes skill to navigate, especially when the cattle you're driving prefer to work at their own pace. When offered an appropriate amount of pressure, cattle will concede and cooperate. If too great a sense of urgency is implied by the cowboy, cattle will scatter and easily triple the recovery time. Call it bovine calculus if you like, but it can test the patience of Job. Cowboys learn this lesson early or take up another. trade. It's hard to imagine a more patient human than a cowboy, a true technician who knows when to push and when to give, who quietly asserts authority and sense of purpose along with the underlying message that cows and cowboys working together will achieve faster results and better outcomes.
These are the skills the Kineños inherit from their forbears and learn anew from their first day in the saddle. Their quiet commitment to the work seems almost asynchronous, as the rest of the world moves quickly and chaotically about its business. The Kineños prefer a steady hand and a steady eye, and their work continues to produce world-class cattle and quarter horses.
The right equipment, from saddlery to clothing, can make or break a cowboy, and the King Ranch Saddle Shop has evolved as both a purveyor and researcher of the right tools, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Kineños. If we offer it, it meets or exceeds that standard or it doesn't wear the Running W brand.
