The Clothing Mishaps of Farmers and Ranchers

Ever heard of cowboy/rancher writer Baxter Black?  This is my version of a Baxter Black story. Hope you enjoy it!   

     As farmers and ranchers, we encounter first hand what it takes to rip, snag, splatter, or loose our clothing.  If you are not careful to hold the barb wire down as you're stepping over, you may just split your pants, which your handy sewing wife says is hard to repair.  Climbing under barb wire fences has its own set of circumstances.  If you're casually crawling under the fence as a quicker alternative to the gate a 1/2 mile away, you may just get a small snag hole in your shirt or chore coat.  On the other hand if you're doing this to save your life from a mad stampeding cow, you may just find your clothes nearly ripped clean off or in a condition to cause a mending headache.  Ranchers have found that snap shirts are more practical than button shirts.  If your shirt happens to get caught on the saddle horn, you not only have your buttons pop off, the front side of your shirt becomes shredded, which for lady ranchers is quite disgraceful.  The remedy?  Wear an under shirt or the even more appealing option, a Western shirt with snaps.  These shirts quickly release you when in a bind.  They just snap open and all you have to do is snap them back up.   You and your shirt will be in one piece. 
     Hats are in a category all their own and the ways in which one looses them can be quite humoring.  If you're out working cattle, and a big gust of wind comes along, no matter how hard you've cinched your hat down over your ears, it's guaranteed to fly off at the most inopportune time.  If your lucky, the cows you've just gathered won't spook when it lands in the middle of them. You'll be even more lucky if your prized possession doesn't get trampled, pooped, or snotted on.  My favorite was a story a farmer told who was out raking hay.  He had his hearing protectors stretched over the top of his hat and somehow the wind still managed to flip the hat off his head.  He looked back to see his hat land squarely in the row as the rake buried it with alfalfa.  Grumbling over not having time enough to stop, he retrieved his chaff filled cap after kicking it out of the windrow.  I thought how funny it would have been if he had bailed it and a cow found it one wintry day while eating its lunch. 
    I could also tell stories of clothes being pelted with unmentionable substances while pulling calves, mucking the yard, or nearly doing a face plant while wallowing through knee deep mud when haying the farm animals.  Some things are better left unsaid. 
     Only the things a farm rancher would know!

Thoughts on Horse Slaughter

     I am a horsewoman, own and ride two horses, and agree with the horse slaughter plant in Iowa.  I know how much it costs to care for a horse and how difficult it is to manage one.  I agree that it is an unwise choice to use horse meat for human consumption, if it has been tainted with drugs.  I also know that other animals used for meat are vaccinated, and fed genetically modified and chemically treated feeds which are also unhealthy for human consumption.  That is another issue I will choose not to discuss in this article.  Horse slaughter is not any less humane than any other animal slaughter if done in a way where the animals are killed instantly.  God says, “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel (Prov. 12:10).”   I believe that whoever owns an animal is accountable to God for how he or she cares for it.  I also believe that we are to have dominion or rule over the animals (Gen 1:26).   Animals are not human.  God has given them to us for a purpose to use and enjoy.  Each animal has its own purpose and when that purpose is done due to an injury, health, or old age,  it is right to properly dispose of them.  Look at nature.  If an animal is sick or healthy, it may become lunch for a hungry predator.  That is the cycle of life.  A horse slaughter plant looks a lot more humane to me than the graphic and gruesome deaths you see on Nature Wildlife shows.  It is your own personal choice whether to allow your horse to go to a slaughter facility or have a good long life, but we should not ask the government to make the choice for us.  The more decisions we let the government make, the more power they have and the less freedom we have.  The Humane Society states that they are against animal cruelty.  I am against animal cruelty too: it’s cruel to not to put an animal down when it’s suffering and it’s cruel not to dispose of them properly.

Variations on Groundwork Exercises

Featuring:  Hannah with Wildfire
 

 

I am working with a 12 year old pony mare I've had since January of 2013.  She used to get very upset when I would take her out of her pen away from the horses and is still a very sensitive little pony.  Keep in mind folks that a sensitive horse is better than a dull horse who has no fear of humans.  In this video I am doing several ground exercises that have been taught by Parelli and other natural horsemanship trainers.  These ground exercises have been crucial to getting this little mare calm, attentive, and responsive.  I hope I'll be able to show more training videos in the future.  Thanks for watching.  I hope this is a help to you and your horses. 

 

Note: This video was not edited so I apologize for any background noise, low volume, or recording instructions.

 

Come take a walk with me

through my family's farm!

Flowers to greet you as you enter our yard.

Isn't the detail astounding?!




My special Knock Out rose bush given to me by a friend in mermory of  a special horse that passed away suddenly on Memorial day of 2012.



 



Took a walk through the pasture and what did I see?
All the grazing cattle are staring at me!






Wally

 









Wildfire



Hey, get out of my space!

 



 




This little heifer is enjoying her lunch.

 




 
 



That's All Folks!



 

 

Thanks for Visiting!  You All Come Back Now!

"When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?  Jesus answered , If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?  You must follow me."  John 21:21-22 (NIV version, emphasis added, read the whole story in John 21:15-22)

Raise your hand if you like to have some one point out your flaws.  That's funny I didn't raise my hand either.  Let's admit it, we don't like to admit that we are wrong.  I had that moment yesterday.  I was sitting on the couch early one morning just finishing up my devotions when Mom walked in. "Can I ask you a question?" 

My mind raised a red flag with a giant question mark followed by an exclamation point.  "Uhhh.  I guess."

First she gave me the clue to the source of her question.  I had recently become very concerned about God's will for me.  The question preying on my mind had been "Am I doing what God wants me to do or is there is something else, something more that He wants me to do?"  I didn't want to miss out on God's plan by settling for less. 

Mom's words began to work like a hoe chopping at a big weed.  "Do you feel like you need to do something important in order to do God's will?  Are you comparing yourself to your friends thinking what they are doing is important and what you are doing is not?  You are a big help to me and our family.  By doing the garden for us you are providing for our food.  I need help with laundry and meals so I have time to teach your brothers and sister.   Living at home and serving your family is just as important to God.  There is so much that I wish you could help me with (she began to explain to me my brother with downsyndrom's very time consuming and hands on education needed for him to advance in his learning)".

Now, I really hadn't been thinking like that had I?  I had recognized that problem weed before in my heart, yet I did want to do something that seemed important like volunteering at a therapeutic riding facility in Iowa or training horses or giving riding lessons.  Yet, the more I thought about it, the more I realized she was right.  Although I had been trying to bury it with good intentions to do what I enjoyed for God, that weed of discontent kept poking to the surface.  I knew that I could do what I enjoyed at home and still be serving God.   I could and had been using my skills with cattle and horses to help Dad on the farm.  The biggest problem I had was the idea of God's will to be helping Mom in the house, possibly even helping teach my siblings.  I didn't mind cooking or baking for some meals and doing laundry once in a while, but on a regular basis with the possible addition of helping teach one of my siblings?  I liked to be outside gardening, training/riding my horse & pony, or helping with the cattle.  I explained this to Mom, ending with, "God will have to change my heart, because my heart is not in it right now." 

Not long after making that comment to Mom, Dad came in.  "I let the cattle into the cow lot since they were breaking their buts to get in there.  I don't know why they want to be in there when they have the whole pasture with long grass to eat.  The grass in there isn't any better if not the same." 

Let me reword it in the way God spoke to me, "I don't know why you want to be somewhere else when you have the whole pasture of opportunities at home and in your own community to use your abilities. The "grass" over there isn't any better if not the same as what you already have now.  The grass that others have may look greener to you, but it's not to them.  You need to be content with where I have put you, the pasture that I have placed you in."   I knew I had been selfish. It didn't matter if I didn't always feel appreciated or that I already had many responsibilities. The problem was that I was telling God what He wanted me to do rather than letting God work through me wherever I was and whatever I did. The problem was that I was only open to serving God in the areas that I liked and not open to serving God in areas that I didn't like.  God's needle of humility deflated my balloon of selfishness.  You are right God,  Mom is right.  I know I'm not going to like everything that you want me to do, but please enable me to be content and serve my family with a joyful spirit.  Thanks for reminding me once again to bloom where You have planted me.
 

Be ye strong therefore and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.

2 Chronicles 15:7

 

Pride

is tasteless, colorless, sizeless

 but

hard to swallow.

