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Why Portable Corrals Materials Matter

Here’s one thing we know: In the agricultural industry, Portable Corrals Materials Matter. Products that are made of strong, durable, and long-lasting materials can stand up to the intense activity within the cattle industry. John McDonald, founder and owner of Rawhide Portable Corral understands too well the necessity of designing and manufacturing products that feature materials that can stand up to heavy use by cattle producers. As well as the interaction with the animals themselves.

Since 2002, when McDonald introduced the first Rawhide Portable Corral, he has worked diligently to bring this durable, efficient, and streamlined corral system to thousands of farmers and ranchers throughout the U.S. Thanks to McDonald’s focus on continuous improvement. The team has enhanced the Rawhide Portal Corral through the years. Resulting in a one of the toughest corral systems that meets the needs of today’s producers. All because of the materials chosen in its design.

Cowboy Tested

“It all goes back to being a cowboy and being around wild animals, bucking bulls, and doing televised bull ridings,” McDonald explains. “I was able to see what equipment could take the hits of all the animals and the pressure involved.” Portable corrals materials matter.

When designing his original portable corral, McDonald instinctively knew that the panels had to be coped and saddled for strength. He also recognized the need to use 13-gauge material to offer the strength and durability required by producers.

“The material was something that was denser than the muffler on a car, and that could take the hit when animals were running into it,” McDonald explains.

Being portable, the corrals also are often transported down highways or on tough terrain. So, the mainframe of the corrals had to be designed durable enough to withstand both interactions with cattle, as well as the jarring along roadways and fields. The Rawhide’s enhanced suspension system ensures stability and reduces the strain on the corral’s core components.

“I decided to use the square tubing for the mainframe because it provides the framework for the trailer,” McDonald says. “3/16” and 1/4’ thickness provides the strength needed as the unit travels up and down the highway and in rough pastures.”

Years of Design Work

McDonald says that he knew there was only one other portable corral on wheels in the world when he invented his. I found that it wasn’t a very large corral. Because the material they used was oil field pipe, which is very heavy. You just can’t add too much of that type of pipe. It made the product very heavy and unstable in transport going down the road as well.” Recognizing the importance of constructing the Rawhide Portable Corral with panels consisting of round tubing, McDonald could also get more equipment on his product’s construction.

Heavy material specifically Schedule 80 pipe and Schedule 40 pipe that collars onto the tubing and the 2” round 13 gauge on the panels creates strong ends when cattle run into or fold the corral.

As pipe schedule values increase, the pipe wall thickness also increases, resulting a durable and stronger support. It also allows for more equipment to be included on the mainframe for larger corrals.

Built Many Things, But No Manufacturing Experience

“When I first started building the Rawhide Portable Corral, I had built a lot of things in my life, but I had no manufacturing experience nor had I ever sold something that I had built for others,” McDonald says. “So, most everything that I used (connectors, gussets, flat iron, square tubing), was heavy.”

“I did a lot of research and development with my own animals, since I was raising bucking bulls,” McDonald says. “I could take something home and I could find out really quickly if it was going to handle the things that animals were going to do to it. In my eyes, I felt like I had to build something that’s going to last forever.”

McDonald says that the team had to make the gooseneck heavier because of the strain it might experience. I designed the long gusset on the front of the gooseneck, and I attached it to the front mainframe. The buffer absorbs the impact. It bounces against the front where the two by six is attached. That long gusset also transfers up. The team purposefully keeps the Rawhide bow gates close to the stability of the mainframe.

Transport Wheels

“Our mainframe is the foundation for our corral. I knew it had to be the trailer and the racks,” McDonald says. “Knowing the importance of bow gates to our system. We tried various locations for them.” Early on, McDonald tried to place a gate on the end of a panel. But quickly found that it didn’t make it easy or possible to fold it up and move it around in fields and pastures.

McDonald states that any kind of bow gate away from the main frame is not supported. McDonald explains that a bow gate anchored to the main frame is also not supported. “The strength of the anchor can protect it.” The farther you move away the weaker it becomes. The builders firmly anchor the gates to 3 x 3 1/4-inch square tubing. The builders construct them with the frame three inches off the ground.

