Unlike the open range cowboy who scorned any work that couldn't be done on a horse, ranch hands had many chores. Some were more farm hand than cowboy. There were fences to mend, fields to irrigate, hay to cut, and even chickens and turkeys to feed. Some objected to work away from horses and the open range. They moved on. Others adapted unwillingly, getting chores done while jealously guarding their saddle time. The best hands were jacks of all trades. They were good with horses and cattle, able to prepare show stock for the state fair, skilled with increasingly complex machinery of ranch work, and adept at everything from irrigating to vaccinating.