Ranching Against the Clock

Dear Reader,

If you have ever thought that ranchers tend to run a little late. You are probably right. Since ranchers do not really clock in and out, time is a little relative. The circadian rhythm is a little bit more forgiving than the exact measurement of a clock, but that isn’t the entire story. A rancher is capable of managing his time and recognizing the use the clock that the rest of the world runs on, convincing the animals and equipment to recognize and respect that clock is an entirely different story.

So, I present to you:

Reasons I have Been Late because of Ranching (that were not my fault)

Reason #1. The cows were out.

People who know me are not shocked when they receive the text “I am going to be a little late; the cows were out.” Living in the area that I live in its not that shocking to most people. I was lucky in college to have understanding bosses for work and for internships that didn’t get upset when we had cow issues. Most were understanding because they had cows themselves, or their businesses were connected to agriculture. Others were understanding because when you hire an ag student, it’s part of the package. Just the other day our family plans were altered because of cows getting out, and none of my coworkers were entirely shocked when I explained why I took my regular lunch instead of my planned extended one.

Reason #2. Ranch related inconveniences.

There are other things in ranching that cause a rancher to run late; the equivalent to a “normal person’s” flat tire or spilling coffee on your outfit right before you walk out the door (though that happens to ranchers too). Sometimes there is a long line at the feed store when you are trying to get a load of feed before you have to go to work. Sometimes animals don’t come up to get their feed and then you have to go tromping through the pasture in a panic because there might be a broken leg or a dead horse, and when you finally find them, they innocently pick their head up with a look that says, “Oh is dinner ready?” Then you have to rush across the pasture like Jack Sparrow so that you are not late to wherever you have to be. And on those days that nothing goes right with feeding, you also have to rush in and do a wardrobe change to look like a presentable human being. (When a ranching woman said she is getting ready and will be leaving soon it does not mean she wasted time being nitpicky about her hair or makeup.) And when you have one of those days where everything is going your way and you are actually on time and looking presentable, you are probably going to get stuck in the mud going down the driveway. Just a head up 🙂

Reason #3. Animal Health Day.

Animals can be great for your internal wellbeing, but they honestly do not care about mental health or professional reputation. They will pick the most inconvenient time to get sick or give birth. There are plenty of times where I have had to skip church because of a colicking horse or drop what I am doing and rush medicine to my dad because his horse got sick at work. Goats love to have babies right before class or during senior year planning meetings. Which can be stressful when the senior planning meeting is for your sister who actually owns the goats, and you have to be the goat midwife. Trying to figure out if something is a head or a foot through the murky veil of a placenta and trying to reach in to pull out a kid will make you question all of the time you spent studying reproductive tracts of livestock.  (In my defense reproductive tracts aren’t as clear cut in real life as they are in textbook diagrams.)

There are plenty of other reasons why ranchers are late, equipment malfunction, horses not cooperating for what should have been a quick procedure, bad weather, and getting your clothes dirty at the last minute. When you usually have to plan two hours ahead of leaving the house to account for feeding the animals before you leave and traveling to actually make to your destination and these things happen, you learn just to sigh and send the text.

Sincerely and unpunctually yours,

The Rancher’s Daughter