Cowboy New Year’s Resolutions

Sometimes the first of the year is the best time to reset your habits. For cowboys, though, there are usually different sets of priorities. A gym membership, for example, probably doesn’t fit into many working ranch hands’ routines. And as far as eating healthy? We all eat beef so we’re good there. With that in mind, we’ve come up with a cowboy New Year’s Resolution list. Some are serious, some are not.

1. Keep all knives sharpened and guns cleaned.
2. Rope the dummy for at least 20 minutes each day live cattle aren’t used.
3. No death loss on calves between branding and weaning.
4. Shed a few pounds and get in shape (round is not a shape that counts!).
5. Finally get the FILL IN THE BLANK PIECE OF BROKEN-DOWN MACHINERY running.
6. Have my 2-year-olds riding like 3-year-olds before they’re 4-year-olds.
7. Read at least one industry-related article per day—online or in print.
8. Read at least one book each month.
9. Have all fence up before yearlings are turned out.
10. Think about and care for others as much as I think about and care for myself.