Oh the things they learn from animals...

[spinandslide]

Ive always felt animals will teach ya alot..they have the potential to make ya look like you are one heck of a person or like you dont have a clue in hades what ya are doing..they don't sugarcoat, beat around the bush..they simply are what they are.

This was re-affirmed to me watching my son start to halterbreak his new ewes this past weekend..First off...this is something he LIKES..and yes, we've talked of showing a heifer..but he prefers the sheep..who am I to question this?

Last year was his first bout with halterbreaking a sheep..there was afew times I left them to their own devices..him and the ewe..glaring at each other, silently cussing the other to kingdom come..Id come back after abit..to find a happy ewe and a happy kid..who was full of the story on how he found a way to "get thru" to the ewe what he was wanting..the tribulations of 20 minutes earlier were a memory..

I noticed him employing the same methods he learned with his first ewe last year with the new, younger ewes..he didnt looks flustered and fumbly..he looked like he had a PLAN..like he'd LEARNED something! and this something was not force fed to him, nor did I tell him what to do..this was learned of his own accord, and his teacher was that damn ewe from last year..
This is the damn ewe, who follows him like a dog now..

and sets up nicely(feet aleetle to far out behind..but, still not bad) with a subtle cue from him

He learned the hard work and consistency behind all of this..he learned if he didnt work with her for afew days, she'd regress abit and he'd have to take afew steps back..he learned if she said "no" to something, how he could convince her to do what he needed.

Now, applying what he's learned to the younger ewe

The things animals teach our kids..and us!

 

[Isomade]

I sure like seeing that. It's a world of difference from those kids that play video games all day.

 

[spinandslide]

Iso, he does like his video games....but he understands its not life (thank goodness)..

You posting reminded me..another thing animals teach us about..life..and death..you can relate to this..

I know we lost a newborn lamb afew weeks ago..tried like heck to save him, but to no avail. my son dug the hole for the lamb himself..he learned early on of life and death..while many kids parents sheltered them..We explained and told him about both of these parts of the world..I think it's given him a good grasp on reality.

 

[backhoeboogie]

This is a heart warming read and it invokes all kinds of good feelings. Kids are our future.

 

[bigbull338]

showing cattle or sheep can a will teach a kid alot if he is willing to work an learn.an your son has those 2 things.an he seems to love showing sheep.

 

[MO_cows]

What he is learning there will help him the rest of his life. And when he tries hard and succeeds, it brings confidence. You should be proud, mom! Makes me wish our grand-daughter lived closer.

 

[spinandslide]

^^^Life lessons in perserverance, sticking to the goal and thinking outside the box if one method doesnt work...

He is such a good kid, I really lucked out.

 

[KNERSIE]

Nice young ewe he's got this year

 

[plumber_greg]

Spin, I remember when my son was about 9, he had a horse he had named Brown that he had gotten when he was about 6. He went out to catch him one day, and came back over to where I was working and simply said, "Brown's dead, I need a new horse." No tears, he just had already learned that death was a part of animals. gs

 

[Nesikep]

My parents bought the farm when I was 12, got cows when I was 13, 12 long yearling heifers and 4 weaners. I had a couple picked out that I liked, and got to taming them, "Josie" in particular. I learned that cows are a heck of a lot smarter than most people give them credit for. Josie, when she was about 2 years old, was tied to a tree to graze around it, and my mother went by.. something excited her and she blasted off, my mother getting tripped up by the rope. She yelled "STOP", and Josie did. I've got a couple good cows from Josie, she's been gone for a few years now, her daughter is 16, and doing fairly well, though doing things a bit slowly. I wish I had had the opportunity to show animals, I think I would have really enjoyed it, and would have gotten to know more like-minded people (there are few around here).

Here's a pic of me bringing "Spotty" (Josie's granddaughter) to a new home as a pet in near-suburbia

 

[spinandslide]

Knersie, thank you..being you are in South Africa, are you familar with the breed and their evaluation types?

I think growing up "on a ranch" or even knee deep in all aspects of raising animals, a child develops a real sense of how the world works (hence your story about Brown Plumber Greg)..Death is merely a part of that..as is birth.

Nes-Now thats a story..LOL..neat to have that lineage on a "good one" like Josie was..and that is another aspect, I think..and why I encouraged my kiddo to do the breeding ewe project..its not a "show and sell" type of project..this is an animal that you will put back into your program and maintain, breed and get lambs from..its a full circle type learning experience..at least, a different circle then just raising one for market.

 

[KNERSIE]

Yes, used to have some till about three weeks ago

 

[spinandslide]

Well, that makes your comment mean even more.

The breeder we got her from has one of the inspectors from south africa come out to their place once or twice a year and evaluate their breeding stock...they are very committed to keeping the breed what it was ment to be and not changing it to much. The twin ewes' mother was a type 5 and has produced type 5's as well. their sire is was not officially evaluated, but the inspector told them to keep him in their program. they are Purebreds..not Full's..pretty high percentage dorper though..upper 90's. I am excited to have them at the place, looking forward to seeing how they fair in the breeding classes and then as producers.

Just this morning, my son was looking at the ewe pictured..her name is Rosie..and saying her cant wait to see how she does at county show.