When a person is out cowboying, he or she sometimes must wait. Sometimes you’re waiting to meet up with the rest of the crew to throw together everyone’s cattle from the day’s circle. Sometimes you’re waiting for a signal from another cowboy to move down the ridge. Sometimes you’re waiting for someone to come pick up you and your horse with a truck and trailer at the end of an extra-long day.
There aren’t a whole lot of ways to pass the time when you’re hot, hungry, tired and beyond thirsty. But, here are a few tricks that might make the minutes pass just a little bit more quickly.
20 Things To Do While Waiting
Hobble your horse and take a nap. First, make certain sure you are waiting in the correct place. I may or may not be speaking from unfortunate past experience here. Ahem.
Make your partner guess your boot size/middle name/cost of your saddle/horse’s age/favorite country song. As a former guesser, this is about as much fun as it sounds.
Tell a joke.
Q: What did the old Indian say when his horse ran away over the hill?
A: “There goes my horse.”
Guess what time it is. No one actually wins, since no one wears a watch.
Utilize the sun dial method to determine what time it is. This will kill a good twenty minutes while you argue with your partner about which direction is north.
Discuss which foods would taste really delicious. “Mmmm, prime rib from Lone Mountain.” “I could really go for a cheeseburger and chocolate milkshake from Mattie’s right about now.” “Make mine a Denver omelette with hashbrowns and wheat toast.” This is especially fun if breakfast was 10 hours ago.
Cut off a saddle string and re-lace your stirrups.
Cut off a saddle string and make a stampede string for your hat.
Cut off a saddle string and make a friendship bracelet.
Re-string your saddle.
Blow your nose. This works best with a handkerchief, but don’t be afraid to improvise.
Adjust the seams of your socks so they are in perfectly straight lines.
Braid a piece of pink flagging tape into your horse’s mane. Wait, where did the flagging tape come from? Who knows.
Scan the countryside for mountain lions…and really hope you don’t see any.
Whip out a mouth harp and play When The Saints Go Marching In until your horse hates you.
Adjust the knot on your get-down rope several times, until it is exactly the way it was when you left the barn.
Memorize the grooves in your horn wrap.
Make up middle names for your horses.
Sing The Battle Of New Orleans. If you don’t know this Johnny Horton classic, I’m not sure we can be friends. Just kidding! Mostly. “In 1814 we took a little trip…”
