CALF_News_December_2021_January_2022

44 CALF News • December 2021 | January 2022 • www.calfnews.net On the Edge of Common Sense With Baxter Black A Horse Matters Why Do You Read CALF News ? “I really like reading all of the articles from the contributing editors. They all seem to have good insight on different parts of the industry, and they’re all from a personal view. Those and articles from other editors make it a fun, down-to-earth magazine to read.” The face of the cattle industry www.calfnews.net National Account Manager Jessica Ebert | (785) 477-1941 For information on advertising in CALF News Magazine, contact: Steve Anthony Director of Cattle Procurement Caviness Beef Packers Amarillo, Texas I LIKE LIVING SOME PLACE WHERE A HORSE MATTERS. There is just some country where horseback is the only way to get the job done. Places where the four-wheeler is a poor second, not to mention a noisy, track-leaving unnatural conveyance. Besides, it’s hard to throw a rope from. Helicopters can spot and scare, if that’s what you need, but it’s helpless when you have to doctor a calf. It is a great feeling to be pushing a cow out of a mesquite thicket, packing a dude down the Grand Canyon or tracking a mountain lion on a high ridge, knowing you’re on the perfect tool for the job. You look at a horse differ- ent when he’s on the payroll. I like being a person to whom a horse matters. It puts me in such good company – Robert E. Lee, Teddy Roosevelt, Rudyard Kipling, Ray Hunt, Queen Elizabeth, Jerry Diaz, Casey Tibbs, cowboys, Mongols, Gauchos, teamsters, Lipizzaners and vaqueros of all kinds. Granted, being a horse person doesn’t make me easier to get along with, better at spelling or richer. It simply gives me a direct connection to one of the most ancient, mutually beneficial interspecies relationships on the planet. Winston Churchill said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” I like being there when a horse matters. When you can’t do the job alone – a cow in the bog, a race against time, a boulder to move, a detour to take, a mountain to cross, a crevice to leap, a war to win, a sweetheart to impress, or ... when you’ve gone too far to walk back. Shakespeare’s King Richard III said when fate hung in the balance, “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” I’ve also come to believe that you either are a horse person or you aren’t . Many who are, never know it because they never have the chance. It’s a primi- tive acceptance, often mutual. A lack of fear. You see it in some children when they are first introduced to the horse. It always gives me a sense of wonder to be there and help them make their acquain- tance. I believe the horse can sense the child’s innate trust. It is the beginning of a natural bond. I count myself very lucky that I get to be a part of the wonderful world of horse sweat, soft noses, close calls and twilight on the trail. I like living a life where a horse matters. 