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Cowboys and ATVs

Julie

Well-known member
Cowboys and ATVs - an unnatural mix
Cowgirl Sass and Savvy Julie Carter

For 150 years, cowboys have ridden horses. It didn't always turn out well, but generally it has been the perfect combination for the job.

Then along came the motorized "horse" in various versions of wheel count - two, three and four.

Dirt bikes, the rugged slower model of motorcycle, made a stab at offering an easy "saddle up" for the cowboy along with the promise of covering lots of country in a short amount of time.
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Hunkered over his iron steed, hat pulled down tight, the cowboy did indeed find he could take the outside circle, bring the cattle at a high trot from the farthest corners and never have to let his "horse" have a breather.

If he could still walk at sundown, he might make mention how that bike like to have beat him to death on the rough terrain.

But as is his way, he would cowboy-up and do it again the next day.

Like with great bronc stories, this screaming machine created many a tale.

"Man, you shoulda seen it. I was watching ole Roy headed down the top of the ridge when all of a sudden he just disappeared! He flat just dropped out of sight."

The storyteller, who happened to be proudly mounted on a real horse, would then tell about loping over to find Roy and his iron mount at the bottom of a sink hole. Roy and "Trigger" were in need of some serious help that would come only with a rope and a pull from a real horse.

Then along came the three-wheeled ATV followed by the somewhat more stable four-wheeler.

There are cowboys in cowboy country that will tell you, "Give a cowboy an ATV and in a year, you have a dead cowboy." It sounds harsh, but the phrase was born from a sad truth.

For every comical tale about the new generation of motorized cow herders, there are twice as many proving the danger of the machines.

While accidents happen and accidents are accidents, there is something menacing about mixing the wild-side nature of the cowboy with something mechanical.

They truly cannot resist pushing the limits, testing the parameters and making every effort to prove something that never needed proven.

If fast is good, faster is better. If gradual is safe, straight up or down and all out is better. "Hey Maw, watch me rope that sick yearling, dally to the tool box and turn off hard enough to bring him to Jesus."

Convenient, step-saver, fuel-saver, time-saver and man's best tool when conditions warrant it, the ATV has unequivocally become standard equipment for ranches and farms.

There isn't anything better for the job when you need it. Handy as a pocket on a shirt and likely to be around just as long. But still very dangerous.

I have a teen cowboy in the house now sporting a neon-orange leg cast. His recipe for a wreck that could have been oh-so-much worse was a rope and four-wheeler.

He was headed out to rope something - the rope coils thrown over his shoulder while he moseyed the four-wheeler to the corral. The tail of the rope got hung up in the rear axle and in a flash, the rope cinched down tight around the lad's shoulder and arm.

He was jerked off the seat, slammed to the ground and drug a short way until the machine came to a stop.

There was a lot that could have happened but thanks only to God, it didn't.

He will be uncomfortable, inconvenienced and no doubt a little bored for the next few weeks. But I'm very glad he's able to experience it all.

Maybe he'll come out the other end a little wiser.

Can 13-year-olds be wiser?
****************************

Julie’s book, Cowgirl Sass and Savvy is available from her Web site at www.julie-carter.com
_________________
 

Soapweed

Well-known member
My wife's sister is a nurse. One day as she was reporting to work, a man was in the process of leaving the hospital. He had each arm in a sling, and it looked like his wife was going to be busy feeding him for a few weeks plus doing many other tasks that the feller wouldn't be able to do on his own. My sister-in-law expressed concern over the man's condition and curiously asked, "Horse wreck?" "Nope," he said, "four-wheeler."

There are sure lots of ways for a cow handler to get hurt. :wink:

A friend and I were visiting just this morning about an upcoming team-penning contest. Usually this consists of teams of three riders, mounted on good horses, that sort three head of cattle out of a herd and drive these three critters to a small pen to corral them. The object of the contest is to see which team can accomplish this task in the least amount of time. My friend and I were brain-storming, and decided that to make a team penning contest have more interesting variables, a new wrinkle could be added. Instead of all three persons being mounted on horses, four-wheeler could also be used, and also dogs. There could be any combination of the three. For example, there could be one rider horseback, one dog, and one person on a four-wheeler. Or one horse rider and two dogs; or all three persons on four-wheelers. Anyway, it could be interesting but it would take a larger than normal arena.

One time when I furnished the livestock for a ranch rodeo, we had a "pair penning." The three riders had to sort out three cows and the three calves that belonged to these cows. It gave a bit more reality to the sorting. :wink:
 

Julie

Well-known member
The annual ranch rodeo here in July is changed up a little for this year with a trailer loading event...

four cowboys--two afoot, two on horses --have to cut out and rope two yearlings...loading each in the front end of a stock trailer hooked to a single cab pickup in the middle of the arena. When the steer are loaded, they load the horses in the back compartment, and all four cowboys get in the pickup--did I mention it's a single cab..when the doors on the pickup close, the time stops.

should be some comical!
 

