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STAMPEDE!
We just started renting some new property across the road. There are 94 head of 1100 pound heifers in that pasture. Has anyone here seen 94 head of 1100 lb. heifers at a dead run? It's rather foreboding. So, Dan and his brother Dave, who rarely helps with the heifers and has not seen Shooter work in the pasture, were trying to get to church on time Sunday morning. They had these heifers in a new, unfamiliar pasture where they didn't know where the gate was. They had a dog that had been "off" for the winter with much less herding work to do. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Dan and Shooter moved into the pasture (Dave's job was to open the gate) and began moving the heifers toward the gate. Shooter was just trotting along beside Dan ready to drive the herd. At that point, the heifers spooked at something and took off at a dead run. Dan told Shooter to "stop 'em" and Shooter kicked it into high gear, ran ahead of the herd of 94 stampeding cattle and turned them back. They began running the other way. Shooter ran around the herd and to the front again stopped them. This happened a couple of times. Finally, the stupid heifers got the idea that they couldn't go anywhere. Dan called Shooter to be "easy" and Shooter began his normal wearing to try to crowd them through the gate. Those in the rear began getting agitated at not knowing what was happening. Dan called Shooter to "come". Shooter stopped and went to Dan immediately. Then they did "easy" for a long time until all the heifers got through the gate. Stopping a stampede takes extraordinary POWER and confidence and heart. Being able to work slowly and gently after such a burst of adrenaline takes significant self-control. He usually does a good job, but Sunday was excellent. We even got to church early! Dan said Dave, the skeptic, sat there with his jaw on the ground. Sometimes it takes an iron fist and sometimes it takes a velvet glove. A dog that knows which to use in a given situation is priceless.
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