A
muster (Au/NZ) or a
roundup (US) is the process of gathering
livestock. Musters usually involve
cattle,
sheep or
horses, but may also include
goats,
camels,
buffalo or other animals. Mustering may be conducted for a variety of reasons including routine livestock health checks and treatments,
branding,
shearing, lamb marking, sale, feeding and transport or droving to another location. Mustering is a long, difficult and sometimes dangerous job, especially on the vast Australian
cattle stations of the
Top End, 'The Falls' (gorge) country of the
Great Dividing Range and the
ranches of the
western United States. The group of animals gathered in a muster is referred to as a "mob" in Australia and a "herd" in North America.