Gov. Butch Otter hopes to be back on his horse to brand cattle with Lt. Gov. Brad Little this spring and plans to resume riding on the rodeo circuit this summer.
Two weeks after shoulder surgery for an injury suffered in a roping accident, Otter said Monday that his therapy is going well enough to aim for the annual roundup of Little's calves in late March or early April.
"My target is to be out branding with Brad at his first branding," Otter told the Idaho Statesman. "If I can't be ropin' and draggin' 'em to the fire, maybe I can be in a supportive role someplace."
Otter said his right arm should be out of a sling in four weeks. He said he can now raise his shoulder to a 30-degree angle. "It was frozen in place to let those tendons repair," he said, describing injuries that included two tendons ripped from the bone and a severe tear in a third.
Otter was injured while riding Cotton, his 9-year-old gelding (castrated male) quarterhorse.
Some legislators have said they wish Otter would take better care of himself. He spent three weeks at home during the 2008 legislative session for hip-replacement surgery.
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