A Kid on a Horse and Some Bulls
- October 25, 2024
- |
- Jan Swan Wood
Posted in: Featured, Ranch Life
It was a cold, early winter day and fall works were just about wound up for the year. My husband and son had gone to help gather cattle to move to winter pasture. It was big, wide open country and it took a long time to gather the vast pastures. The guy they were day working for was famous for trying to do 12 jobs when there was actually time for about 10, but being used to that, they’d taken the job. I had prior obligations so hadn’t gone along.
Colin was about eight and was riding his faithful mare Snickers. He was dressed for a cold, breezy day, so was wearing long johns, chinks, and several layers under his coat, plus an ear flap cap and gloves. The layers made getting on his tall horse a bit of a challenge, so he tried hard to not ever get off until they were done.
Him, his Dad and the owner had gotten all of the bulls gathered out of the north pasture and had them trailing down the fence line toward the gate into the next pasture. It was a long walk to the gate, so his Dad and Chuck had gone on to the next pasture to gather it and any other bulls they came to. They told Colin to just keep the bulls walking and one of them would be back to help as soon as they could.
Having day worked for the ranch since he was not quite six, Colin knew the pastures, had trailed the bulls to winter country before, so knew where to go. He wasn’t concerned because he knew his Dad or Chuck would be along to help before too long.
He’d brought the bulls along at a steady pace and had gotten to the gate into the next pasture. It was closed. There was no sign of any riders for as far as he could see, so he was in a quandary. He was afraid if he got off and opened the gate, if he even could, he might not be able to get back on Snickers, as there were no low spots or gullies to use to make it easier. He’d ridden up and tried to open the gate horseback, but it was too tight. So, he was just waiting and trying to figure out what he should do next.
A county road was just across the fence from him and the bulls, and though it was traveled little, he finally heard a truck coming. The truck slowed to a stop, set the air, and the driver got out. It was a brother of Chuck’s who was hauling some of his cattle home from fall pasture. He had seen his little friend out there holding those bulls and stopped to see what was up. They chatted for a bit, and when Colin told him his dilemma, Ralph crawled through the fence and opened the gate for him. Colin drove the bulls through, thanked Ralph, and drove the bulls on down the fence line. Ralph closed the gate, got back in his truck, and headed down the road.
Time passed and there was still no sign of his Dad or Chuck and Colin had gotten to the next gate out onto the road. It was open, as was the gate on the other side that went into the winter bull pasture. He drove the bulls on across, having a little game with a couple who wanted to just hang out in the road ditch grass, but got them on across and pushed down to the creek.
He turned back and headed back to the other side of the road and started across the pasture to a ridge where he thought he could probably spot his Dad or Chuck. He finally saw them bringing the rest of the bulls toward him, so he rode around and fell in behind them to help drive them on to the pasture. Chuck was concerned that the other bulls had gotten away from him, but Colin told him that he’d pushed them on down to the creek in the bull pasture. Chuck was surprised that he’d gotten through that gate out of the north pasture, so Colin told him that Ralph had stopped and opened it for him.
They trailed the rest of the bulls on to the pasture on the creek, and their day was done. Neither his Dad or Chuck had been the least concerned about leaving a boy with a bunch of bulls. Being early winter, the bulls were pretty docile and not fighting. But most importantly, they knew that Snickers was wise and experienced and sure wouldn’t let anything happen to her boy, and that Colin paid attention and wouldn’t take any risks with bulls.
Give a kid a job he is capable of, and the right tools to do it, and he can succeed.
He’d have probably gotten the gate open with his rope if Ralph hadn’t come along, but it was good that Ralph did. As it was, Chuck was happy to write Colin a check, along with his Dad’s, because he was good help, not just along for the ride.
Posted in: Featured, Ranch Life
About Jan Swan Wood
Jan was raised on a ranch in far western South Dakota. She grew up horseback working all descriptions of cattle, plus sheep and horses. After leaving home she pursued a post-graduate study of cowboying and dayworking in Nebraska, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota....