I've Got Tons of Animals, But No Dog
There is nothing more rewarding than a wagging tail and a wet nose to welcome you home. But they require so much care! Dogs are more like children than they are like livestock.
There is nothing more rewarding than a wagging tail and a wet nose to welcome you home. But they require so much care! Dogs are more like children than they are like livestock.
What I've learned about working with cattle is simple. Get them to think your plan was their idea, and you'll win every time. Successful negotiation involves getting your counterpart to do the work for you; to suggest your solution.
Guidance means using the reins to steer and squeeze with one leg or another to encourage the horse to move in the desired direction. Steering a horse matters, but where you look also makes a difference. Look at the ground, and you are likely to end up there. Set your sights on the middle of the trail and the horse will likely go there. Driving instructors give similar advice: Look at the shoulder of the road, and you'll end up in a ditch. Look in the middle of the lane, and you stay on the road.
Every so often, someone will ask: "Do you milk your cows?" It might seem like a tempting resource, but beef cattle like my Scottish Highlanders produce just enough milk to nourish their calves.
I currently have three bulls – two Scottish Highlanders and one Hereford. They are all gentle. We are raising beef cattle here, not producing ferocious contestants for rodeos or bullfights.
Although I was not one to break too many rules, the day they took 1969 yearbook photos, I photobombed as many clubs as possible. I did enjoy Folk Singing even if I never actually joined the club. Fifty years later, there is my smiling face among the members of that club, plus Gymnastics and Equestrian club photos. Sorry, Equestrians, yours was the one club I would have liked to join.