LazyRanch Headquarters

Motto: "Now where'd that lazy S go?"

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Rich Slatta, the Cowboy Professor

welcomes you to Lazy S Ranch Headquaters.
• From here you can ride out in all directions to learn more about real cowboy history, life, lore, and legend. The pages below include selections from my various books. I've shortened them up a bit, but they'll give you a good introduction to many cowboy topics.

  The Real Story of the Cowboy
  Straight from the Horse's . . . whatever

• How'd the Lazy S Ranch get its name? Well, as they say, that's a long story but here's the stumpy version. Long ago I was a pup cowboyin' the Wyoming ranges [OK, I threw rocks at sheep now and then]. An old cowman tried to steer me right, but I much favored sitting under a tree reading a book to hard labor. His most repeated phrase became "Now where'd that lazy S go?" -- at least that's what I thought he called me. I decided the term fit and now that I have my own ranch in cyberspace, the Lazy S it is.
• Scenic Views from the Lazy S RanchEnjoy your ride around my range. We'll keep the coffee pot on for you.

  A few words from REAL, not virtual, Lazy S Ranches

• Here's a note sent from the Oklahoma Range in Feb 1999, from Ranch Manager Tom Rankin Sr.

  
  My name is Tom Rankin Sr. I am the manager of the LAZY S RANCH, Springer, OK. We got quite a kick out of finding your site on the web.The ranch here is over 100 years old and covers about 10,000 acres in the Arbuckle Mts. I have your book Cowboys of the Americas in my collection and have enjoyed it very much. I thought it was great when I realized this was your site. The Lazy S got its brand and name here from Col. C.C. Slaughter who ranched in Texas and probably had more cattle under that brand than anyother during the late 1800's. My great grandfather rangered with Col. Slaughter at one time.
  
  We are just a working commercial cattle ranch. We are located on the sunny side (Southern slope) of the Arbuckle Mts. We run Hereford & Angus cross with some pure Hereford for replacements and we breed all of our first calf heifers to Longhorn bulls for calving ease. We run around 700 head of mother cows and about 40 bulls. We are still in the grip of the terrible drought that we went through last year, and it's not looking to promising for moisture right now. We have had enough moisture that Cool Creek is still running over the Falls down on the East end of the ranch.
  
  If you are ever in the area please drop in and visit. We are just off I-35. We have a sign on the side of the mountain facing the road that is 300 ft. X 75 ft. and is made out of Limestone rocks that says LAZY S RANCH . Well I had better go, but I just had to drop you a line. Thank you, Tom Rankin Sr. LAZY S RANCH P.O. Box 247 Springer, OK 73458

• There's another Lazy S in California, which I learned about in April 2005. "We own and operate a horse boarding and training facility in California. Betty Saletta is a bronze sculptor specializing in western subjects. Of late, creating several life size and larger works for public installations. Albert and daughter Tia manage the ranch of 80 head of horses. Tia teaches and trains, Albert manages the facilities. Your interest in western heritage is in similar track to Betty's work of historical western figures. She is currently finishing a larger than life size portrait of Henry Miller, Cattle King for the city of Los Banos, California. How did you come by the name for your ranch? Ours is our registered cattle brand. A lazy S over a bar."
• And here's a query concerning the Lazy S brand. "Back in 1950 my parents bought me a bay quarterhorse gelding (by the name of Prince) that had a Lazy S brand on his left shoulder. I say it was Lazy S because it was an "S" with another "S" placed horizonally beneath the top "S". He clearly was a ranch horse because he would ground-tie, neck rein, backup to tighten slack in a rope, and other things too. We bought him when we were living in Vincennes, IN but I'm certain his previous owner got him from a ranch somewhere out west. He was 12-14 years old (say 15) that made him born about 1935. I've always wondered where he originally came from. Thanks for any help you can give me. HAPPY TRAILS. . . . Austin Snyder"
• The black-and-white drawings that adorn Lazy S pages are copyright-free designs by B. J. Lewis, published as "Cowboy and Western Illustrations" 1996, Dover.
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