I am reminded of this after hearing of about a story where a man was trying to pull a calf from a heifer. She was laying down so he took the small chain and looped on his wrist then he took the other part of the chain and hooked it on the calf’s foot still inside the heifer. The heifer jumped up dragging the man across the pasture nearly killing him. Never ever do this.
Another suggestion is to never let your kid ride a horse in shoes because he can slide through the stirrup more easily than boots with heels. Also teach a kid to ride that horse with the ball of your foot putting pressure on the stirrup. If a horse gets spooked and the kid’s foot goes through the stirrup and he falls off, he could easily be dragged to death.
If using any power take off like a post hole digger behind a tractor digging posts holes never wear loose clothing. That can wrap the clothing up and tear your arm off or kill you in the blink of an eye.
In sorting cattle never throw the gate toward the animal as that call can kick that gate back to you like 100 miles per hour.
Never holler loudly at your wife if she is helping you sort cattle or you will look up and be sorting by yourself. I walked by a couple at the sale barn where the husband and wife were sorting their own cattle. So I hollered over to them and said, “A couple that works together stays together.” And the wife said, “I don’t know about that!”
A friend called me this morning and said, “If I ever call you and say ‘don’t lie’ just know you are on speaker phone and you better lie like your life depends on it.”
My pastor said, “Alcohol is my enemy and Jesus said love your enemy.” Well, I don’t know about you but I’m following Jesus.
My wife caught me sucking in my stomach while standing on the scale. She said, “That’s not going to make you weigh less.” I said, “I know I’m sucking in my stomach to see the numbers.”
Editor’s note: The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent the view of High Plains Journal. Jerry Nine, Woodward, Oklahoma, is a lifetime cattleman and grew up on his family’s ranch near Slapout, Oklahoma.
