Howdy Hank-Fans! 

Have you had a chance to check out the second book in the Ranch Life series yet?

First off, book #1 ("Ranching and Livestock") was a first-class introduction to ranching! Told from Hank's perspective, young readers learned the difference between a ranch and a farm, how cows digest grass, how to run a ranch as a successful business, how to choose the right breed of cattle for your ranch, and taking care of cattle through the various types of weather...and much more! 

Now, the second book in the series, "Cowboys and Horses" takes that knowledge a bit further! Saddle up for some fun as Hank gives young cowpokes a glimpse into the world of horses and the ins-and-outs of the life of a professional working cowboy! In "Cowboys and Horses," you'll learn things like: the history of traildriving in America, a cowboy's role in a ranching operation, qualities to look for in a good horse, how to train horses, roping technique, and more!

Moreover, two curriculum developers have created lessons plans for science and social studies that follow the chapters in the book! 

Last week, the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas hosted an incredible event at which 400 local 4th graders were given copies of the book, got to listen to John R. Erickson talk about the Hank the Cowdog books and this new Ranch Life series, and then watched a demonstration (performed by the Tech Ranch Horse Team) of several kinds of the cattle-work described in the book.

From the article in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal:

"John Erickson teaches the ranching and cowboy life that he knows best, and he teaches it by means of a dog. 

On Tuesday he was in Lubbock to present a program at the Texas Tech Equestrian Center for an audience of Lubbock-area elementary students in a cooperative program with the National Ranching Heritage Center that is donating 4,000 books to Lubbock Independent School District.

The dog, hero of the Hank the Cowdog series, is narrator of a trilogy that presents material applicable to science and social studies classes.

“I’m explaining ranch life, ranch work, cowboys, horses, cattle and ranch wildlife, using my knowledge gained through 30 years as a cowboy, and now with my own ranch,” Erickson told the A-J Media.

“But I’m letting Hank explain that. Hank already is a lot more popular and credible than I am. He has a built-in audience, and also a style of talking that’s interesting — he’s funny.”

In the second book of the Ranch Life series, Hank begins to address students on page one: “I happen to be one of the world’s leading authorities on cowboys. Not only do I work around ‘em every day here on the ranch, but I also happen to be inclined to the cowboy life myself.

“Did you know, for example, that my name in Spanish is ‘Hank El Perro Vaquero,’ which means ‘Hank the Cowboy Dog?”

Books, in addition to those donated, are available for purchase at the National Ranching Heritage Center store inside the museum. A portion of proceeds will benefit education programs at the center.

And, be sure to check out this GREAT interview with Good Day Lubbock!

To read more about the event, check out any of these great articles about it: A short video clip and story from West Texas TV station KCBD, & a great article in the Daily Toreador, & the full text of the story from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

- You can get your copy of in Hank's Store HERE: "Cowboys and Horses" - the second book in the Ranch Life series
- OR, from Amazon HERE: "Cowboys and Horses" - the second book in the Ranch Life series (on Amazon).

And, of course, we always want to know what you think!! Have you had a chance to read it yet? And, if so, did you learn anything new about cowboying or training and/or working with horses? Be sure to comment below!