An animal’s job
Don Coldsmith, Syndicated Columnist
Monday, May 11, 2009
A FEW YEARS back, I read a column by Baxter Black, cowboy poet, veterinarian, writer, lecturer and long-time friend. It was titled “The Pleasure Horse.”
The essay dealt with the theme that work to a horse is anything he does because you make him do it. They’re domestic animals, “under the care and at the pleasure of those who pay for their keep.” This brings up the question of whether animals have feelings, have fun, get bored or get mad. Baxter tells people that his horse “likes to rope,” but wonders if maybe he really just likes to chase cattle. He notes that he’s never seen the horse do that in the pasture on his day off.
I have the greatest respect for Baxter Black, but sometimes, although rarely, I disagree with him. (He said in his column that there’d be horsemen who’d challenge him on this). I think a good horse DOES like his job. And yes, I think animals feel and have emotions. In the Army I once saw a big gelding that had been teased become so angry that he’d have killed somebody if he hadn’t been tied. His rage lasted for hours (and was thoroughly justified).
As for a horse having fun on his day off — sure they do! Baxter’s horse might not chase calves, but some do. I’ve had more than one cutting horse owner tell me about the horse gathering calves in the pasture, putting them in a fence corner and sorting them. I’ve seen a demonstration by a top cutting horse champion in the arena with no bridle, skillfully doing his job. Yes, there was a good cowboy on his back, but just sitting. A cutting horse still sorts calves with an amateur on board, too, because he’s good at it and knows his job.
A friend who owned a barrel racing horse once told me that the horse would work on his own in the pasture, running the cloverleaf pattern around the practice barrels there. I wasn’t sure at the time that I believed it. But we were showing horses in competition quite a bit at that time. Their reactions when they entered the ring certainly suggested that they enjoyed it.
We had one young stallion who had been down the road so many times that he’d start to practice for the show season when spring came. In a level place in the pasture, he’d selected his own arena. He would walk, trot, canter, reverse and change leads, exactly as he would in the show ring in a pleasure class with a rider. He retired to stud, but still rehearsed, even when we no longer entered competition. He was blind in later years, but still practiced. People would stop at the house to tell us that our horse in the pasture by the road was acting strangely. No, we’d explain, he’s preparing for the show season. He died in the summer of his 24th year, but had practiced that spring, just in case.
Okay, maybe that’s training and learned response. But the question is whether he LIKES it. A good workman, human or animal, SHOULD like his job (or hers). I like mine. I’m sure Baxter Black likes his. I’ve had lot of different kinds of jobs and enjoyed them all. Some more than others, of course. Being shot at in the Army wasn’t one of my favorites.
Everybody should enjoy what he/she is doing for a job. If we don’t we’re probably a) in the wrong job or b) doing it wrong. Sure, at one time or another we’ll be in a situation where we work at something for a while because of circumstances, to get on to something else. A cattleman puts up with ice and mud and dust and rock bottom low prices, to get to pleasant summer days with green pastures and baby calves and better prices. But, he likes his job and because he likes it, he does it better.
One of the best editors I’ve ever worked with once told me how he felt about his job. He wakes up in the morning and finds it hard to believe that he’ll go to work and be paid for doing something which is one of his favorite pastimes — reading books. I’m sure his job has its share of mud and ice and dust and all sometimes, too. But it also has its quota of green pastures, and he loves it. Every job should have its green pastures!
See you down the road.
Author and columnist Don Coldsmith lives in Emporia.