Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Conservancy

My wife and I are Texans, went to The University of Texas in Austin and had a tremendous desire to help preserve the historical Texas Longhorn cattle. With the help of dedicated members of the Conservancy and the Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Registry we were able to start with a small herd in 2008 and have grown that herd over the years. We believe we are accomplishing our goal of helping preserve the original Texas Longhorn cattle.

The Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Conservancy exists to conserve this historic and iconic breed of cattle, which is a noble task in itself, but it helps newcomers and old hands alike learn about good animal husbandry, animal breeding, scientific genetic testing and monitoring, and the joys and history of ranching. The preservation of the Texas Longhorn breed was recognized as vital by President Theodore Roosevelt. He realized that the breed was becoming extinct as numerous European cattle breeds were being introduced and replacing longhorns on the American prairie. He established the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Reservation in 1906 specifically to protect and foster the breeding of Texas Longhorn Cattle and also the American Bison. The Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Conservancy shares this goal and has worked to preserve the native Texas Longhorn genetic stock. This is especially important as other people are introducing non native cattle to cross breed with longhorns just to get massive horns which do not represent the historic breed. For my wife and me who are newcomers to ranching and interested in Texas history, the Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Conservancy has introduced us to an exciting and and interesting educational and vocational experience.

One of the first things I look for in a non-profit is how much they spend on salaries and how much actually goes to the mission of the non-profit. This organization spends nothing on salaries, everything goes to the mission.
The CTLC mission is to engage in scientific and historical research, education and other charitable purposes associated with Texas Longhorn cattle. They are trying to save the iconic Texas Longhorn as it existed prior to cross breeding started in the late 19th century. They educate the public in the value of these heritage genetics and why conservation is critical. They have met this by doing things such as supporting Genetic research to developing genetics lessons for middle school students.
Texas Longhorn cattle are of historical significance not only to Texas but the United States as well as they were a significant factor in the recovery of the U.S. economy after the Civil War. Additionally due to their incredible resilience to adverse conditions and diseases they are of significant scientific interest to researchers on cattle diseases as well as developing cattle that can be raised with little to no effect on the environment.