Photo Gallery

Sheep shearing takes place during the months of December and January, in the heart of the southern summer. The work is carried out in a galpón, a building reserved for this purpose that can be seen in all the estancias. The sheep are led to the galpón by ovejeros on horseback. Each esquilador (shearer) shears about 200 sheep a day. He uses an electric shearer set in motion by a motor which, at the same time, provides light to the property. Twice a year the esquiladores cut the wool around the sheep's eyes. The animals cannot see clearly because of the thickness of their fleece. - 1973

The estancia is a small town. It includes many different buildings. Sometimes there is even a school, which is attended by the children of the farm workers. This saves the pupils the trip to the next village, which is often dozens of kilometres away. A single teacher teaches the little ones and the big ones. Our picture was taken during the break in the school of the estancia “Palitué” (Neuquén province). Little José Luis Jimenéz, son of a peon, drinks his cup of milk. - 1973

Gauchos from the Palitué estancia (province of Neuquén) go to the corral (cattle park) where all the domestic animals on the estate are kept. They will carry out a strict selection of them. They dedicate themselves to this work whenever they are not called upon to carry out other tasks. But, in one case as in others, the gauchos always travel on horseback, which is their favourite means of transport, very rarely setting foot on land. They carry with them the accessories they need to do their work. - 1973

Cows from the Palitué estancia (province of Neuquén), which have just given birth to their young, are gathered in the corral. The gauchos will soon make their appearance in order to carry out work of the utmost importance. It is a matter of separating the heifers from their mothers, which is not without its difficulties. Then the cows are taken back by the gauchos to their respective pastures where they will eventually gain the necessary weight. To achieve this, they need to be perfectly quiet, hence the cruel necessity to take their offspring away from them. The pastures are chosen for the quality of their grass. Finally, the cows are sent by truck to the slaughterhouses and the meat is kept in the capital's refrigerators. These measures are justified by the fact that Argentines have a predominantly meat diet. But it should also be pointed out that the production and sale of meat abroad is one of the main economic activities of the Argentine nation. - 1973

The gaucho's task is both arduous and dangerous. It is the result of a long tradition which dates back to the beginning of the colonisation of the pampas. It requires skill, patience, endurance and a great deal of security of movement. These essential qualities are put to good use especially when sorting the animals inside the corral. The constant coming and going of the animals is not made to facilitate the movement of the gaucho. In addition, the dust that rises from the corral floor forms clouds in which people and animals seem to get lost. But the gaucho and his horse are one and the same, because they have been used to this kind of exercise for a long time. This agreement also exists between the different gauchos who work in an estancia. The daily task involves a lot of discipline on the part of the men. These conditions must be observed every time the animals are grouped together, taken to the pasture or sorted out. - 1973

This horse-drawn cart has obviously not been used for a long time - Estancia Palitué - Neuquén Province - 1975