In Like A Lion

By: Ted Howard Production Animal Consultation

“In like a lion, out like a lamb.” This old weather proverb dates back to 1732 (per Google research). Let us hope the lion is mild and the lamb hurries as this winter has been very long. We discussed in the last article the importance of working on horsemanship during the more mild months as we are in survival mode during the most frigid time of the year.

In difficult conditions, it takes all we have to just get the basic care done for our cattle and horses. Day in and day out, weather-related stress wears us out. Our attention to getting each animal up, keeping our horses soft and supple, and working on our pressure and release principles becomes nonexistent.

Now that we are headed into spring, we can start to rebuild the confidence in our horses. The tough ground conditions have caused us to lower our expectations for our horses. We have not been riding every corner of our pens to help with tighter time constraints and cold weather. However, this has set a poor example for our horses. As the climate changes, we can get back to our regular routines and ask our horses to travel throughout the pens freely. This will rebuild their confidence.

The horses that have been ridden all winter deserve a long break due to sore joints walking in deep mud. It is very important that we rest our horses for their physical and mental health.

will become easier. The cattle will also appreciate better ground conditions and regain their enthusiasm for being asked to move. The importance of moving cattle continues to be proven in detecting illness and lameness and in developing a consistent feed intake.

We also need to refocus on our exercise and acclimation programs. Our cattle have also been through a tough winter and need to be reacclimated to proper pen emptying and exercise. The improved confidence in our cattle can be seen when we pull individual animals for health reasons or during processing and shipping events.

Remembering that the maintenance crews are also in catch-up mode is important for safety. Pen repair, cleaning and gate maintenance will start picking up around our horses and cattle. Please remember to stay visible to those out working in your areas to avoid any accidents.

Finally, we need to take care of ourselves. The stockmen and women have been dedicated to their livestock and are worn out. When we get tired, we are more apt to make errors and poor safety decisions. Find the time you need to recharge your batteries.

It seems crazy that the weather this time of year is described by lions, lambs and even a groundhog. We understand the personalities of animals is quite specific. Perhaps in our industry we need to retool the phrase to be: “In like a Brahman heifer, out like a Holstein.”