I think that ranch would have just gone to nothing. We would have had to sell it or liquidate the cattle, or we could have just run it inefficiently. Most, if not all, students who enroll in TCU's unique nine-month program are under similar burdens. But it isn't going to be nearly as bad as when you get out there and lose a family farm or lose your job because of your incompetence. We've got to cut to the chase.
Theory is theory.
We try to teach reality. Obviously, there's more to ranching than rounding up dogies. Featured subjects include how to manage labor, comply with government regulations, balance the books, pay taxes and invest profits - classes right out of a university school of business management. Incompetence in any one of those areas can bankrupt a ranch. That's not to say the 22 students enrolled in the program wile away all their hours in the classroom.