As luck would have it, this very scenario unfolded last week, pulling me away from my computer one brilliant autumnal Wednesday and plunking me atop a horse on a sprawling Beard Ranch in Ellensburg. I’m put to work under the patient supervision of Kyler Beard, a soft-spoken rancher with a boatload of patience, wealth of wisdom, and real-deal cowboy boots (they’re just as cool as you’d expect).

Beard, who purchased this land from his grandparents last spring, still views the 160 acres as a work in progress. The former Kittitas County “Cattleman of the Year” has a vision, and something tells me he won’t rest until it’s realized. Thanks to his natural understanding of cattle and low-stress cattle handling approach, he’s already become a trusted resource within the ranching community.

Raised in La Conner, his father a chef and his mother an interior designer, Beard admits that given his parent’s professions, he might seem an unlikely fit for this particular career path. But he spent summers on the ranch with his rodeo stock-owning grandparents, and horses have been his main love since day one. “I always wanted to be a cowboy,” he says, “Even when I didn’t know what that meant.”

He got his first job with a local rancher in his mid-20s. “A lot of what I learned about horses made sense for cows, too,” he says. “People don’t give cows enough credit for being sensitive.” He explains that the goal of raising healthy cattle (which he keeps until they reach 800 pounds) is to establish trust between yourself, your horse and the cattle by always giving the cattle an easy option to do the safe, “right” thing. For example, looking to him for cues when moving through the corrals.  

“They get docile if they don’t feel threatened,” he explains, “and then, they’ll feel safe enough to show you if they don’t feel good.” When the cattle trust Beard, he can offer them the best possible care before moving them on to another ranch or feedyard. We head into the pasture on horseback to perform one of Beard’s daily duties—checking on the health of the young cattle herd. Alongside us is Fringey, a puddle-loving pup who keeps the 350 cattle in formation. They move through the gate in an impressively orderly fashion; we follow behind the quarter-mile-long stretch of sturdy bodies and swirling dust.

Beard explains that he buys singles (a single cow at a time, instead of multiples or a “pen”) from different small ranches and farms. Initially he doesn’t know which vaccines they've had or whether they’re socialized. As he buys the cattle when they’re just weaned, “It’s a lot like going to kindergarten for the first time and not seeing Mom,” he says. This can be stressful for the cattle, so he checks on them dutifully, especially during the initial 40 days. Today, Beard records the tag numbers of two from the herd who look potentially in need of medical attention. He scribbles the numbers on his wrist, hoping they don’t smear.

This livelihood isn’t easy, and the days are impossibly long. But you won’t find Beard complaining. “It’s really nice when you love what you’re doing,” he says, “so you’re not in a rush to get home.” Even better are summer days when he’s joined by his wife, a teacher, and their six-year-old daughter Josie, who rides and handles animals like an old pro. “She doesn’t even know how good she is,” Beard says.

The next step for Beard’s herd: Utilizing leftovers from local businesses, like bakeries and breweries, and putting the “waste” to work as another feed source for the cattle. Beard aspires to make the most out of his herd and land; he sees it as a chance to buy “undervalued cattle and do something good with them.” The end result? One day, his cattle, his grass, and the byproducts of other foodstuff will make for great beef.

 After we dismount— one of us having significantly sorer thighs than when the day began—Beard adds, “What cows do for the environment is admirable. And I feel like I’m doing a service.” He smiles and shakes my hand before I climb into a car bound for the big city. Beard, on the other hand, hops nimbly back onto his horse, getting back to living out his cowboy dreams.