 

 

 

I Can't Live Without It!

     What is precious to you?  What is something you may think that you couldn't live without?  Some things I would struggle to live without are my family, my horses, living in the country, ice cream, and my own bed.  You may laugh, but start listing a few of your own and you too will be surprised.  I have relized that I can live without these and God has caused things to happen in my life that have showed me that all I really need is Him. 
    
     I've learned that God gives me the strength to finish certain tasks on my own and will give me the wisdom to make the right decisions when my family isn't able to help me. 
    
     Living on a farm, and most of my friends living far away, my horses often become my closest friends.  God has allowed me to feel the pain from the deaths of 2 horses and experience some frightening injuries to the horses I still have in order to show me that He is my closest friend and will never ever leave or reject me.  I must daily remind myself that "of all that is precious, Jesus tops the list" (Our Daily Bread, May 1, 2013).
  
     In 1 Kings 10-11, we find that Solomon also had many things that were precious to him.  So much did he love these things, that he began to love them more than God.  His possessions and wives turned his heart away from God.  His life is a picture of what can happen when we begin to forget how precious God is.   Because he neglected his God, God was going to take away what he had from his son. 
    
     I believe that when we do not give God the glory for what He has given us, He will take it away.  He has given us what we have and can choose to take it back again.  I challenge you and myself to tell Jesus every morning when we awake, "I can't live without You!" 

     It's been a while since I last posted.  Our pastor's wife picked out a song about prayer for the Sunday School children to sing in opening one morning before they went to their classes.  It got me thinking a lot about prayer.  I found an article I had written about a year ago that was on the topic of prayer.  It is very good and I thought I would share it with my readers along with the words to the song.  I hope you will be blessed and encouraged by these truths found in the Bible.

Some Thoughts on Prayer

      Prayer is Powerful.  Through faith, prayer can move mountains, heal diseases, save souls, change lives, provide needs, and make the impossible happen.  Prayer is a Christian’s way of talking to God and telling him about our concerns, joys, desires, needs, and pain.  Prayer can be a request, but it can also be a way to express thanks.  God loves to have us talk to Him (Jeremiah 33:3).  That was the way he designed it.  In the garden of Eden, God would walk and talk with Adam.  Since sin entered our lives, our relationship with God has not been the same, but we can still talk with him even though we can’t see him.  His presence is always there and he is never too busy or tired to listen.  Jesus understands us even when no one else does (Hebrews 5:15).  He knows our needs and our desires before we even pray about them (Matthew 6:8).  Isn’t that amazing? 

     The Bible says that if we ask anything according to God’s will he hears us.  God wants to bless us.  God wants to show us His power and presence by answering our prayers.  Knowing that God gives me an answer for every prayer I make (1John 5:14), makes me stop and think.  Do I really want what I’m asking?  Am I willing to accept God’s will even if it isn’t my will?  Am I capable of taking care of what God provides?

     Another thing is that when we pray, do we have faith that God will answer?  God rewards faith.  If we don’t believe that God will answer our prayers, why should we expect an answer? (James 1:6-7)

            Prayer is a wonderful powerful thing.  Do you pray?  If you are a Christian, you should pray.  If you are not a Christian, pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior today.  It will be the best decision you ever made!

--H.M.K
 

 

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."
Jeremiah 33:3

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.     For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”

James 1:6-7

    

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.     Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.” 

Matthew 6:7-8

 

“And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us:”

1 John 5:14

  

Did You Ever Talk to God Above

 

Did you ever talk to God above?
Tell Him that you need a friend to love.
Pray in Jesus’ name believing
that God answers prayer.

 

Have you told Him all your cares and woes?
Ev’ry tiny little fear He knows.
You can know He’ll always hear
And He will answer prayer.

 

You can whisper in a crowd to Him.
You can cry when you’re alone to Him.
You don’t have to pray out loud to Him;
He knows your thoughts.

 

On a lofty mountain peak, He’s there.
In a meadow by a stream, He’s there.
Anywhere on earth you go,
He’s been there from the start.

 

Find the answer in His Word; it’s true.
You’ll be strong because He walks with you.
By His faithfulness He’ll change you, too.
God answers prayer.

Lyrics: Frances Towle Rath
Music: Greg Soule