Ranch Brand Book
A rider on a palomino horse working through a herd of black and red cattle on open Sandhills grass.Photo: Brand Book
Adults onlyWorking ranch

Burwell, Nebraska

Rowse's 1+1 Ranch

Adults-only Sandhills cattle ranch where guests ride daily and help gather and sort herds.

Hands-on cattle work

Season
Much of the year
Ages
18+

What you'll do

  • Ride every weekday to drive, sort and brand cattle and check pastures
  • Afternoon roping, penning and horsemanship lessons
  • Small groups of 5 to 10 guests, and no nose-to-tail trail rides

When to go

  • Hosts guests much of the year; the site doesn't list exact months
  • Packages run from 3 to 28 nights

Who it's for

  • Adults who want real cattle work on a 7,000-acre Sandhills ranch with about 800 cow/calf pairs
  • Riders under 250 lb

Good to know

  • No riding on weekends unless the cattle need it
  • Airport transfers and off-ranch outings cost extra, and gratuity isn't included
  • The rate page is still labeled 2024, so confirm prices

Getting there

  • Grand Island or Kearney, both 90 miles, with a paid van.
  • Cattle work
  • Horsemanship
Rowse's 1+1 Ranch brand: Two upright bars joined by a plus sign

Ride for the brand. No branding required.

Brand
1+1
Burned on
Left shoulder, rib and hip
On record
Nebraska Brand Committee (opens in a new tab)To find it:
  • Last Name: Rowse
Look for brand 09171.00, held by Jerry and Tammy Rowse.

The ranch takes its name from this brand, a wedding gift from a retiring neighbor.

From my stay

My week at Rowse's 1+1

By Bob, who runs Brand Book. I stayed here June 28 to July 3, 2026. The listing above is researched from the ranch's website; this part is my own experience.

Good to know, from my stay

  • Water, coffee, farm-fresh milk and iced tea are all provided, so there's no need to bring drinks or snacks.
  • Three big meals a day, and most of the food is grown or raised on the ranch.
  • Wear comfortable cowboy boots with no laces and a regular heel, long sleeves, a brimmed hat and good jeans.
  • Water rides along on the horses, and most saddles have a small case that fits a camera.
  • You can do as much or as little of the ranch work as you want.

What an amazing adventure! Who hasn't wanted to be a cowboy at some time in life? Liked Yellowstone? Want to live that life for a few days? Then schedule a visit at the Rowse's 1+1 Ranch.

From the minute you meet Tammy and Jerry, they make you feel like family. They are the nicest people you will ever meet.

So, on to info for people who have never been. You will not need to bring anything to eat or drink. All meals are taken care of, and they have coffee, farm-fresh milk, iced tea, you name it. I brought a couple cases of water and only used a couple of my waters. Water fresh out of the tap is all you need! I brought snacks and hardly ate any of them. Three meals a day and more food than you can eat! I gained like 5 pounds there! 98% of what you eat is grown or raised on the ranch, and it is scrumptious!

It was hot when I went and I was worried about drinking enough water. We carried several water containers on the horses so that we never ran out of cold water while riding. Most of the saddles had a small case, which was perfect for my camera.

You should get comfortable cowboy boots that have no laces and a regular heel to keep from getting caught in the stirrups. A good hat, like a cowboy hat, will help keep the sun off your face, and I wore long-sleeve shirts to protect my arms. Make sure you have some good, comfortable jeans to wear as well.

Every day we rode horses (I took a break on the last day as my body was sore, lol) and went out to the pastures to check on the cattle. Cattle need to be checked for things like pinkeye and foot problems. If we saw any that might need doctoring, Jerry wrote down the number of their ear tags so we could check them again or go out to doctor them.

One of the days they were raking and rolling up the hay, and I got to ride along in the tractor to do that. I always wondered where those big rolls of hay came from!

On the last day there, we took salt and minerals out to the pastures and doctored some cattle. They use a dart gun to give the animals medicine. It is less stress on the animal, as they are not getting roped and pulled down.

I was amazed at how much work is done on the ranch, and you can do as much or as little of it as you want. The care they take of their cattle is quite something. We rode around for a long time trying to find one of the calves that was marked as maybe needing doctoring. Looking in bushes, under trees, hiding in grass: it is hard to see every single one of the herd, but that is what they do!

I will be going back next year for vacation for sure! Went to play cowboy and ride horses and made friends for life!

  • The view between a horse's ears, following a rider up a grassy Sandhills valley.
    Riding out to check cattle
  • Saddled horses grazing in tall grass, with a leather saddle case behind one saddle.
    Saddle cases fit a camera
  • A raked hayfield seen over the red hood of a tractor.
    Riding along in the tractor for haying
  • The 1+1 brand burned into a wooden table, signed Jerry and Tammy Rowse.
    The 1+1, burned into the table
  • A dinner plate of steak, mashed potatoes with gravy and green beans.
    Supper, mostly raised on the ranch
  • Cattle silhouetted along a corral fence under an orange sunrise.
    Sunrise over the corrals
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