In a typical “Island Shuffle,” two more calves have moved to the Vineyard. We trailered them from New Hampshire to Mansfield, where we met Dan Athearn. That morning, Dan had dropped a load of pigs at the New England processing plant, so he had an empty stock trailer. We met Dan in the Home Depot parking lot and moved the calves from our trailer to his. I joined him on the return trip to attend a writing workshop with John Hough Jr. that night.
These Guernsey calves, Cash and Dusty, are only seven months old, and they work in a yoke guided by a teamster; a job they’ve had their whole lives. They’re on the Vineyard to help the 4-H Katama Cowpokes become better teamsters.
Born not far from my farm, the pair was trained by a 4-H teenager who taught them to obey voice commands and body language. After a successful show season at New England agricultural fairs, she sold them to Slough Farm’s educational program for the Cowpokes to use. Two Cowpoke teams already exist on the Vineyard; Cash and Dusty make three.
At my first Agricultural Fair in 2021, I was impressed by the Vineyard’s support of local farms but disappointed by the lack of Island cattle teams. All the working steers and oxen teams at the fair came from off-Island. At one time, many Vineyard farms had a team of oxen to help with chores, but now tractors have replaced them. My mission was to bring the joy of working steers back to the Vineyard. With the help of Slough Farm and willing children, that dream is being fulfilled.
Cash and Dusty each weigh about 700 pounds and are more obedient than most dogs. Just think what would happen if a 700-pound dog decided to chase a car? Yet these two steers come when called and follow their young teamsters’ commands. The steers want to work with humans, and that’s what makes them magical.
But training isn’t without stress. The first command a Cowpoke must teach her team is “Whoa.” A team without “Whoa” is like a car without brakes. Dangerous. Teaching it means setting boundaries that keep humans safe.
Boundaries work for people too. So often we humans don’t set boundaries because we don’t want to offend the other person. We forget that boundaries, like “Whoa,” are about our safety, not the other person’s feelings. Letting a pushy person get under your skin is like forgetting to teach “Whoa.” That’s what the Cowpokes learn: how to set boundaries and stick to them.
Meanwhile, I’m witnessing a small miracle at the Agricultural Society barn, where Cash and Dusty will spend the winter. On my frequent trips to the Vineyard, I’ll draw inspiration from these teenage Cowpokes and their bovine partners as they learn together the power of a clear “Whoa,” a boundary that works with people too.
Carole Soule is a 4-H leader and part-time Vineyard resident. She and her husband offer the Ultimate Cow Experience with Highland bovines on their Loudon, New Hampshire farm.