Frank J. Buchman

Cowboy • Horseman • Writer

Gates Will Be Opened When The Time Is Right

“The cow jumped over the moon.”

No, she just tried to jump out of the barn stall, didn’t make it and tore the gate down in the process.

To make the matter even more upsetting, another first calf heifer had done the same thing the day before. Our capable steer roper-daughter had spent hours fixing the broken boards.

Why did the mommas want out? There wasn’t any good reason. Their new born babies were in the pen with them.

Yet, gate and fence jumpers aren’t all that uncommon in the cattle and horse business.

More than once, newly-stalled horses have attempted jumping to freedom. There are those who have cleared the obstacle, but others haven’t and left a shambled gate behind.

Fortunately, in these jumping adventures, never has livestock been injured permanently. Typically, after one try, they’re bruised and sore enough not to do it again.

It truly takes a pretty tall fence to keep cows or horses in, if they decide to get out. Horses have stood beside five-foot high panel barrier and jumped over.

Most often they’ve become entangled en route causing even more predicament, as we have to help them get back to ground level.

Cows, too, have attempted such endeavors with occasional success, but most often it’s the barbed wire fence they’ll attempt.

Without exception, the fence is left in need of repair. This is especially depressing when the tightly-stretched, six-wire enclosure has just been built. Never again will it be like before.

We’ve trained horses to jump obstacles, but they’re never the ones who want to leap out of where they’re penned. Maybe we ought to train the cows to jump, then they won’t tear the barn gate down.

The interesting and even humorous thing about it all is that every time a cow or horse jumps out, they soon want back in. The other side isn’t any better, if as good, as where they were before. If they’d just been patient, we were going to let them out anyway.

Reminds us of Matthew 7:7-8: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you;  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

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