NMRANCHER

Well-known member
Julie said:
The annual ranch rodeo here in July is changed up a little for this year with a trailer loading event...

four cowboys--two afoot, two on horses --have to cut out and rope two yearlings...loading each in the front end of a stock trailer hooked to a single cab pickup in the middle of the arena. When the steer are loaded, they load the horses in the back compartment, and all four cowboys get in the pickup--did I mention it's a single cab..when the doors on the pickup close, the time stops.

should be some comical!

Yeah, it is fun to watch. T'll you realize that the team that wins --- is your NEIGHBORS!

I think I will go count the cows and calves again! :!: :!: :!:
 

DiamondSCattleCo

Well-known member
Julie said:
There isn't anything better for the job when you need it. Handy as a pocket on a shirt and likely to be around just as long. But still very dangerous.

Julie, I enjoy your writing, but I do disagree with this article, especially this statement. ATVs are no more inherently dangerous than any other tool that we use on a ranch.

The young lad that got hurt with the rope hanging around his neck? How can the ATV even remotely be blamed for it? I've gotten pulled off an ATV because I wasn't paying attention to the end of the rope. I sure didn't blame the ATV, but rather myself.

I had my thumb stuck in a dally on a saddlehorn too, and seen others have their thumbs tore up bad from getting them stuck. Does this make saddlehorns inherently more dangerous? And by extension, the saddles and the horses those horns are attached to?

I've ridden horses all my life. I've gotten hurt on horses when they spooked and drug me through a stand of trees or through a fence. Who's to blame? Me, for not being a good enough rider to control the horse? Or the horse that spooked and got really stupid? Maybe both?

By the same token, I've ridden motorcycles for 32 years. I've ridden ATVs since they first came out. And the only time I've ever been hurt on either is when _I_ screwed up. I've never had an ATV spook. I've never had a motorcycle rear up when a barn cat shot out of a bin unexpectedly.

I'm sorry if I sound a little perturbed by the article, but each year, the US and Canadian governments are hounded by activist groups to BAN atvs due to them being "dangerous". They were successful with 3-wheelers. And its articles like this that give them more firepower to eliminate a perfectly safe work tool and recreation device. If ATVs are banned, then I submit they should be banning boats, cars, and horses, as there are more people hurt or killed each year operating any of those devices.

Rod
 

IL Rancher

Well-known member
All of these things need to be looked at as a number thing.. I don't know if more people are injured a year on Quads than Horses but that is not really relevant unless the same number of hours a year are spent on horseback as on an ATV.. An extreme example of this would be more people are killed in car wrecks than trying to catch a bullet with their teeth so obviously driving a car is less safe (This would be a real poor argument to make, lol).. Most everytime I get hurt it is my own dang fault, in fact sometimes I think I might ned that bubble Mrs. Greg keeps talkinga bout for Judith...


Now, last month or so a kid was killed by his cousin's horse not so far from here, don't remember if he was crushed in a trailer or kicked and no one saw it but he died and the horse, well, last I saw the horse the owners were trying to decide what to do with him.. A older gent was killed on a sled this winter when he drove under a culvert.. Yep, didn't quit have the clearence he needed and hit the crown of his head on the overpass... Ouchie...
 

Julie

Well-known member
Whoa Whoa Rod --- don't take this so personal...

First, the rope was on his shoulder, not around his neck --semantics. and the 4-wheeler wasn't to blame, it just part of this particular accident. I know of girl who about lost her arm playing with a rope outside the pickup window and it caught in the pickup axle....

Slack in a rope is dangerous ANYWHERE you have it :)...the lad's dad has been preaching that since he handed him a rope.

You read way more into that than was ever intended --

I didn't say 4-wheelers are more or less dangerous than horses themselves or cars, planes or trains. I didn't even suggest banning them.

It's a personal thing for me --I'm a mother, I don't like 4-wheelers. I have uses them, I've worked cattle on them, farted around at the arena, carried ropes, guns, coolers and kids ... I've also ridden horses all my life and had a few of those wrecks as well.

I'm not advocating banning anything. I want my kid to be careful --4wheelers or horses, or pickups, guns, welding or.....
I also know it's a fact of life he probably won't.

There wasn't anything in that story that wasn't true, that I haven't seen first hand myself...my email box this morning after it hit press is full of stories of "let me tell you about the wreck I had" -- You can argue til hell freezes over but bottom line is --4 wheelers are dangerous. Has nothing to do with the danger rating on any other forms of transportation.

The thing is...the government will ALWAYS try to regulate stupidity --they may think banning ATV's will keep people from doing stupid things that kill them. You and I both know it won't make a difference.

You said it yourself, you got hurt only when you did something stupid. What my story shares is that we all do stupid things and sometimes it hurts us. This time it happened to be on a 4-wheeler. I wrote one last year where I was standing in the arena taking pictures of kids on horses and got hit by a horse at a dead run --it was stupid on my part. And it hurt.

