The HydraBull is a lot like its inventor, Curt Storbakken: Tough, time-tested and no bull.
Storbakken grew up in North Dakota and “did rodeo as a kid. Cuttin’ since I was a pup. I cowboyed.”
He was a semipro hockey player in the 1950s. He’s been a teacher and is a horse trainer and saddle maker.
But in training horses to work around cattle he saw a need for a better approach than using real cattle.
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“You need 14 fresh cows per horse.” They have to be bought, fed, bedded, doctored, hauled and sold.
“And a cow is only fresh one time.” After that, “they’re sour.” They won’t respond to the horse.
His mechanical bull, with rear-wheel drive, weighs 850 pounds and only needs a little gas and oil. It’s always fresh. You can get one for $17,500, and it comes with a two-year guarantee.
“It’s cowboy-proof” and “cowboy tough.”
So why isn’t it called the HydraCow?
Somehow that just did not sound right.