“In our design, there’s no need to have them anywhere else. Because of the pinning system that I invented. All of my panels can hinge like a gate,” McDonald says. “So not only do you have a panel that you can sort with and that hinges like a gate. But it’s on solid rubber wheels.” This results in flexibility and the assurance that it is not going to go flat, unlike other companies that have tried unsuccessfully to use metal wheels and aluminum wheels. Portable Corrals Materials Matter.

Design of Wheels Critical

“For example, when using metal wheels and you try to roll your panels open on frozen ground with a bunch of frozen cow pies, you just about break your jaw because the panels come to a dead stop because there is no bounce in those metal wheels,” McDonald says. “Not only are the metal wheels too hard, but they’re also heavier.” Portable Corrals Materials Matter.

The axles on the Rawhide Portable Corral are another area that McDonald has refined. As he explains, although he has used the heaviest, most durable materials in his designs. His original design did not factor in the intense treatment the axles were going to endure on rough roads or at high speeds through pastures.

“Over time, I’ve gradually beefed up the axles. I use an inch-and-a-half cold rolled rod. There are two types of solid rod in the material world. Hot rolled and cold rolled. Hot rolled is less expensive and quickly made. But you can hit it with a hammer and put a huge dent in it,” McDonald says. “Someone may get a flat tire from something they did, or they may damage their pickup from bouncing too much. But they aren’t going to hurt the corral – from the gooseneck to the axles – from how fast they drive because the materials are heavy, durable, and built to last.”

Portable Corrals Materials Matter.

American Cattlemen 2025

RAWHIDE PORTABLE CORRALS: A LONG-STANDING HISTORY OFHELPING THE INDUSTRY

Few words captivate the agriculture and cattle industry more than the word ‘change.’ Anyone with even a casual understanding of the technology and equipment marketplace within this sector recognizes that change is constantly afoot. And for the past 19 years, Rawhide Portable Corrals has embraced technological innovations and equipment advancements to stay ahead of the game.

It was in 2002 that John McDonald initially developed the first portable hydraulic corral on wheels with multiple pens and 200-head capacity. And although McDonald’s technological innovation received immediate accolades and a long-lasting consumer base, it didn’t prevent McDonald from continually seeking to modify, improve and advance his original design to meet the evolving needs of cattle ranchers and producers. The subsequent enhancements of the original design of the Rawhide Portable Corral have resulted in multiple corral options and additional product features that end users have come to depend upon.

“When I first invented the Rawhide, it was out of necessity,” says John McDonald. “I was doing somethings with livestock in isolated pastures and we were set up like most people—namely with portable panels. My initial objective was just to be able to set something up that was not labor involved or labor intensive and to catch whatever I needed to and go on with my day.”

At the time that McDonald had the initial idea for his portable hydraulic corral, there was only one similar product on the market, and it was a product that McDonald didn’t even know existed until he was going forward with his product vision and had to explore the patent issues he faced.

“I learned all I could about the other patent,” McDonald says. “So I knew I was in a good place once I started moving forward with my product idea. I accomplished what I wanted and designed something that would work as a trailer, as well as a rack and had the panels needed to set up a corral.”

Through the years McDonald has gleaned information from end users and from customers, as well as from the questions he received at various farm shows he attended. Embracing these questions and evaluating the information and feedback he received has resulted in a continuous improvement process that has produced a refined product that truly stands out from the crowd.

“In the last 19 years, that’s what I’ve focused on—continually improving upon my original product idea,” McDonald says.

Today, Rawhide Portable Corral customers can choose from a series of different models. The Rawhide Original features two sizes, (the standard which is ideal for 40 to 50 cow/calf pairs and the large version for 80 to 100 cow/calf pairs) and is a basic catch-pen model. This system still boasts fast, 10-minute labor—free set ups, a hydraulic jack, self-contained power unit and battery with a solar panel, and the ability for the entire system to be driven through with a bale or cube feeder.

Because continuous improvement is at the forefront of McDonald’s vision for his product line, the company also offers the advanced Rawhide Processor model, which has become the most popular corral that Rawhide makes. It comes in multiple sizes as well as optional features to accommodate a wide range of corral needs. These advancements to the corral include a head gate, hydraulic adjustable alley, and loading chute.

