(All photos courtesy of Gwen Melshaw. Thank you Gwen!)

Recently, I was visiting with a friend about raising daughters. Our daughters are in the same class at school and we were discussing the day in the (very distant) future when our girls will be teenagers. Specifically, we talked about our hopes that we can skillfully guide our daughters through those notoriously turbulent waters. She made the comment to me, “It really DOES take a village to raise children that become successful adults.”

As all parents, there are days when I am convinced I have completely failed my children and there is no hope they will become productive members of society. (What’s that you say? You don’t have those days? Hmm… well, according to my husband, there may be a slight chance that at times, I am just a bit over-dramatic. Anyhow…)

The tail end of my kids’ break from school found my family at our neighbor’s branding and I was reminded of my friend’s comment.

It was a small branding, just the few people who live in the area were in attendance. Throughout the day, whether we were roping, branding, riding, or entertaining the kids, I was struck by the amazing people that are in our lives.

Good people, good cowboys, good friends. My children are truly blessed to have these folks in their lives to serve as positive influences and role models. With these folks providing the village to help raise my children, I find myself more optimistic about surviving the dreaded upcoming teenage years.

Back to the branding…
It was a windy, gusty day. Hats were flying, extra sweatshirts were untied from our saddles, and jackets were zipped up tight. This low-key event was perfect for my kids to throw a few loops. My nine-year old had a great day in the branding pen. He caught several calves and had a huge smile on his face the whole time.

And just in case you didn’t know, it’s very important to bring your own firefighter to a branding. Four-year old firefighters (with cute cowgirl sidekicks) are particularly in high demand this season.

No school this week! My kids were so excited to discover that they got a week off for President’s Day. (I believe it’s actually for teacher furlough days, but either way my kids are home this week!) My husband and I wasted no time in planning a full week of activities. We quickly loaded up kids, sleeping bags, horses and a few other necessities and hit the road.

First item on our list was checking cows and moving them to a different pasture. These are our fall-calving cows that we purchased last year. We have been pleased with how well the calves are doing and the mothering abilities of the cows.

On this ride, I was struck by how much my kids have improved in their horsemanship and animal handling abilities over the past year. I found myself preparing the typical comments (okay, lectures) for them regarding handling their horses or the cattle, only to realize that they were a step ahead of me. We still have a lot to learn, but seeing improvement is always fun, especially for a mom who is convinced that her children speak a different language than their parents.

Easy rides like this one provide an opportunity for the kids to observe how their horses respond to the movement of the reins and the kids’ feet. Also, how the cows respond to a posse of kids mounted on their favorite horses. My nine-year old could see that if he rode up close to the cows the cows would speed up, but if he kept some distance between the cows and himself the cows would stay calm and walk quietly with their calves. It seems like a simple concept, but the idea of applying pressure by moving closer to the cattle and releasing pressure by backing off is fundamental in understanding how to handle cattle calmly and without undue stress in all situations.

My daughter liked that the mama cows would turn around to make sure their calf was following and then they’d start down the trail with the rest of the herd. Love to see that mothering instinct.

While the rest of my family was discussing the fine art of animal handling, my four year old was busy with his own project. He kept calling out, “Mom! Is this a good cowboy face?”

It’s always difficult to gauge how much he gleans from the discussions going on around him. I couldn’t begin to tell you if he is grasping the basics of animal handling skills, but I do know that he has perfected the art of entertaining his mother.