Good Ol' Reliable :)

(Look at those EYES! They scream I dare Ya :p )

In most family run farms in America, they know what Good Ol' Reliable is.  It's that one animal on your farm that you can always count on.  On our farm it's a 11 year old Angus cow name Titan Noel.  I bet you guessed why we named her Noel, christmas morning she was the best gift I could ask for :)  When we need to move cows or get them in I know all I need to do is yell for this good old girl and she'll bring them in.  When you farm like we do and it's either your 76 grandmother or myself doing the moving, sorta, etc.. you really appreciate this kind of cooperation.  This was the case yesterday when moving our maternaty ward around I noticed that Noel was limping on her hind leg pretty good.  So I got her in the barn to doctor her when I noticed a problem.  This girl is 9 months preggers and as big as a house!  No way I was getting her in that chute.  Well back in 2000 me and Noel took the blue in showmanship so I figured maybe she'd still be my girl.  I grabbed a rope halter and put it on her free standing in the alley ( she didn't fight one moment! ) then led her straight into the chute.  Now I knew I couldn't get her through it and wasn't even gonna try too but I know if I asked her she would do it.  But with her front end in the chute and her tied off I knew it would keep her from swinging around and trying to fight me cleaning her foot out, but there is one problem in this it keeps her hips and rear end full exposed and "kickin".  You have to remember though this is Good Ol' Reliable :p  I was actually able to pick her foot up like a farrier and clean it out!  She didn't kick or struggle once, I was feeling pretty good right about now, so I decided to go ahead and pill her while I was at it.  This is where I knew I would be pushing my luck :p  Because if you came to my place and saw Noel you wouldn't trust her at ALL!  She has these crazy looking eyes and bellers like a bull, makes you wanna run not put her in a head lock and try to shove 5 boluses down her throat :p My grandmother thought I was crazy but I knew my girl knew I was trying to help her.  So I did with a confident stride slip in the chute with her, wrapped my arm around her neck ( or at least try to she's a big girl ) and tried to pry her mouth open.  She was quite cooperable because all she had to do was fling her head one good time and she would have picked me up and thrown me out of there!!  Believe me for her acting so well I rewarded her just as good :)  Moments like those make me feel really good about what I do, because me and that cow were on the same level, she knew I wasn't purposefully trying to hurt her.  She knew i was trying to make her feel better and in return she helps me out by being cooperatable and keeping everyone one else in the herd on the same page.  She was happy and so was I.  I just wish PETA would have been there to see it, they might have thought twice about there actions against farmers.  Nah that's just wishful thinking on stupidity :p  I added a picture of Noel after all of this too show you how she doesn't look like a friendly cow, and how now she is standing on all fours!! :P