“Initially when I started, my goal was to help the guy who had a 150 to 200 head turned out but there were limitations in terms of size and what you could haul safely,” McDonald says. “As I progressed, I figured out new and different ways to put more equipment on my product and to appeal to some of those guys who had 300 to 400 head.”

The popularity of McDonald’s hydraulic portable corral has continued to grow, allowing the company to meet the needs of producers far and wide, including across the entire U.S. as well as Canada and even overseas.

“One of the key reasons our product stands out in the minds of customers is that there are so many possibilities, there are so many different things you can do with this one unit,” McDonald says. “Our products simply have more options than any of the other corrals out there. When you use things such as winches and jacks, those elements are very labor intensive. I stay away from that with our hydraulic features. We’ve been ‘through the mill’ during the last 19 years and have learned the vital importance of having consistency and durability there every time the product is used. And it can be used by anyone. We have a customer who is in their 70s, who sets it up by himself and is ready to catch cattle.”

In addition to enhancing the mechanization of the Rawhide Portable Corral over the years, McDonald has also paid close attention to the longevity and durability of the materials being used.

When he first began developing his portable corral product, McDonald was orchestrating the equipment set ups for television bull riding across the country. He would set the equipment on free standing dirt within sports arenas. And as he learned how to set the equipment up and ensure it was strong enough to handle all the bulls that would be coming into the arenas, he became aware of the differences in the types of equipment being used, specifically noticing that the best equipment was built in a way that it added strength to the overall set up.

“I learned through the years that the 14-gauge material that the panels are made entirely of could take the activity of the moving cattle,” McDonald said. “With that in mind, we have upgraded our products to 13-gauge to make them even stronger.”

Not surprising, after 19 years of supplying producers when an exceptional hydraulic system that cuts out the labor typically required with conventional corral systems, Rawhide has received accolades aplenty from customers throughout the country.

“When I began selling this product after having worked to develop something that would enhance people’s operations, I was always concerned with how it was meeting the customers’ needs, rather than if I was making money at it,” McDonald says. “I would really listen to the customers and design, refine and build accordingly. And now here we are 19 years later and we continue to take care of our customers by offering great products and a level of customer service that shows we care.”

As a result, the Rawhide team receives phone calls frequently from people wanting to thank them because they simply wouldn’t know what they would do without their specific Rawhide product.

“I just received a call the other day from a customer who bought a corral several years ago and has run thousands of head of cattle through it. He was calling to order another one as he simply didn’t know what he would have done without it for all these years,” says John’s wife Mary McDonald, who helps run the company and works closely with customers. “Our customers’ testimonies are our best sales pitch. I love when I can I can refer a potential customer from any part of the country to another current customer in their area and they can go and take a look at the product, visit with them and learn how they use it. That’s the best thing you can do: Having a current customer talk about how much they like the product.”

To help producers determine and identify the best Rawhide Portable Corral that will fit their needs, the Rawhide team works closely with each customer to learn about their particular ranching or farming situation. “We work with them to determine the best size they need,” John McDonald says. “As far as how they need to use it, we have customers who are interested in using our corrals to sort, load and take home. And then we have customers who want to use the corral to pre-wean, vaccinate and castrate, and we can help them learn the best way to utilize our system for their needs.”

Customers can choose to have permanent sheeted alleys as part of the system. And then they can also select other options such as the loading chute, head gate or the hydraulic adjustable alley on the corral.

“Since I started this company 19 years ago I have changed things so much,” McDonald says. “Now we are at the point where we can offer options that the customer can choose from, making it a more versatile unit. But at the core of our product, I simply want to make sure it meets their essential needs.”

Although it’s been a long journey for the McDonalds seeing John’s vision come to life in such prominent ways throughout the industry, one thing’s for sure: Both John and Mary enjoy seeing the pleasure that people have with the product that John has worked diligently to design.

“I completely changed the cattle industry with my invention,” McDonald says. “Even though there was a corral on the market prior to mine, I looked at things differently. I recognized the need for multiple pens so producers can sort the cattle and then I got to the point and made it where you can work cattle. The enjoyment we have is knowing that we have made a significant impact on the industry. I just wanted to create something that was useful and helpful to people and that’s what we’ve done.”

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August 2021