Ranching Relations

Dear Reader,

I saw a meme that said there are two types of siblings. Ones who say they are siblings forever, and others who will deny you in public (in a joking sense). I would hazard to say that both can be true at the same time. Being the oldest of five children, I have experienced both of these types of sibling interactions. There have been times where I thought I was being the best big sister ever and having a great moment of sibling bonding, only for one of my sisters to throw me under the bus with some offhand comment about something I did that was apparently dorky. But at the same time, if I told one of my siblings a personal secret, the Gestapo would not be able to get it out of them. All of this is in good humor. We mostly know how far is too far with each other and if we went over a line, it would become very apparent very quickly.

While at the core sibling groups are sibling groups, ranching sibling relationships can have some unique takes on things.

Getting the chores done.

All siblings have to get their chores done, whether they are individual chores or “mom left a list of things she wants done before she gets back” chores. There is usually a game plan involved with siblings vying for the preferred chores (in our house cleaning the living room was always preferred over cleaning the kitchen). The same can be said with ranch chores. Sometimes there is an argument over whose turn it is to do a certain chore, or there are under the table deals made of: if you feed for me tonight, I’ll feed for you in the morning. And when the group chore comes around on a Saturday, like cleaning out the barn, or fixing fence, there is always someone willing to sacrifice and make the run to town.

Accusations

Siblings can always be accused of things, whether guilty or not, mostly based on if they have a history of being the perpetrator. On a ranch siblings can often be heard being accused of leaving the water trough hose on (I am often guilty of this and am usually the prime suspect, even though I have not done it in a long time). “Are you wearing my jeans?!” is another accusation that is common, but the perpetrators often have innocent motives, either their pants were dirty or they confused their pants with someone else’s. When everyone wears the same style of jeans, it’s an easy thing to do. The sharpest accusation however can be, “Where did you put the scoop?” Not putting the scoop away can put a wrench in someone’s plans, especially if they are trying to get their chores done quickly, and can make for a grumpy sibling.

Regular Arguments, but While Ranching

Most siblings argue or get onto each other when another sibling messes up on something routine, like not taking out the trash or leaving the laundry in the washing machine. When ranch kids argue about something, it can be a little odd if heard out of context. For example, while trying to pen cows, especially when they are being hard to pen, you will hear things like, “You moved up too fast!” or “What were you doing? You closed the gate too slow!” When at the barn you will hear things like, “Announce yourself; you’re gonna spook my horse!” or “Turn that off! You’re gonna get me bucked off this colt!” Then of course there are the arguments that start with mishearing someone in the first place. “I didn’t say pliers I said wires!” or “Right, not left.” All of these can be arguments usually occur while correcting the mistake and finishing the job.

But for all of our disagreements and accusations, ranching siblings are fiercely loyal. I think this comes from the fact that a lot of the time we literally depend on each other for our lives. When you are on a colt while your sister is lunging you out in the open, you might argue with her over what direction she is going, but deep down you would never question that she would let the rope slip out of her hand. While you are bringing cows up with your brother and the only thing holding the hopper gate shut is your brother, you know that the cow pushing her way through is just not an option.

And sometime being a ranch sibling means going to the store for your little sister when she needs vanilla pudding for a cake.

Sincerely Yours,

The Rancher’s Daughter