It’s safe to say that there are ups and downs to living an agricultural lifestyle. From sick livestock to public controversies to fluctuations in the farming market, there are decisions that need to be thought about on a daily basis.
Let’s take a look at the livestock industry. Imagine you’re a cattle rancher managing 300 head as a cow/calf operation. There are hundreds of day-to-day factors to constantly take into consideration, analyze, and then make decisions about. Alongside these factors, come risks and potential problems. Whether that be the whole herd catching pink eye or a water pipeline breaking or not enough cows being successfully bred in time, there are decisions to think about everyday. Let’s say we are about to get heifers bred and the bull being used breaks a leg. Perhaps you don’t have another bull ready to go. Well, what would you do? Put yourself in that cattleman’s boots and think about how plans are about to be rearranged.
Now put yourself in my boots. Recently just retiring my first-everything horse, I began to go into the horse market looking for a ready-to-go barrel horse. With races coming around the corner fueling my passion, I found the one. Two months later, this barrel racer sits injured and off her horse for two months. Back up and on my horse, Margarita hits some minor inflammation in her hind suspensory ligaments after a race. In the horse world, no one ever wants to hear anything bad about suspensory ligaments. In my case, I was looking at some serious time off.
As I look back on the eight months, I feel defeated. I feel frustrated. Why do things happen this way? There is only one answer to that question and that is just how the livestock industry goes.
Just as that cattleman was getting ready to breed his heifers, that bull took a knee and plans changed. Just as I was getting ready to get my season going, my horse wasn’t there. It is times like these that teach such a valuable lesson in the industry: be patient.
What is key to keep in mind through out these ups and downs is remembering what is important. There will always be another barrel race and with that in mind, the health of my animal is most important. In the livestock industry, patience will get you much further than a broken leg.
Agriculture Communications 