This was not a political editorial. It was simply a story.
 

Jerry H

Well-known member
great story julie

ya'll don't have to worry about me getting riding one of them da!! "FARMERWHEELERS"
as i will not lay a leg over one ever again
i'd just a soon ride a raw 10 year old bronc to a cuttin or branding as to ride one of those "FARMERWHEELERS" to the mail box and back
until later
jerry
 

NMRANCHER

Well-known member
Julie said:
Whoa Whoa Rod --- don't take this so personal...

First, the rope was on his shoulder, not around his neck --semantics. and the 4-wheeler wasn't to blame, it just part of this particular accident. I know of girl who about lost her arm playing with a rope outside the pickup window and it caught in the pickup axle....

Slack in a rope is dangerous ANYWHERE you have it :)...the lad's dad has been preaching that since he handed him a rope.

You read way more into that than was ever intended --

I didn't say 4-wheelers are more or less dangerous than horses themselves or cars, planes or trains. I didn't even suggest banning them.

It's a personal thing for me --I'm a mother, I don't like 4-wheelers. I have uses them, I've worked cattle on them, farted around at the arena, carried ropes, guns, coolers and kids ... I've also ridden horses all my life and had a few of those wrecks as well.

I'm not advocating banning anything. I want my kid to be careful --4wheelers or horses, or pickups, guns, welding or.....
I also know it's a fact of life he probably won't.

There wasn't anything in that story that wasn't true, that I haven't seen first hand myself...my email box this morning after it hit press is full of stories of "let me tell you about the wreck I had" -- You can argue til hell freezes over but bottom line is --4 wheelers are dangerous. Has nothing to do with the danger rating on any other forms of transportation.

The thing is...the government will ALWAYS try to regulate stupidity --they may think banning ATV's will keep people from doing stupid things that kill them. You and I both know it won't make a difference.

You said it yourself, you got hurt only when you did something stupid. What my story shares is that we all do stupid things and sometimes it hurts us. This time it happened to be on a 4-wheeler. I wrote one last year where I was standing in the arena taking pictures of kids on horses and got hit by a horse at a dead run --it was stupid on my part. And it hurt.

This was not a political editorial. It was simply a story.


I have to second what Julie said here.
 

Denny

Well-known member
I've been rideing ATV's as long as I have horse both have there place but I can tell you this I drive crazy on a Quad and every broken bone I've had came from a horse imagine that....
 

Judith

Well-known member
IL, you can take the bubble out any time you want to, we had it made to fit my head. you should have a bit of space to spare.... They are awkward on the bumps though. You go off the back of the ATV and get tossed back on. it's so weird :shock:
 

IL Rancher

Well-known member
How does the bubble work for softball Judith? I gt drafted into a church league which I thought meant slow pitch, fellowship and a piza afterwoords.. Well, it meant fast pitch, running and fellowship... I seem to keep forgetting I am 32 and not 12 and beating myself up.. Today it is skinned up legs and a banged up shoulder from diving.. Good times but man, I gotta remember I break now instead of bend...
 

Judith

Well-known member
HMMM. I think there will need to be some modifications for softball. Some sort of pothole out the side for your bat, heaven help you if you try to run! Plus you are going to look like handi-boy. There are some pretty serious design flaws we will need to deal with :)
 

IL Rancher

Well-known member
Look Judith, the way I am walking at the end of the night I already look like handiboy.. Maybe the bubble preventing me from running would be a good thing... I tried to get them to let me wear catchers gear in the batters box and infield but the helmet wouldn't fit me...
 

Judith

Well-known member
ummmm :oops: porthole, not pot hole oops :) Not sure why I would say you needed a pot hole on your bubble, heavens that's just silly :)

So you look like your running bases with full pants huh. Not a bad look 8) but you might want to cultivate it into your own thing so all the kids think your cool :)

Are you really surprised the helmet didnt fit? Come on, :roll: our brain mass is just not condusive to the same hat sizes the rest of the world wears.
 

IL Rancher

Well-known member
I don't know if it the brain size but the cranial challlenged seem to scoff at my inability to wear helmets unless I supply my own, lol. ... It can't be brain mass if I hear a rattling sound when I shake my head can it? :roll: :lol: :wink:


Why would I need Pot holes? To get my pot of course? I thought it sounded simple enough expecially with you as the source but portholes probably makes better sense..
 

IL Rancher

Well-known member
Nahh.. My crockpot so I can have dinner ready.... What type of pot where you talking about Judith... Oh for shame :lol: :shock: :lol: :lol:
 

Mrs.Greg

Well-known member
Maybe if he got stuck in a 'pot'hole,he wouldn't be beating himself up{of course a bubble won't help one if its the bubbleboy doing the damage to himself :roll: }they do say one tends to mellow in a 'pot'hole state,also the crock 'pot' comes in real handy ,case one gets the munchies while stuck in a 'pot'hole 8)
 
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