In the late 1880s, cowboys drove huge herds of cattle across the central plains of the US. During these drives, they would often meet other groups of cowboys driving their cattle. If they were not careful, the cattle would form one huge herd. To tell which cattle belonged to whom, each ranch had its own special symbol that would be branded with a hot iron on the hide of every calf belonging to that ranch. Ranchers generally used three types of marks in branding - figures, numbers, and letters.