The pen rider must be able to identify sick animals early in the disease process and gently remove them from the pen for treatment. The use of a horse in checking pens elevates the rider, allowing him or her to observe the entire pen of cattle rather than those in only the immediate vicinity. A horse also allows the pen rider to move around the pen easily when it is rough, full of manure, mud, etc. In most cases, the use of a horse can be a tremendous advantage in separating sick animals from others in the pen. Detecting animals in the early stages of disease is an art.
Some people develop the ability quickly, while others never do.
As a general rule, the earlier a sick animal is treated, the better the animal responds to treatment. Obvious signs of disease are usually not difficult to detect, but by the time these signs develop, the animal frequently has been sick for 24 hours or longer. Detection of the early signs of sickness requires a great deal of knowledge, patience, persistence and genuine concern. A good pen rider should get to know cattle just as a school teacher knows students. A proficient, experienced pen rider who is in the pen every day has a much greater success rate for early pulls than does the inexperienced individual.